Our Team

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Shana Kennedy

Executive
Director

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Jesse Kitzen-Abelson

Acrobatics
Instructor

Jacinta Yelland

Jacinta Yelland

Physical Theatre
Instructor

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L M Feldman

Dramaturgy
Instructor

Annie Wilson

Annie Wilson

Dance
Instructor

Rachel Lancaster

Rachel Lancaster

Aerial
Instructor

Ilana Blankman

Ilana Blankman

Aerial
Instructor

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Luther Bangert

Juggling & Movement
Instructor

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Elliott Gittelsohn

Flexibility
Instructor

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Sarah Moser

Acrobatics
Instructor

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Connor Hogan



Alex McCraw

Alex McCraw

Straps
Instructor

Andrew Adams

Andrew Adams

Straps
Instructor

Casie Girvin

Casie Girvin

Cabaret/Voice
Instructor

Program Advisory Committee

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Bim Mason

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Tim Roberts

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Eric Geoffrey

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Daniela Arendadova

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Krin Haglund

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Jedediah Wheeler

Board of Directors

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Kitsie O'Neill

Brett Mandel

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Kirsti Bracali

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Vanessa Gennarelli

Julie Goodman

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Kermit Roosevelt III

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Ali Rogers

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Vanessa Thomas Smith

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Tamara Desai

Our diverse team contributes unique talent, insight and perspective from the worlds of theater, circus, and education.

Shana Kennedy

Shana is the Founder of the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, and the Executive Director of Circadium. She trained as an aerialist and a juggler at Circomedia, in England, and performed for many years in both capacities. She began teaching aerial skills in her home and backyard in 2001. In 2006 Air Play was founded as a performance and teaching company; and it evolved in 2008 to the full-fledged PSCA facility. From 2010-2014, Shana accompanied her husband, Greg, on tour with Cirque du Soleil’s Totem, and brought back a wealth of information and ideas from circus schools around the world. She is actively involved with the American Circus Educators Association, the American Circus Alliance, and the European Federation of Professional Circus Schools, and founded a Directors’ Roundtable of circus school leaders across North America. She is deeply committed to the growing influence of circus artistry and education in the U.S., and to furthering the sector as a whole.

Jesse Kitzen-Abelson​

Jesse was a competitive gymnast for over 15 years. He competed collegiately at Temple University where he was a two-year co-captain and a consistent pommel horse anchor. After graduation, he went on to coach high performance gymnastics in South Africa for 5 years. He was a coach for the national team at the African Championships, Cottbus World Cup, and Commonwealth Games. Since returning to the US, he has gone back to his alma mater at Temple to coach the men’s gymnastics team. He was also the head gymnastics coach for team USA at the 2022 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Jacinta Yelland

Jacinta Yelland is an Australian physical theatre performer, creator and teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Creative Industries: Drama from Queensland University of Technology, has completed the Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre Company Internship and was supported by Arts Queensland to study at École Philippe Gaulier, Paris. She completed her MFA in Devised Performance at The University of the Arts led by award-winning Pig Iron Theatre Company. In addition to creating her own work Jacinta has collaborated with companies across Australia and America including David Gordon, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Tribe of Fools, Quintessence Theatre Group, Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, and Philadelphia Artists’ Collective.

L M Feldman

L M Feldman is a queer, feminist, GNC playwright, educator, & circus artist who makes theatrically audacious, physically kinetic, ensemble-driven plays that are both epic & intimate. L’s work asks the hard questions, holds the tender spaces, upends traditional structures, and builds community along the way. In all her work, L seeks to create a live performance in which something TRANSCENDENT transpires – (something moving & luminous & just a little bit impossible) – for those both onstage and off. 

