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Who We Are
We believe in helping to build a community of positivity and inspiration. We want our students to feel empowered and strong and believe they can achieve anything.
Established in February 2012, The Circus Company started in Collingwood and has since opened a new location in Barrie. The Circus Company specializes in teaching aerial and ground circus arts to all ages and levels (from ages 18 months– Adult). We offer year round programs, winter and summer camps, group parties, workshops and private lessons.
We want to offer an exciting and unique fitness alternative for all lifestyles. We have been successful in catering to all ability levels from beginner to advanced. Our Instructors offer a wealth of knowledge in the circus arts, safe practices, encouragement and they can help to streamline your circus goals...and they might even give you a warm hug every once in awhile.
MEET THE CIRCUS FAMILY!
Kristin Nunes
Owner
Level 2 NCCP Certified Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program.
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Kristin Nunes is the founder and owner of the The Circus Company.
She has created and produced several acclaimed circus productions including Dream Chest Circus, Cirque de la Nuit and RAOCA.
Kristin is an experienced aerialist performer that has been involved in dozens of events around Ontario. She grew up in competitive gymnastics and continued on to become a competitive gymnastics and recreational coach, acquiring 30 years of coaching experience. She discovered her love for aerial circus arts while travelling in Mexico and has been training and teaching in this exciting discipline ever since.
Prior to the opening of Collingwood Circus Club in 2012, Kristin earned her Paramedic license in British Columbia and Ontario.
Tara Leslie
Head Coach | Director of Training
Level 2 NCCP Certified Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program.
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Tara has always felt at home in the gym. Starting with gymnastics at the age of 4, competing until she was 15. In high school she switched to competitive cheerleading, before falling in love with the circus world.
At 14 she started coaching and has been coaching at different clubs in Ontario since. Racking up 15 years of experience. Tara first started training circus arts under Kristin in 2011 and is now an experienced aerial performer. Tara loves helping people reach their personal fitness goals and push past their fears!
Julia Leslie
Office Manager | Life Coach
​Have you ever wondered what the face looks like behind all those emails… Well, here she is folks! Julia is our Office Manager and Life Coach at The Circus Company Inc. Julia also happens to be very close to one of our coaching staff. Do you see any resemblance between her and Coach Tara?
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Julia began her circus journey in 2018 when she enrolled in circus classes herself and started working part-time in an administrative role. Let’s zoom forward to 2022 - We are beyond excited to have Julia as our full-time Office Manager and “Circus Mama” as we watch this incredible circus community expand and grow!
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Julia is around and happy to answer any and all of your questions at circusops@gmail.com
Sarah Sherman
Circus Coach | Facilities Manager
First Aid/CPR C Certified​
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program
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If you have ever met Sarah around the gym you know firsthand how much fun she is! I guess it makes sense why her friends have nicknamed her “Human Sunshine”. Sarah started her circus journey in 2015 after it piqued her interest when her older sister took classes in Toronto. She searched to find something in her area and was happy to find the Circus Club in Collingwood and has been here ever since! Growing up Sarah participated in both dance classes and soccer and enjoyed being able to move her body. Sarah loves encouraging people and helping people in any way she can and she feels she can do a lot of that coaching circus. Sarah loves showing people that the circus is for everyone and anyone and you don’t have to look a certain way or be a certain way to be a part of this wonderful community.
Lyndsey McDougall
Circus Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified​
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program
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Lyndsey’s circus journey began 6 years ago while looking for a fun new exercise. Lyndsey’s search brought her to the Collingwood Circus School where she discovered a love of all things circus! While silks is her first circus love, she also trains lyra, stilt walking and partner acrobatics.
In the rare times she is not at the gym she loves to knit and play with her nephews.
Charlotte V
Circus Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified​
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program
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Charlotte join our Circus School in 2019. Charlotte was seeking a way to get physically active, but was never drawn to traditional sports, so finding circus was the perfect fit for her. For Charlotte, Circus allows her get all of her energy out in a productive and fun way. With endless new things to learn and teach she always feels engaged!
If you don’t find Charlotte in the gym training you’ll likely catch her at home sewing in her spare time.
Laura Connolly
Circus Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified​
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program
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Laura became hooked on silks after taking her first class in 2016. After returning to Collingwood, she was looking for a fun and creative way to remain active and build strength; having taken ballet throughout her teen years, she wanted to try something new. While aerial silks is her first love, she also enjoys aerial Lyra and has recently taken up stilt walking. She loves the inclusiveness and supportive atmosphere the circus community brings to her life, and hopes to bring that joy to other people through coaching. When not on the silks she can be found crocheting or making earrings.
Martina Speirs
Circus Coach
Level 1 NCCP Certified Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program
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Martina is an experienced performer and coach who has been with The Circus Company Inc since 2015. With a passion for movement and dance, she brings a unique perspective to her coaching style. Martina has been studying and performing bellydance and hula hoop dance for many years, and has become a skilled and accomplished performer in both disciplines.
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In addition to her expertise in dance, Martina has also honed her skills in a variety of ground circus acts, including poi and contact juggling.
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Outside of the gym, Martina can often be found performing at local events and festivals, sharing her love of circus arts with the wider community. She is dedicated to promoting the circus arts and helping others discover the joy and creativity that can be found in movement and performance.
