Our Board
Our Board
Our Board Members
Mark Lonergan
co-President
Mark is the Artistic Director of Parallel Exit, a three-time Drama Desk Award nominee for Unique Theatrical Experience. With Parallel Exit, he has created many original and award-winning productions. Mark was the Guest Director for three productions of The Big Apple Circus, each a New York Times Critic’s Pick. He is also the Creative Director for Vermont’s celebrated Circus Smirkus.
Ariele Ebacher
Secretary
Is a low wire dancer who came to circus from the worlds of dance and theatre. She has a BA from UMass Amherst. She has worked in traditional, theatrical, and contemporary circus, with companies such as Midnight Circus, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, NoFit State Circus, Flynn Creek Circus, and the Big Apple Circus.
Serenity Smith Forchion
co-President
And her twin sister are award winning aerialists, founders of Nimble Arts & the New England Center for Circus Arts. Serenity’s resume includes Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, Pickle Family Circus, Special Award at Wuqiao Festival, Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and American Circus Educators Award for Excellence in Education.
Abigail Munn
Based in San Francisco, Abigail Munn is the co-founder, executive Director and trapeze artist for Circus Bella, a modern twist on One Ring Circus. Founded in 2008, the vision of the company is to recreate and reimagine circus that is entertaining, beautiful, diverse and relevant.
Aloysia Gavre
is a circus creator, director, and educator. After a 25-year career traveling the globe as a circus artist with The Pickle Family Circus, Cirque du Soleil, Monte Carlo Circus Festival and numerous international symphonies, she founded both Troupe Vertigo and Cirque School for Anybody with Any Body in 2009. From concert halls to dance and circus festivals, Aloysia builds a wider appreciation for the circus arts through powerful ensemble-focused productions, creating moving art that redefines visual spaces.
Chris Lashua
His performance background in BMX and German Wheel informed the founding of Cirque Mechanics , the Las Vegas based theatrical circus company known for telling real world stories through the interplay of performer and machine. This innovative, artful, mechanical approach has earned the company worldwide recognition.
Jessica Hentoff
was a founding member of Big Apple Circus and Circus Flora and is founder and Artistic/Executive Director of Circus Harmony, a social circus school that builds character and expands community by helping children defy gravity, soar with confidence ,and leap over social barriers, all at the same time!
Joseph Pinzon
Is the founder and creative producer of Short Round Productions and is the writer and director of its first show Filament. He holds an MS in Arts Leadership from USC, a BA in Psychology from UCLA, and is a graduate of the National Circus
School in Montreal.
Karen Shoulders
Karen joined the Circus Flora staff in May 2016, making the leap from Big Top volunteer to Development Director at the start of the “Pastime” production. She was promoted to Director of Operations & Development in 2018, then Managing Director in 2019. In addition to a love of circus, she brought 15+ years of experience in nonprofit Leadership, Development and Community Engagement to the organization. She specializes in advocacy, fundraising campaigns & events, youth programming, and volunteer recruitment & engagement.
Pedro Reis
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Pedro Reis began his circus training at the age of 12 at a local YMCA. He made his American debut starring with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1984.
In 1997, Pedro and Dolly Jacobs founded The Circus Arts Conservatory, dedicated to continuing the legacy of Circus in Sarasota – the CAC is a not-for-profit organization. Pedro serves as President / CEO & Artistic Director.
In 2004, Pedro received the Sarasota County Arts Council prestigious Arts Leadership Award; he is inducted into the John and Mable Ringling Circus Museum Hall of fame and the Circus Ring of Fame at St. Armand’s Circle.