L and her work have been nominated for the Herb Alpert Award, Wendy Wasserstein Prize, Stavis Playwright Award, Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award, and twice for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Her work was also shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Drama, the Jane Chambers Award, and the FEWW Prize. L is also thankful to have been a fellow at MacDowell, Playwrights Realm, InterAct Theatre, Dramatists Guild, and New Georges; a Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries winner; a member of Orbiter 3; and a thought partner with the 2022-2023 Artistic Caucus (Baltimore Center Stage, Woolly Mammoth, Long Wharf, & St. Louis Rep).
L is an alum of both the Yale School of Drama (M.F.A. in playwriting) and the New England Center for Circus Arts (major in duo trapeze, minor in handbalancing). As a contemporary circus artist, L performed duo trapeze at festivals around the world. She continues to teach & dramaturg for circus artists around the country. She is passionate about theater that MOVES, and circus that DELVES. 

L has lived in seven cities and is now based in Philadelphia, where she writes & performs, devises & dramaturgs, consults & advocates, teaches (all over the place), and handstands (also all over the place). She’s currently writing a trilogy of circus plays. And she is over the goshdarn moon to be a 2023-2025 Venturous Playwright Fellow through The Playwrights’ Center.

Annie Wilson

Annie Wilson is a Philly-based choreographer, videographer, and death doula. Her performances and short films have been described as animistic, pop-magic church services focusing on the experience versus the appearance of the body. She graduated with a BFA in Modern Dance Performance from University of the Arts, and obtained a certificate in experimental devised dance and theater from Headlong Performance Institute. She is a Pew Fellow in the Arts, an Independence Fellow, and two-time Barrymore award nominee. Her work has been presented by JACK, Fringearts, Bryn Mawr College, Műhely Alapítvány, CounterPulse, and others. She has directed shows for MK Tuomanen and Almanac Dance Circus Theater, choreographed shows for the Arden and Applied Mechanics, and performed in the work of Nichole Canuso Dance Theater, Meg Foley/moving parts, Lucinda Childs, Pasión y Arte, , among others. She is also a low-cost videographer for nonprofits, death doula, and dues-paying member of the Debt Collective. Ask about her recent trip to Scotland! www.theanniewilson.com www.sunsetcompanions.com

Rachel Lancaster

Rachel Mae Lancaster is a versatile performer and coach who specializes in aerial acrobatics and circus arts. She began her dance career at the age of 3 and quickly discovered her love for performing. Through her journey in the dance world, she found a passion for theater and decided that she wanted to learn more about acting and directing. She received a BFA at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in theater arts. After graduation, she continued to develop her talents while traveling and performing with a variety of different companies such as Touch Performance Arts, Innovative Juggler, and Airplay Entertainment. In addition to regular performances, Rachel has recently become the head coach at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. She teaches a variety of classes for students of all ages and skill levels. Rachel has directed a number of showcases, staff shows, and youth performances at PSCA. 

Ilana Blankman

Ilana Rose is a circus performer and teacher specializing in aerials, partner acro, handstands, and juggling. She began her circus journey at Wise Fool in Santa Fe, NM, and went on to become the Programs Director and Head Coach there for many years. Ilana is also the co-founder of Pitch Catch Circus, an internationally recognized partner acrobatics program that brings students from around the world for semi-annual 5-week intensives. She has also taught regularly at Airdance NM, Circus Culture (Ithaca, NY), and Empyrean Arts (Asheville, NC). Ilana trained at Circomedia in Bristol, England, and has also studied at NECCA and the Performance Acrobatix Program in Germany. Ilana regularly performs in Philly with her circus trio, The 505. Previous performances include Cirque Normandy, Cannonball, Meow Wolf, the Lensic Theatre, and the Santa Fe Opera.

Luther Bangert

Luther is a juggling teacher and performer specializing in expressive ball technique and movement. He began juggling in 2005 while studying philosophy at the University of Iowa. After graduating in 2010, he performed with the Great Bombay Circus in India. In 2012 he encountered the worlds of both contemporary circus and street performance while performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. From there, between 2012-2016, he used street performing as a means to travel the USA, Europe, Australia, and Asia, interacting with contemporary circus and dance schools, communities, and various performance and arts festivals along the way. 

