Check Out Bird’s Eye View Circus’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bird’s Eye View Circus.

Hi Bird’s Eye View Circus , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Bird’s Eye View Circus is Toledo’s Premier circus training and performance space offering classes in aerial and ground acrobatics for youth and adults. It is a local small business. The co-owners Renee Granados, Morgan Sopko, Matthew Miller, and Chloe Whiting Stevenson strive to create a welcoming and inclusive space. Our studio opened in 2012 and has worked with over 25 acrobatic instructors from Toledo, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and many traveling instructors from around the country.

Our classes offer a unique fitness program that improves strength, flexibility, and confidence for anyone. You do not need to be an athlete to make this your home, just a desire to try something new and work for it! We believe movement, laughter, and community is medicine. Group classes are offered for kids age 7+, teens, and adults. We also offer private lessons for events like birthday parties, cub scout/girl scout events, and more for folks of any age.

Our instructors and performance troupe members love to perform and teach in the community! We can be hired to elevate your events or bring circus into your school, organization, or agency. We produce narrative circus shows and variety shows inside our home building, The Collingwood Art Center which houses a beautiful domed theater that seats 560 people. You can also see our instructors and students performing at many local events, theaters, and festivals around Toledo.

This business was founded by Erin Garber-Pearson when she moved to the area. Bird’s Eye View Circus was created to be a space where she could teach circus arts in the community in 2012. Renee, Morgan, Matthew, and Chloe, who had previously trained with Garber-Pearson for over ten years, took ownership of the business in 2022.

Bird’s Eye View Circus strives to be a space for creative play and exploration for anyone interested in trying out this kinesthetic practice for joy.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Bird’s Eye View Circus is a small locally owned business. We strive to bring creativity, exploration, and play into our community. We are committed to being an open, inclusive space where people can try new things or celebrate physical and creative outlets that they have been training with for years.

There are always struggles with being a small business but the co-owners continue to collaborate to explore ways to offer classes, perform in the community, and maintain a space that focuses on these things. These continued activities take daily time, energy, and commitment to the principals that this small business was built upon.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Bird’s Eye View Circus is Toledo’s Premier circus training and performance space. In addition to our mission to create an inclusive and welcoming space for folks to explore circus arts. Bird’s Eye View Circus is unique in that there is something for everyone. Are you looking for a new creative outlet? Aerial or ground skills offers a way to tell a story, explore movement quality, or embody an emotion. If the interest is a new physical outlet – then classes bring instructors who can provide feedback for safe and healthy training practices that supports that journey, If you are looking for a way to meet amazing individuals – this location has been called many people’s “happy place” as it allows for community for anyone who might be looking to find friends or new creative colleagues.

In addition to offering amazing outlets Bird’s Eye View Circus is also build on the important and essential pillar of the safety of our students and performers. Bird’s Eye View Circus brings in a certified rigging inspector annually to continually ensure that all of our equipment is functioning safely. In addition we several staff members who do monthly safety inspections of all of our equipment. Finally we require each instructor to do a safety inspection prior to each class that is taught in the space. Our equipment is all up to date and meets the industry’s requirements. We want anyone who comes into our spaces to feel comfortable working with our instructors. In addition to our instructing Bird’s Eye View Circus also requires all of our performers who go out to events to be well-studied in their skillsets and fully insured with performer’s insurance. Safety and wellbeing of our students, guests, and performers are all extremely important to us here at Bird’s Eye View Circus.

Finally in addition to being a class space that offers opportunities for folks to try circus arts – Bird’s Eye View Circus also offers incredible performances that can travel to different events and provide entertainment as well as incredible theatrical spectacles where people can be immersed in a world of storytelling that is paired with spectacle. There truly is something for anyone who is interested in being entertained or joining the circus!

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Bird’s Eye View Circus strives to be an inclusive, fun, and welcoming space for anyone. If it’s trying something new for yourself by taking a class, heightening your corporate or personal event by hiring some incredible performers, or attending one of our circus theatrical stories and being transported through incredible spectacle combined with a story. We hope you consider trying out any of these options with us at Bird’s Eye View Circus. If folks are seeking out more information it can be found at our website birdseyeviewcircus.com.

Pricing:

• Pricing for hiring our troupe to come perform can be found on our website birdseyeviewcircus.com
• pricing for our classes can be found at our website birdseyeviewcircus.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.birdseyeviewcircus.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdseyeviewcircus/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeViewCircus