Youth Troupe Supports Community-building

Diamond Family Youth Troupe Photo by Jim Walker

Diamond Family Circus provides youth leadership and performance opportunities through sponsorship of an incredible troupe of talented 11-21 year old circus friends, or as they call themselves, “FRiNDS”. Working hard as a team, with the support of professional  circus mentors Marci and Marisa Diamond and the American Circus Educators’ Social Circus Network, they develop interactive performances and social circus workshops that inspire, entertain and engage people at community and special events. These have included: Boston Area Rape Crisis Center Walk for Change; MassHousing TAP programs at public housing sites across Massachusetts; Brandeis Relay for Life; Bentley University Homecoming Festival; Waltham Riverfest; Miles for SMILES Mentoring; the REACH Beyond Domestic Violence Neighborhood Festivals and Waltham Farmer’s Market. The troupe was especially proud to collaborate with Clowns Without Borders at the Life is Good Festivals 2011-2013, which raised over a million dollars each for the Playmakers Foundation.

Troupe members have included: Trevor Kafka, Eliana “Llama” Dunlap, Doug Stewart, Rose Taylor, Marisa Diamond, Ivy Blake, Grace Gershenfeld, Max Ribbans, Lily Crandall-Oral, Eva Lou Hoops, Ora Lin, Phoebe Rieur, and many more, along with many of their family members who have served as crew, drivers, and much more, in support of the troupe. Most current troupe members participate (or have participated) in Marci and Marisa’s Advanced Youth Performance Class at Gravity Alternative Movement in Waltham, MA.