In 2016 he moved to New York City to perform and teach and began studies of qi gong and dance with Daria Faïn in her C O R E M O T I O N program. Luther debuted his solo stage show, Distillations, in May 2022. He began teaching at the Circadium School of Contemporary Circus in September 2022.

Luther currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Juggling Association (IJA) and is devoted to bringing juggling to new places in his own practice, in his teaching, and in the world.

Elliott Gittelsohn

Elliott Gittelsohn resolved to join the circus at age 12. His training includes an apprenticeship at Circus Smirkus Academy, a degree in clowning from The Clown Conservatory, and training under Mongolian contortionist, Serchmaa Byamba. Elliott has performed with companies including Capacitor, Celebrity Cruises, Sister Magic Productions, MOTH Poetic Circus, Vau de Vire Society, and Kinetic Arts Production. He holds a degree in Performing Arts from the LEAP Program. While earning his degree, Elliott conducted research on  psychological stress and recovery of circus performers in training versus performing. He was assistant director of Oregon Fringe Festival (2021 season) and was a junior fashion designer for Joe Dunbar Designs. He coaches circus skills, specializing in contortion and hand balancing, and has directed shows for Time Flies Circus, Burning Coal Theatre, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, Levity Circus Collective, Kinetic Arts Center, Circo Caribe, San Francisco Circus Center, and Hampshire College. Elliott is the Youth Troupe Director at PSCA, and is on faculty at Circadium, coaching contortion, flexibility, and creative development.

Sarah Moser

Sarah has craved being upside down and moving her body ever since she can remember! Growing up a competitive gymnast and followed by years of coaching, Sarah started her training in partner acrobatics and handbalancing in 2011 and has been totally enamored by the movement practices ever since; there is always another skill, a new challenge, and more creativity to be unlocked! 

Sarah has taught partner acro classes to the Philadelphia acro community since 2017, and in early 2021, she co-founded a recreational ground acrobatics company, Acro&. That same fall, she also began coaching at Circadium! She believes that handstands and partner acro (and circus in general) are the ultimate movement arts; beautifully challenging, playfully collaborative, and trusting changes in perspective.

Alex MacCraw

Alex McCraw (any/all) is a lifelong acrobat, coming up as a gymnast and coach, then discovering circus arts as an adult.  His circus experience includes tumbling, trampoline, straps, partner acrobatics, duo trapeze, and in recent years he discovered a love for flying trapeze.  Alex’s goal as a coach is to have all their students enjoy circus as much as they do, and they firmly believe circus can be fun for everyone regardless of athletic background.  They emphasize body awareness and foundational skills that can be carried across any discipline.  When not circus-ing, Alex can be found covered in sawdust in her woodshop, rock climbing, tending to her ever-expanding collection of houseplants, and even occasionally at her day job as a software engineer.

Andrew Adams

Andrew is from Rochester, New York State, and as a child spent seven summers touring with Circus Smirkus. Later, he switched from a degree in engineering to theatre studies and modern dance. He performed in a double straps act with Erika Gilfether, and also appeared in Soleil’s Zumanity, and in Spiegelworld’s Absinthe, both in Las Vegas. He once did a week’s fill-in in a Louie Knie Jr show in Salzburg, Austria, about which he says: “I was on after the donkey act and before the goats… lots of farm animals in that show!”  In February 2017, in Sarasota, Florida, Andrew was part of an eight-person high-wire pyramid, including Nik, Rijana and Rietta Wallenda. In training for a show at Circus Sarasota. The pyramid became unstable and five of the performers fell 30 feet from the wires. Andrew broke both feet and his pelvis. After almost a year of recovery, he and his then-partner Sasha Harrington competed with a double straps act at the 39th Cirque de Demain festival at Cirque Phénix in Paris, where they won the Arte Special Prize.