Aisha Chiandet
Coach
Level 1 NCCP Certified Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified
Fall Protection/Harness Training and Ladder Training
Stretch Your Limits Aerial Certification Program
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Aisha started training on aerial silks and aerial hoop in 2012, and began performing shortly there after. She has been instructing since 2014. Prior to discovering the world of aerial circus arts, she was a dancer and gymnast, and taught gymnastics throughout high school. She developed her love of heights through rock and ice climbing, and worked at climbing gyms in high school and university, even creating a course to help new climbers transition to outdoors. As an aerial coach, Aisha has a particular interest in alternative methods of strength and flexibility training, and enjoys helping students reach their full potential. Now an experienced performer, Aisha has been involved in shows and events across Southern Ontario. When not up in the air, she can be found at her day job as an aquatic ecologist.
Jordan Corcoran
Cirq-kour Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified​
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Jordan is an experienced and versatile coach with a passion for Cirq-Kour (parkour) and a love for partner acrobatics, stilt walking, bubble making, rope climbing and more! He has been involved in parkour since 2005 and has since become a skilled athlete and coach in the discipline. With years of experience under his belt, Jordan has gained a deep understanding of the mechanics of movement and the importance of proper technique in parkour.
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But his talents don't stop there! Jordan has also trained in martial arts for 9 years and holds a 2nd degree black belt in karate and a blue belt in jiu jitsu. This background has given him a unique perspective on the intersection of different movement disciplines and how they can complement each other.
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In addition to his coaching responsibilities, you can also find Jordan in the gym training and practicing his skills in various disciplines. Whether he's stilt walking, creating beautiful bubbles, or leading nerf battles, Jordan's enthusiasm and energy are always contagious!
Matthew Donko
Cirq-kour Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified​
Level 1 Gymnastics Coach
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Meet Matt! Matt is one of The Circus Company's talented Cirq-Kour (parkour) coaches! Matt has always been active and involved in sports, starting with gymnastics in his early teens and continuing through university. Matt holds a Level 1 Gymnastics Coaching Certification.
As a father, Matt loves sharing his passion for movement with his kids. Parkour has been a perfect fit for both himself and his children, allowing them to explore and play in a safe and controlled environment while building strength, agility, and confidence.
Matt brings a unique perspective to his coaching, combining his knowledge of traditional gymnastics techniques with his experience in parkour and breakdancing. He is committed to helping his students develop not only their physical skills, but also their creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Peyton Kerr
Cirq-Kour Coach
First Aid/CPR C Certified​
Level 1 Certified Gymnastics Coach
Level 1 Certified Trampoline & Tumbling Coach
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Peyton has been doing gymnastics since a young age, and has developed a passion for tumbling and trampoline. With a competitive background, Peyton has won numerous medals and awards, including two golds at the provincial level.
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As a coach, Peyton brings nearly 3 years of experience to the table, and is dedicated to helping students achieve their goals and reach their full potential. Peyton is certified in gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, and is always striving to learn more.
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When Peyton isn't coaching, she can be found pursuing her other passions, such as aerial silks and hula hooping. Peyton loves everything creative arts and will be pursuing further post secondary education in arts studies.
Devon McDonald
Rigger
Devon has been an industrial rope access technician and rigger for 14 years now. He enjoys technical projects and challenging rigging environments.
He’s an instructor of technical rope skills and teaches the working at height programs through the Ministry of Labour.
Outside of work he enjoys the outdoors and hiking with his family.
Kevin Clark
Engineer
Safety is always our top priority. That is where Kevin Walker steps in! Kevin oversees all the engineering requirements of our Collingwood and Barrie Circus Schools, as well as some of our event setups!
Kevin is the president of Ancam Solutions Company Ltd which he started in 2002. Kevin has completed projects in heavy industry, manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, mining and infrastructure for hundreds of clients around the world. He holds engineering licenses in most provinces in Canada. He is a recognized expert in construction and industrial safety as well as passenger ropeways.
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Collingwood School
Our 5000 sq ft facility offers 24 ft of vertical space and has 16 aerial points. The school offers a dedicated ground circus zone, class/events space, and dedicated membership area. We offer a variety of apparatuses including but not limited to: aerial hoop, aerial lyra, aerial silks, aerial hammock, large aerial cube, small aerial cube, trapeze, hula hoops, teeterboard, juggling balls, walking globes and more.
Our custom engineered aerial rigging safety system was designed, fabricated and installed by Kevin Clarke (P. Eng., MBA) at Ancam Solutions Company Ltd. Collingwood Circus School’s aerial rigging system was developed to allow one person to raise/lower/exchange apparatuses without having to leave the ground. It’s application is designed for one operator to safely and promptly lower a user to the ground should the user be unable to do so safely.
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All components are designed to accommodate a 5,000 lb load on each apparatus; this represents the code requirements for industrial applications. The anchor beam is designed such that if multiple apparatuses are engaged in drops it can withstand the anticipated loads; it is also designed to allow one person to lower a user in the event of entanglement or other issue above the gym floor.
Barrie School
Our 2000 sq ft facility offers 18 ft of vertical space and has 9 aerial points. The school offers a class/events space, a cirq-kour area, and a photo studio (for rent) with a rigable point. We offer a variety of apparatuses including but not limited to: aerial hoop, aerial lyra, aerial silks, aerial hammock, small aerial cube, trapeze, hula hoops, juggling balls, and more.
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All components are designed to accommodate a 5,000 lb load on each apparatus; this represents the code requirements for industrial applications. The anchor beam is designed such that if multiple apparatuses are engaged in drops it can withstand the anticipated loads; it is also designed to allow one person to lower a user in the event of entanglement or other issue above the gym floor.