World Circus Day with Circus Juventas
Media Contact
Connie Shaver
612-308-5785
March 20, 2013
Celebrate World Circus Day with Circus Juventas Coach Chimgee Haltarhuu on Saturday, April 20
Saint Paul, MN -- Circus Juventas is celebrating World Circus Day with a unique circus experience on Saturday, April 20. The day is designated as a special day for families all over the world to celebrate the magic of the circus while supporting great causes. Circus Juventas Coach Chimgee Haltarhuu who grew up in dire conditions in Mongolia has established a charity, Mission Manduhai, to aid those in her homeland. She is the leader of ambitious expeditions to rural Mongolia where she brings artistic performances to nomadic people and helps to prevent domestic abuse through education. Three Circus Juventas students will accompany Chimgee on her trip this summer. World Circus Day at Circus Juventas will help support Mission Manduhai.
Dan Butler, Circus Juventas Co-founder and Executive Director said, Chimgees dedication to her Circus Juventas students is matched by her desire to make a difference in her homeland. We are delighted to support her mission.
Come for a unique experience under the Circus Juventas Big Top on April 20 and support Chimgees work.
Circus Juventas Presents World Circus Day 2013
Saturday, April 20, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20 for adults and $10 for youth (10 and under) on sale at the Circus Juventas Box Office from 9 a.m. through show time
World Circus Day Performers:
Marissa Dorschner, Circus Juventas alumni/coach: teaches aerial arts. Marissa was a Circus Juventas student for 11 years. She traveled to Mongolia on Chimgees first Mission Manduhai.
Tamir Bayarsaihan (Chimgees son), Circus Juventas alumni/coach: teaches acrobatics, trampoline, mini-tramp and also teaches toddlers/kinder classes. He was also on Chimgees first Mission Manduhai to Mongolia. He still performs with his mother in Circus Manduhai.
Gemma Kirby, Circus Juventas alumni/coach: teaches aerial and flying trapeze; also worked with Big Apple Circus.
Pop Wagner, Local personality/comedian/singer/cowboy
Otgoo Waller, Contortionist from Las Vegas, Came to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus with Chimgee 20 Years ago
Undarmaa Gold and Ugantuya Otgonbayar, Contortion duo coming from Florida
Professional dancers from Chicago
Plus selected acts from Circus Juventas
Circus Juventas is a non-profit youth performing arts circus school based in Saint Paul. Circus Juventas offers an array of circus arts training and performance opportunities to children and youth up to age 21. Its mission is to inspire artistry and self-confidence through a multi-cultural circus arts experience. Students learn acrobatics, balance, aerial techniques, juggling and theatrical skills in a safe and noncompetitive environment. The focus is on discipline, hard work, and respect for their peers and themselves.
More about Chimgee Haltarhuu
Growing up in Mongolia can be tough: the landscape is rugged; the climate is challenging; and the country is poor. These challenges can often lead to domestic violence, with about one in three women affected. As a child, Chimgee witnessed her father's regular beatings of her mother. She excelled in gymnastics and was talented enough to be selected from over 500 other children for a place in the prestigious Mongolian Circus School. She graduated with the highest possible honors from this four-year college, proficient in all circus skills, and joined the Mongolian State Circus. While performing all over Mongolia, Russia and Europe, Chimgee married a fellow circus performer and became a victim of domestic abuse herself, suffering many injuries including a broken jaw and the loss of teeth. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus recognized Chimgees exceptional circus skills and gave Chimgee and her 5-year-old son the opportunity to move to the U.S.in essence, saving her life. Chimgee and her son lived on a circus train for five years traveling across the country. She became a U.S. citizen in 2002, settled in the Twin Cities and connected with the best youth circus arts performing school in the U.S.Circus Juventasbecoming one of the school's elite coaches. Since then, the Ministry of Culture in Mongolia has honored Chimgee with its highest citizen award: the Foremost Cultural Worker for her efforts in spreading awareness of domestic violence and what women can do. Last year, she received the 2012 Amazing Woman award at the Mongolian Women's Conference in Chicago. She is happily remarried and lives in Minneapolis, working through her charity Mission Manduhai to aid those in her homeland. CircusManduhai.com
More about Mission Manduhai -- Chimgee is passionate about continuing her successful humanitarian mission trips to her home country, Mongolia, traveling again in the summer of 2013. She partners with the National Center Against Violence in Mongolias capital city. This trip, like her 2010 and 2011 missions, will be an outreach to people living in remote areas, educating them how to prevent abuse and how to survive domestic violence. The success of her mission is based on providing free entertainment to local people in order to attract attention, then educating and distributing leaflets with information before and after the show. Being a family show, the children of Mongolia will be able to hear that domestic abuse is wrong. As Chimgee says, Changing the culture in one day is impossible, we want to send our message to the younger generation. Her two previous Mission Manduhai groups traveled to first northern and then southern Mongolia. In 2013, Mission Manduhai will travel to western Mongolia with a free international children's show including performers from Circus Juventas.
Circus Juventas
1270 Montreal Avenue
Saint Paul
651-699-8229 CircusJuventas.org