Casie Girvin

Casie Girvin (she/they) is a singer, actor, gymnast, circus artist, and deviser based in Philadelphia. Casie earned her BM in Classical Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Temple University, and attended the Istituto Boccherini in Lucca, Italy, where she earned her certificate in Italian Language and Opera. Casie has trained and workshopped at The Actors Gymnasium, and Pig Iron School. They thrive on bringing all of their passions together through performance. She has performed with companies such as The Philadelphia Orchestra, Arden Theatre Co., Capital Repertory Theatre, Watermelon Bathtub, Albany Symphony, Eventbox, to name a few. Casie can usually be found singing upside-down on stage, screen, or random found spaces. They coach circus skills, specializing in tumbling and acrobatics, and teach voice, cabaret, choir, and acting.

Bim Mason

A pioneer in the physical-theatre scene of the UK since the 1970s, Bim Mason is the Founder and Artistic Director of Circomedia. http://www.circomedia.com

Bim trained with Jacques Lecoq and Desmond Jones.  A professional performer since 1978 with pioneering circus-theatre groups Kaboodle and his own Mummer & Dada. He has also acted with the Bristol Old Vic Company and toured three solo physical comedy shows to events such as the London International Mime Festival. Of the many physical theatre shows he has directed, three have received Fringe First Awards at Edinburgh – with Talking Pictures (1989) and with Relects Revenge (1995 & 1997). In 1999 he founded Dark Horse, which won the Herald Angel Award in 2000.

Other directing work includes Welfare State International, Peepolykus, Macadam Theatre, Wall Street Theatre, Green Ginger Microtheatre, solo mimes and large scale international projects. Bim has taught courses in Jerusalem, Rio de Janeiro and British universities. He was one of the original teachers at Fool Time 1986-1993. His writing work includes the book Street Theatre (Routledge 1992).

Tim Roberts

Director of Higher Education, National Centre for Circus Arts (UK), & Vice-President of the Fédération Européene des Ecoles de Cirque Professionelles https://www.nationalcircus.org.uk

Tim was a professional juggler and comedian in Europe who then became involved in the growing higher education sector of circus schools in France.  Tim’s contribution to the art form is also recognised internationally through his involvement with the European Federation of Professional Circus Schools (FEDEC) where he held the role of President for six years. With FEDEC he is involved in creating a pan-European teacher training programme for Circus Arts as well as lobbying for increased mobility opportunities for all those involved with the arts; from students to teachers, through to artistic directors, educational directors and administrators.

Eric Geoffrey

Eric is decidedly passionate about the tight wire, slack lining, the flying trapeze, riding his unicycle, playing the ukulele, trekking, and balancing rocks, often in various creative combinations. When he grows up he aspires to be a member of Kiva’s pirate ship monkey crew (preferably 1st mate).

Kitsie O'Neill

Kitsie Lundell O’Neill first became fascinated by circus arts during her junior year at Moore College of Art & Design. Her Thesis focused on using traditional circus characters as a visual narrative to discuss individual and cultural identity.  She took a sample aerial class in Shana Kennedy’s backyard for a fun stress-reliever during her Thesis development- and she was hooked.  In the meantime, she graduated with a dual major in Fine Arts Photography and Graphic Design from Moore. After 5 years working in the corporate design world, Kitsie took the exhilarating circus leap and began working at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts in 2008.  She currently serves as the school’s General Manager.

Brett Mandel

Brett is a lifelong Philadelphian, very active in city politics and culture. He was most recently the Executive Director of a non-profit organization working to help finance local public school districts.  Previously, he was Executive Director of a Philadelphia citizens’ organization promoting tax, government, and ethics reform.  He was Director of Financial and Policy Analysis under former City Controller Jonathan Saidel, and had a few other roles in local government. He has written two books on baseball and one book on Philadelphia government. 

Kirsti Bracali

Kirsti Bracali is an architect turned project manager who works with cultural non-profits to manage their construction and exhibit projects. Museum, Theatre and cultural non-profits often hire consultants for the specialized expertise they need to oversee the design and construction phases rather than search for a short term employee. Kirsti builds the team, establishes the budget and monitors the overall schedule. She will oversee grant compliance and has applied for State RACP grants for clients. She enjoys breaking down a complex process into manageable tasks so that all stakeholders can participate in realizing the project success. 

