Circus Culture
Circus Culture is Ithaca, New York's only dedicated circus school, founded in 2015 by Amy Cohen, offering aerial and ground-skills instruction, private lessons, summer camps, corporate team-building workshops, and community performances across two studio spaces via Pike13 registration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Circus Culture does
Circus Culture is Ithaca, New York's only dedicated circus school, founded in 2015 by director Amy Cohen following a $25,000 Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. The school teaches aerial disciplines (fabric, lyra, trapeze, rope, hammock), ground skills (handstands, juggling, acrobatics, hula hooping), and youth programming through structured 8-week summer sessions and ongoing drop-in classes. Two studio and performance spaces in Press Bay Alley (a converted newspaper factory at 116 West Green Street) host instruction, with registration, scheduling, and ticketing handled through the Pike13 SaaS platform. Free community learning content ("Circus at Home") is distributed via Vimeo, and gift cards are sold through Square. The technology footprint is intentionally lean — no proprietary platform, mobile app, API, or AI components are disclosed.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer model serving four segments: youth and teens ages 8-16, adults 18+, corporate teams purchasing circus-based team-building workshops, and BIPOC youth reached through a six-year strategic partnership with nonprofit Village at Ithaca. Revenue streams include session-based class registration, drop-in class passes ($120 for a 6-class pass), private lessons ($75/hour per person plus $15 per additional participant), 5-day Tween/Teen Acro and Aerial Intensive camps, birthday and celebration parties, corporate team-building workshops, gift cards, and free community performances via the annual Summer Tour. Pricing is small-ticket and unit-based rather than enterprise-scale; channel mix is community-driven through Instagram, email newsletter, free local performances, and word-of-mouth. Circus Culture has not raised institutional capital beyond the original crowdfunding round.
Leadership is founder-led with a small, specialized bench: founder/director Amy Cohen (NYU Gallatin MA, Fulbright Scholar, former Executive Director of the American Youth Circus Organization), production manager Alex Sosebee, studio manager Claire Dehm, offsite opportunities manager Emily Babin, pedagogy manager Emily Healy, and approximately 8-10 lead teachers covering acrobatics, clowning, gymnastics, juggling, and aerial specialties. Core operations are stable but geographically bounded; no multi-location expansion, franchise model, or external growth funding has been disclosed.
Circus Culture firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Circus Culture
- Legal name
- Circus Culture
- Website
- https://circusculture.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Circus Culture is Ithaca, New York's only dedicated circus school, founded in 2015 by Amy Cohen, offering aerial and ground-skills instruction, private lessons, summer camps, corporate team-building workshops, and community performances across two studio spaces via Pike13 registration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Circus Culture industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Circus Arts Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)
Keywords
Where Circus Culture is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Circus Culture business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Class Registration Fees: Session-based classes (8-week summer sessions) and drop-in classes for various age groups and skill levels including aerial, ground skills, handstands, hula hooping, juggling, acrobatics, and tumbling
- Private Lessons: Individual and group private lessons at $75/hour for one person plus $15 per additional person
- Summer Camps: Tween/Teen Acro and Aerial Intensive programs (5-day camps) for ages 10-16
- Circus Parties: Party hosting services for kids and adults with limited capacity
- Team Building Workshops: Corporate team building workshops using circus as a team development tool
- Gift Cards: Square-based gift card sales to support the business
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | 6-Class Pass - Drop-in aerial and ground skills classes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Lessons - Individual or group instruction |
| Subscription | Annual | Summer Session - 8-week session classes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Drop-in Classes |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Team Building Workshops |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Circus Culture product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Circus Culture operates a community circus school in Ithaca, NY, selling in-person instruction across aerial disciplines (fabric, lyra, trapeze, rope), ground skills (handstands, hula hooping, juggling, acrobatics), and clowning for ages 8 through adult. Offerings are delivered as 8-week summer sessions, drop-in classes, private lessons, multi-day youth intensives, kids/adult birthday parties, and corporate team-building workshops, with free community performances through the annual Summer Tour.
