The Philly Flow & Circus Arts Meetup is designed to bring together folks in the Philadelphia area interested in the Flow Arts and Circus Arts so they can learn and train together in a safe & supportive environment.

For those who don't know, "Flow Arts" are the practice of learning to manipulate an inanimate object and move in harmony with it so that it becomes an animated extension of your body.   Flow Arts are also sometimes referred to as Spinning, Object Manipulation or Skill Toys.  Flow Arts encompass a wide variety of physical art forms including:  Poi, Hula Hooping, Staff Spinning, Glowsticking, Fanning, Flagging, Baton Twirling, Juggling, Martial Arts Weapon Forms (Nunchuks, Rope Dart, etc.), and the various forms of Fire Dancing.  The term "Flow Arts" is derived from the name of the optimal state to achieve - "Flow" - a concept from Positive Psychology that describes an effortless level of operation in which a person is fully immersed in an activity and experiences a feeling of energized focus & Zen-like awareness.

"Circus Arts" are another diverse group of performance arts that all share a common origin in circuses, carnivals, cabarets & vaudeville acts.  These arts are united by a common purpose -- they confront audiences with the exotic, the marvelous, the titillating and the strange in order to evoke a sense of wonder & awe by turning everyday expectations upside down.  In the last several decades, a new movement known as "Contemporary Circus Arts" or "Nouveau Cirque" has revolutionized the circus by introducing professional athletic training typical of Olympic gymnastics and an artistic sensibility drawn from modern dance & avant-garde theatre.

The Contemporary Circus Arts include:

* Acrobatics (tumbling, acro-balance, trampolining, Roman ladders, Russian bar, German wheel, Korean plank)

* Aerial Performance (e.g. static, swinging & flying trapeze, aerial silks, aerial straps, aerial hoop/lyra, cloud swing, corde lisse, Spanish web, Chinese pole)

* Equilibristics, a.k.a. Balancing Acts (e.g. tightrope, slackline, stilts, unicycle, pogo stick, rola bola, rolling globe)

* Sideshow Acts (e.g. sword swallowing, fire breathing & fire eating, regurgitation, strongman feats, contortion & escape arts, body piercing & suspension, fakir acts like the bed of nails & sword ladder)

* Dance & Burlesque Acts (e.g. acro-dance, belly dance, can-can & chorus line, go-go dancing, pole dance, chair dance, classic striptease & fan dance, aerial burlesque, acro-burlesque, fire dance & fire burlesque)

* Several Flow Arts (e.g. juggling, plate spinning, diabolo, devil sticks, knife throwing) have traditionally been performed by circus acrobats, clowns & sideshow performers and thus are often considered Circus Arts as well.

The 21st century has witnessed a resurgence of these art forms that were once almost lost & forgotten.  They've now been rediscovered as exciting forms of exercise that tone muscles & burn fat while increasing one's overall agility and coordination.  The psychological benefits are becoming recognized as well.  The Flow Arts are now seen as dynamic meditative disciplines that decrease stress, increase mental focus, and build spatial & kinesthetic awareness.  Likewise, Circus Arts are being recognized as awesome tools for expanding one's comfort zone, rediscovering one's sense of adventure, and challenging one's preconceptions about the human body's limitations.

Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned veteran of the Flow & Circus Arts, we hope you'll come out & join us!