Adi Natof • 14 • Lexington, KY • 1st Year
Adi is a passionate aerialist and contortionist. She trains at Sora Aerial Arts and has been a part of their Junior Company since 2020. When she's not training or performing, Adi loves to climb, read, and finger knit. She also enjoys spending time with her 8 pet chickens. Adi is a first-year trouper and she's thrilled to be performing with Circus Smirkus' tour this summer!
Asher Trajman • 15 • Norwich, VT • 1st Year
When he's not clowning or trying to lift his siblings in the air, Asher can be found on stage as part of Hanover High School's Footlighters theater group. He most recently appeared as Hermes in Hadestown: Teen Edition and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing. He also plays the drums at Tuck's Rock Dojo. In his small amount of free time Asher enjoys procrastinating by watching Disney movies and rocking out to good music. He's pretty cool.
Azaria Passini • 12 • Plymouth, WI • 1st Year
An aerialist, contortionist, and acrobat, Azaria spends most of her time flying through the air or bending into odd shapes at Warped Studios. When she’s not training, she’s doodling, playing the French horn, or snuggling her fluffy sidekicks—Odin the dog and Cora the cat. Fueled by snacks and the joy of performing, she lives for time in the air and chasing her next big lyra trick.
Azy Berge • 18 • Plymouth, WI • 2nd Year
Azy is an aerialist and dancer who has been training with Warped Studios since she was 9 years old. Her favorite apparatus is aerial hoop, but, she dabbles in a little bit of everything. In her free time, you can often find Azy playing Sudoku, obsessing over cooking shows, or standing on her hands.
Becky Winickoff • 16 • Brookline, MA • 1st Year
Becky loves circus because she likes making people smile and laugh. She enjoys teaching younger kids at her circus studio. Aside from circus Becky loves doing 3D art like ceramics and sculpture, and trying out new recipes. When she was younger she was convinced she wanted to be an architect, but then she realized it was all about drawing straight lines and thought it probably wasn't for her!
Cameron Chute • 15 • Escondido, CA • 2nd Year
Cami took her first swing on the flying trapeze at 18 months old and started performing professionally at age 6 with Pop Circus, becoming the youngest female flying trapeze artist ever. This year, she performed flying trapeze in Portugal. Now back in the U.S., she trains and performs at her family’s school, Trapeze High. Her main acts are hand balancing, contortion, and foot archery. Cami is so excited to join Circus Smirkus again this season.
Desmond Heintz • 13 • Castro Valley, CA • 3rd Year
Desmond is a dynamic circus performer who delights audiences with his juggling, acrobatics and clowning, driven by a passion for making people smile. Offstage he channels his creativity into designing and sewing. Whether in the ring or at his sewing machine, Desmond brings joy, color, and heart to everything he does.
Elia Kowalewski • 17 • Oakland, CA • 1st Year
Along with creativity in circus through clowning, aerial, and juggling, Elia enjoys expressing herself through knitting and guitar. She enjoys walking her dog, Bader, while listening to music as well as spending time in nature. She is also a youth circus coach!
Frank Post • 17 • Nevada City, CA • 1st Year
Frank grew up around circus, with his dad having done it as well. Aside from circus, he loves playing lacrosse, skiing, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, cooking, and has a passion for photography and exploring as a whole. In his free time, if he isn’t watching movies or sports, he is probably listening to music, reading, relaxing, or taking photos. He loves his family, his dog, and his 4 cats.
Jaycee Roethel • 18 • Sheboygan, WI • 1st Year
Jaycee danced her first steps and was swinging sky high before height could be considered a fear. If you can’t find her hanging from her feet, look around for someone taking an unconventionally placed nap, crouching down to pick up wildflowers, or balancing obscure objects on her face.
Johnathan Kamieneski • 18 • Bedford, NH • 4th Year
Johnathan has been training in gymnastics since he was seven and got into circus a few years later at age ten. He’s now an aerialist who specializes in silks, rope, and trapeze, and this is his fourth summer touring with Smirkus. Outside of circus, he loves hanging out with friends, thrifting for cool outfits, and relaxing at the beach. He also enjoys coaching and helping younger performers discover their own love for circus.
Kira Meyer • 17 • Bellevue, WA • 1st Year
Kira relishes opportunities to showcase her flexibility. She also loves German Wheel, partner acro, and handstands. Her favorite color is green, and sometimes pink, and sometimes orange or yellow. She's the oldest of 4 siblings. Outside of circus, she enjoys gender and sexuality studies and reading. She is excited to perform with Circus Smirkus!
Lev Eisner • 18 • Baltimore, MD • 3rd Year
When Lev was little, he wanted to be a lion tamer. His parents said no, so instead he learned to be a juggler. Lev juggles hobbies—not just balls and clubs. Outside of the circus, he can be found at rock climbing competitions, math competitions, or singing with his choir. Sometimes he needs to relax with a mug of tea or a pint of ice cream. Right now, though, Lev is thrilled to be adventuring non-stop with Circus Smirkus.
Lilah Seagull • 14 • Philadelphia, PA • 1st Year
Lilah is thrilled to be part of her first Big Top Tour. She’s been attending Smirkus Camp since 2021 and loves juggling, unicycle, and partner acrobatics. When she’s not training, you can find Lilah playing her flute, critiquing reality TV shows, or sampling spicy foods. Her secret dream is to establish a new world record - stay tuned!
