What a start to 2025! We at PS21 are still buzzing from a packed two-week residency with Australian contemporary circus company, Circa.
The company began their time at PS21 rehearsing What Will Have Been alongsideviolinist Miranda Cuckson, in advance of an absolutely stunning sold-out performance in the Black Box Theater. Thanks to all who joined for the performance and the talkback! See more photos of the afternoon, courtesy of Steven Taylor.
This was the kick-off of what promises to be a thrilling year of contemporary circus productions at PS21. As we announced to the audience at Circa’s performance, we are so excited to present PS21 CirqueFest in summer 2025.
PS21 CirqueFest is a festival in celebration of contemporary circus, bringing companies from around the world to the Hudson Valley for performances, residencies, workshops, and community engagements hosted at PS21.
Circa’s second week in residence was spent developing a new piece called Ravel, which we hosted in partnership with our friends at Hudson Hall. At the end of the week, we held a party for the PS21 Producers Circle with Circa CEO and Artistic Director, Yaron Lifschitz, where he spoke about the significance of this growing art form.
Challenging genre boundaries since its inception, contemporary circus blends acrobatic physicality and athleticism with elements of theater, music, dance, new media, and the visual arts to engage audiences of all ages and backgrounds. It is an art form for our times—inventive, rebellious, inclusive, politically astute, and improvisatory, forging a sense of common purpose, and unifying the community we serve.
PS21 has presented popular contemporary circus performances since 2021, in partnership with dozens of local organizations, and we are so excited to ramp things up in 2025.
Keep an eye out for our season announcement in the coming months for more info on PS21 CirqueFest! Until then, please join us in thanking Circa and the rest of our winter residency roster.