Board of Directors
Our diverse team contributes unique talent, insight and perspective from the worlds of theater, circus, and education.
Our diverse team contributes unique talent, insight and perspective from the worlds of theater, circus, and education.
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.
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 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
Daniel has taken the stage at some of Germany’s most successful varieté theaters, including the GOP Varieté and the Wintergarten in Berlin. He’s also toured some of the world’s most exciting fringe and art festivals with the international award-winning show “SOAP” as well as joining the cast of Cirque du Soleil’s “Crystal” for shows in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. With over ten years’ experience, Daniel brings his professionalism, expertise and charisma to every performance.
The work of Katie Vickers is situated between performance and choreography. She has worked as a professional dancer in the United States and Northern Europe with Daniel Linehan (USA), Martin Nachbar (GE), Benjamin Vandewalle (BE), Vera Tussing (GE), Rósa Omarsdóttir (IS), J Neve Harrington (UK), Thierry de May (BE), Albert Quesada (SP), David Gordon (US), Deborah Hay (US), amongst others. Her own work seeks for friction between sensation and meaning. A question of the body to find the unfamiliar in the familiar. Since 2014, she has been supported by deSingel, Dommelhof TAKT, Vooruit, STUK, wpZimmer, Uferstudios, Schloss Bröllin, and MAAS and has collaborated with Inga Huld Hákonardóttir extensively. Currently, she is focused on slowness as resistance, grief, and storytelling through collective weaving. Katie received her MFA from University of the Arts in Philadelphia and is also a graduate of P.A.R.T.S. (BE) and The Ohio State University (US).
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.
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.
Katherine Petronaci (she/her) is an international pole dance competitor and aerialist who resides in Philadelphia, PA. She started dancing at the age of 2 and was a principle member of the teen touring company, DanceWorks, by the age of 11. Her dance style is a unique blend of the influences that have shaped her dance career. Classic ballet and contemporary influences such as Balanchine, Graham and Horton. A modern sensual style inspired by her experience in the club industry here in Philadelphia and Las Vegas. She has performed and competed in numerous competitions and shows all over the world, including SkyDance Philly’s Grounded Autonomy, Platinum Pole Championships, APC/PSO, Diamond G-String, and The Arnold Classic Pole World Champions and PanAmerican championships in Brazil. Katherine is best known for her teaching style, unique transitions and choreography in both pole and aerials. Her teaching style can truly be defined as “nerdy puzzle solving” because she loves creating new brain pathways in movement for her students, while breaking down the physics and fundamentals of each move and transition. She looks forward to continuing to inspire her students to fly.
Krista Apple is a Philadelphia-based actor and acting coach, and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). Her Philadelphia theater credits include productions at the Arden, Walnut Street, Interact, and many others. She is a member of the HotHouse acting company at Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater, where some of her favorite productions include TWELFTH NIGHT, RAPTURE BLISTER BURN, and IN THE NEXT ROOM (VIBRATOR PLAY). As a teacher and coach, Krista has trained actors at Theater for a New Audience, Temple University, Northwestern University (NHSI), and taught for over a decade at University of the Arts’ BFA Acting Program. She is a graduate of Temple University (MFA), Kenyon College (BA), and has trained with Shakespeare’s Globe and the British-American Drama Academy. She is also a certified Reiki practitioner, a running enthusiast, and a proud mom. Learn more at www.kristaapple.com.
Jesse is a circus performer known for her unique mix of classic and modern hula hoop skills. She started her career at age ten with Lone Star Circus, where she fell in love with performing.
In 2016, Jesse travelled to London to study at the National Centre for Circus Arts, where she trained under master coaches, including Yuriy Pozdnyakov. There, she refined her signature style, focusing on the vintage art of hoop rolling. Jesse holds the unofficial world record for rolling 11 hoops simultaneously.
She has worked with Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Circo Metropolis, Krystallpalast Varieté and most recently at Spiegelworld’s The Hook. In 2024, she received the Special Prize from the Circus, Varieté, and Artist Friends of Switzerland at the Young Stage International Circus Festival.
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 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.
Tamara graduated from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, then attended The University of North Carolina School of Law where she earned her law degree. She served on active duty in the United States Army where she was counsel to the Office of the Secretary of the Army on environmental law matters. She also served as a Special Assistant US Attorney, prosecuting cases in Washington DC.
Thereafter she entered private practice, primarily defending local governments and their employees in civil litigation. Tamara became involved with PSCA through her daughter, Kiara, who began attending circus school at age 11. Tamara was lucky enough to witness Circadium’s early days and is thrilled to now be a member of its Board.
Over the past 15 years, Dena Ferrara Driscoll has worked to strengthen access to public goods. She believes in well-funded public: education, arts, housing, spaces, parks, services, and history. She has previously worked at such nonprofits as Neighborhood Bike Works, Smith Memorial Playground, School District of Philadelphia, and Bartram’s Garden which have given her a unique perspective of how public goods are essential to a thriving city. Currently, she is the Director of Development and Communications for the Public Interest Law Center. She holds an M.A. in Museum Education from the University of the Arts and a B.A. in History from La Salle University.
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 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.
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.
In a 35+ year career, Barbara has been a journalist and strategic communications professional serving clients who need public relations, marketing and media strategies, advertising, video production and community outreach to multicultural audiences. She is an award-winning journalist who has served as Director of Communications to the Mayor of Philadelphia (2000-2004) and the Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District (1996-1999). Grant was a partner and co-founder of Cardenas Grant Communications, one of Philadelphia’s most prominent bicultural strategic communications firms serving public sector, non-profit and corporate clients, such as Welcome America and the the School District of Philadelphia. Grant is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Sociology; she earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce with a specialty in marketing and advertising. She is a well recognized broadcast journalist and producer, nominated for several Emmy Awards. She made history as one of the television anchors of the “MOVE COMMISSION HEARINGS,” on local PBS station WHYY TV 12. She won the Best of Philly award for TV journalists in 1993. In 2015, she was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. Grant served as a media executive in broadcast positions such as Program Director for WURD Radio; Planning Editor for Eyewitness News(CBS); Managing Editor of Inquirer News Tonight (Knight Ridder Video-WB17); Independent Producer for BET News; News Director for WDAS radio. In addition to Circadium, she is a member of the Board of Directors of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and the Scribe Video Center.
Marti Aaron is from Atlanta, GA. She is Registered Nurse at a hospital in downtown Atlanta, and she has been married to Bill for over 30 years. Marti and Bill are the parents of 2 amazing children, one of whom, William, is a Circadium Alumnus. William is married to another Circadium alumnus, Cassie Caldwell. William and Cassie were both introduced to circus arts at young ages: William started unicycling at age 5, and Cassie learned poi in elementary school on Oahu as a form of Hawaiian dance. They both tried lots of new things as they grew up, and then they met at Circadium and formed a duo act, and have been touring and acquiring equipment and animals ever since. Marti and Bill have become enthusiastic supporters of Circus and specifically, Circus performers and schools. This creative career path is scary and thrilling. It is as true for the performers, students, and graduates, as it is for the founders of brand new post secondary, professional Circus training schools. Marti and Bill are deeply grateful to Circadium and to Shana and Greg Kennedy for the excellent training and support for William and Cassie and all the other students. As a member of the Board of Directors, Marti is highly motivated to help Circadium grow and thrive to become the leading training institution in the industry. She feels like Circadium gave so much to her family, and she wants to give back. She is also very interested in promoting circus as a viable career option so that more students can arrive at Circadium with the outside support they need to thrive. She believes that students must be mentally, physically and emotionally healthy in order to achieve their circus dreams.