London Pacitto• 12 • Indian Harbour Beach, FL • 1st Year
London, raised in the dance studio, and having navigated through multiple disciplines, has found her passion in the circus world. She enjoys her life competing and performing for companies such as Bindlestiff Circus, Emergence Dance, and featuring for artists like DJ Khaled and Bunji Garlin. London works for Rainbow Circus Events Miami, and outside of circus, London loves learning KPop dances, escape rooming, and cooking.
Miranda Meyer • 15 • Bellevue, WA • 1st Year
Miranda started climbing tetherball poles in kindergarten. This was an early sign of her future love of Chinese Pole. Her other circus passions include contortion, aerial, and partner acro. She is proud to be one of the four siblings in her family. Outside of circus she loves to learn languages and has a passion for animals (particularly cats).
Natalie Morgenbesser • 16 • Scarborough, ME • 1st Year
Whether she is literally juggling, baking, playing bass guitar, knitting, or solving math problems, Natalie is always juggling a lot. However, there is nothing that she loves more than performing circus. She hopes to bring that glimmer and joy to all of the audience members and is so happy to be touring this summer!
Nelson Wilson • 18 • Providence, RI • 4th Year
Nelson found his passion for circus arts and performing at 10 years old. Circus was a perfect way for him to combine his active and creative sides with his main disciplines of clowning and acrobatics. When he is not doing circus, Nelson is probably playing soccer, basketball, or spending time with his friends. Nelson graduated this year and is super excited to be attending Boston University in the fall, where he will be studying physical therapy.
Noah Strauss • 15 • Scarborough, ME • 1st Year
Noah taught himself to unicycle in third grade after seeing someone on a mountain uni on his favorite bike trail. Since then he’s joined the Gym Dandies Children’s Circus and performs on his unicycle nationwide. He’s also a part of the Maine Youth Circus, where he’s expanded his circus repertoire. Noah attends a high school for science and technology, where he can pursue other passions, like computer science and fabrication.
Oscar Benninga • 15 • Lexington, MA • 1st Year
Oscar loves the performing arts, and does theatre, singing, dancing, and circus. Along with performing aerial silks and acrobatics, he likes to unicycle to school each day. In his free time, Oscar likes to draw, practice origami, and play frisbee with his friends.
Raya Petruschke • 18 • Lafayette Hill, PA • 1st Year
Raya is so excited and grateful to be a part of this year’s Big Top Tour! She has always loved to tumble, and is very passionate about everything acro! When she isn’t training circus, Raya coaches gymnastics and rock climbing, and loves to rock climb herself! She also loves spending time with her dog named Flipflop and drinking lots of iced lavender lattes.
Samantha Miel • 18 • Lexington, MA • 3rd Year
Samantha fell in love with the circus at age seven and has been upside down ever since. Over the last decade, she has focused on trapeze and acrobatics, as well as joined a gymnastics team and started coaching. While right side up, she is an artist, ice cream enthusiast, and proud owner of a pet snake, named Mochi. Samantha is thrilled to be spending a third and final summer with Smirkus!
Sammie Hawkins • 14 • Philadelphia, PA • 1st Year
Sammie took her first circus class as a toddler, fell in love with performing, and has been training ever since. When not flying, unicycling, or juggling, you can find her in the kitchen making healthier versions of your favorite desserts, clowning around with her tuxedo cat Arya, or making art. Sammie first attended Smirkus Camp in 2021. Now, she’s honored to be following in the footsteps of former Philly Circus Smirkos, and thrilled to be part of her first Big Top Tour. Game on!
Sebastian Rollo • 17 • Wheat Ridge, CO • 1st Year
Sebastian is a circus artist with a passion for movement, exploration, and creativity. A food lover and lifelong LEGO fan, he brings curiosity and playfulness to everything he does. This September, he’s moving to Portugal to train at INAC, the national circus school. When he’s not training or creating new acts, he’s hanging out with his two cats, Evie and Louis, and dreaming of traveling the world with the circus.
Sekora Berge • 15 • Plymouth, WI •2nd Year
While Sekora loves spending most of her time training in circus arts, she also likes spending her free time doodling in her sketchbook and doing arts and crafts. She also enjoys traveling all around competing at aerial and dance competitions. You can find her hanging out with her friends from school and dance. If she’s not with her friends, you’ll likely find her with a bag of frozen fruit.
Skye Jogl • 18 • Pawtucket, RI • 3rd Year
Skye was homeschooled all her life and graduated the day before she left for tour! She has been training circus since age 6, starting with aerial silks, and now practices rope, straps, silks, tumbling, partner acro and hula hoop. Skye loves to knit, crochet silly little granny squares with no further purpose, play her trombone or lie in the sun and read. You might also see her exploring the neighborhood in her wooly hobbit cloak. Next year, she will study aerial rope at Stockholm University of the Arts.
Story Gemmati • 14 • Huntington Beach, CA • 4th Year
Story absolutely loves spending her summers on the other side of the country, meeting new people and exploring new places. Story is homeschooled to allow her to explore her passions-like driving 85 miles (each way) to train circus. When not training she’s probably studying lines for the next play she’s auditioning for, or coaching tumbling, aerial and cheer classes for children. The quickest way to her heart is handing her a piece of fruit!
Sylvie Merryman-Lotze • 15 • Glenside, PA • 1st Year
A contortionist and acrobat, Sylvie loves to bend and fly through the air. She began training with the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts when she was five and fell in love with performing very early on. When not doing circus, Sylvie spends a lot of her time writing. She published a novel, Nightshade: The Ember Stone, in 2023 and is working on the sequel with her co-author. She also loves sewing, reading, and anything artistic. Sylvie's so excited to tour this summer with Circus Smirkus!