Kirsti’s three children have all participated in classes or camps at the Philadelphia Circus School. Her oldest daughter, Mia, loves aerials and now has a silk and a rope hanging (securely) in their yard. Circus has been great for building strength and confidence while providing an outlet for her creativity.

Vanessa Gennarelli

Vanessa Gennarelli is the Chief Operating Officer at Raise.dev, a venture-backed technology platform focused on helping professional developers advance their careers. An instructional designer by training, Vanessa has worked with Mozilla, Scratch, littleBits, Flat World Knowledge, Stellar.org, and Guru to develop content that teaches and delights customers. As the Senior Director at GitHub Education, she led a cross-functional team and a line of business for a company that was acquired by Microsoft. She has her Master’s from Harvard in Technology, Innovation and Education, is a former Research Intern at the MIT Media Lab, and graduate of the LEAD program at Stanford Business School.

Julie Goodman

Julie Goodman is an Associate Professor at Drexel University, where she conducts research and teaches courses in arts advocacy, cultural policy, and organizational strategy. She was previously Executive Vice President for the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

She also works on consulting projects with arts organizations and artists such as Spiral Q and Fleisher Art Memorial. Goodman is a board member of the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE), Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, Tribe of Fools, and the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation. She currently serves as Chair of the Mayor’s Cultural Advisory Council for the Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy. Julie earned a BA in Public Policy from Duke University and an MFA in Dance from Temple University. She is a former member of Trapezius Aerial Dance Company who has also performed with Leah Stein Dance Company, and developed choreography for Dancefusion’s fusion2. Her research examines arts advocacy and the value of arts and culture to individuals and communities. Recent publications include articles in the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society and the American Journal of Arts Management, as well as the international urban studies website Metropolitics.

Kermit Roosevelt III

Kermit Roosevelt grew up in Washington DC and attended Harvard University and Yale Law School. After graduation, he clerked for Judge Stephen F. Williams on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice David H. Souter on the Supreme Court. After practicing law for two years in Chicago with the firm of Mayer, Brown, he came to Philadelphia in 2002 to begin teaching constitutional law at Penn. He discovered PSCA in 2013, while looking for summer camps for his then-five year-old daughter, fell instantly in love with it, and has taken classes with his daughter steadily since then.

Ali Rogers

Ali Rogers is a translation professional with over five years of industry experience translating everything from doctoral dissertations in chemistry to haute couture advertising copy. She is a member in good standing with the American Translator’s Association and has translated for large international corporations, NGOs, international organizations, and the French Embassy to the United States, among others. Since earning her MA in French translation and interpretation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2014, she has continued to reinvent herself both personally and professionally. 

Despite spending her college years attending classes in Ringling family mansions in Sarasota, Florida, Ali’s circus journey did not begin in earnest until she wandered into an aerial fitness class in Atlanta in 2015. She was immediately smitten and went on to attend circus schools all over the United States and Europe. Her travels often take her to Ireland, where she has a number of contacts with leading circus professionals and artists, including the Fidget Feet aerial dance company and Taking Flight, an aerial studio in Dublin. Although she is a relative newcomer to this world, she is committed to advancing the profile of circus as an artistic discipline in its own right.

Vanessa Thomas Smith

Vanessa Thomas Smith was born and raised in Philadelphia. She graduated from Temple University with a BFA in Dance performance and education. She was a performer for three years at Walt Disney World, dancer and administrator with The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHLADANCO) for a total of 16 years, and toured with American circuses from 1979 -1998. She was the First African American Female Ringmaster in American circus history. She is currently the Business Manager for Your Part-Time Controller, LLC, an accounting firm specializing in nonprofits with offices in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York City, Houston and Phoenix. She continues to teach ballet and Zumba 4 times / week.