Product overview
Circus Culture is Ithaca's circus school offering a comprehensive suite of circus arts instruction and community programs. The core offering consists of structured classes in aerial disciplines (fabric, lyra, trapeze, rope) and ground skills (handstands, juggling, acrobatics, hula hooping) for children, teens, and adults, available as 8-week sessions or drop-in options. Additional services include private lessons, summer camps and intensives, team building workshops for corporations, circus parties, and free community performances through the Summer Tour. The school also provides supplementary resources including free online content via Vimeo and a downloadable coloring book. A notable community initiative is the Village Circus program in partnership with Village at Ithaca, serving BIPOC youth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Summer Session Classes (8-week session, ages 8+)
Companies that use Circus Culture
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Circus Culture technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Circus Culture partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Village at Ithacacore6-year ongoing collaboration providing circus education and opportunities to BIPOC youth who are part of the Village at Ithaca community. The Village Circus program is a central part of Circus Culture's commitment to racial and social justice.
- Hotel IthacaminorHotel Ithaca supports visiting artists and educators by providing accommodation, helping Circus Culture bring in external talent and expertise.
- Pike13corePike13 is used as the registration site and class scheduler, enabling online sign-ups, schedule management, and class pass purchases.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Circus Culture competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Esh Circus Arts: Brooklyn-based circus school offering aerial, ground skills, and acrobatic classes for all ages, plus parties and intensives. Most directly comparable US peer as an urban independent circus school with similar class-based model.
- Versatile Arts: Seattle-based circus and aerial arts studio offering classes, intensives, and performances. Comparable as a regional independent US circus school with a similar adult-and-youth class structure.
- Circus Center: San Francisco-based circus school providing recreational, youth, and professional training programs, plus studio rentals. Comparable as a US circus school with multi-tier instruction and performance offerings.
- Aloft Circus Arts: Chicago-based circus school offering aerial, acrobatics, and conditioning classes for youth and adults, including camps and parties. Comparable as a mid-size independent US circus school serving a regional market.
- Trapeze School New York (TSNY): New York's leading trapeze and aerial circus school with multiple locations, offering classes, parties, and corporate team building. Highly comparable business model with a broader aerial focus and well-known brand.
- The Circus Project: Portland, Oregon-based circus school and nonprofit offering recreational and pre-professional training, with strong community-outreach programming. Comparable as an independent circus school that blends classes with social mission.
- New England Center for Circus Arts: Brattleboro, Vermont-based circus school with youth, teen, and adult programming across aerial, ground, and acrobatics disciplines, plus professional training tracks. Comparable as a multi-disciplinary regional circus school.
- Sky Candy Aerial Studio: Austin, Texas-based aerial and circus arts studio offering classes, workshops, and performances for adults and youth. Comparable as an independent US aerial/circus studio with a similar class-plus-events model.
Broad incumbents
- Cirque du Soleil: Global entertainment company built around circus arts, with show-based rather than school-based business model. Comparable as the dominant brand defining the US modern circus category in which Circus Culture operates.
Regional players
- National Circus School (Canada): Montreal-based professional circus training institution with both recreational and high-level professional programs. Comparable in curriculum breadth and pedagogy focus, though operating at a larger and more professional scale in a different country.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Circus Culture social profiles
Digital presenceCircus Culture financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Circus Culture leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Circus Culture funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Circus Culture M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Circus Culture
What does Circus Culture do?
Circus Culture operates a community circus school in Ithaca, NY, selling in-person instruction across aerial disciplines (fabric, lyra, trapeze, rope), ground skills (handstands, hula hooping, juggling, acrobatics), and clowning for ages 8 through adult. Offerings are delivered as 8-week summer sessions, drop-in classes, private lessons, multi-day youth intensives, kids/adult birthday parties, and corporate team-building workshops, with free community performances through the annual Summer Tour.
Is Circus Culture a public or private company?
Circus Culture is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Circus Culture founded?
Circus Culture was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Circus Culture based?
Circus Culture is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Circus Culture make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Class Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are private Lessons, summer Camps, circus Parties, team Building Workshops and gift Cards.
Who are Circus Culture's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Esh Circus Arts, Versatile Arts, Circus Center, Aloft Circus Arts, Trapeze School New York (TSNY), The Circus Project, New England Center for Circus Arts and Sky Candy Aerial Studio. Cirque du Soleil is listed as a broad incumbent. National Circus School (Canada) is listed as a regional player.
Does Circus Culture have an API?
No public API is recorded for Circus Culture.
What industry is Circus Culture in?
Circus Culture's product category is Circus Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAL, Circus & Physical Theatre, with a secondary code of THAJAFAH, Circus, Magic & Variety Shows. Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 7900.