Far East Meets Midwest

by Jessica Hentoff

	I would like to explain the history of Far East Meets Midwest.  My name is Jessica Hentoff and I am the Artistic and Executive Director of the Circus Day Foundation.  The Circus Day Foundation is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to teach the art of life through circus education. We work to build character and expand community for youth of all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds.  Through teaching and performance of circus skills, we help people defy gravity, soar with confidence, and leap over social barriers, all at the same time.  

	In 2001, I met Master Lu Yi the head teacher of the premier circus training facility in the United States, the Circus Center of San Francisco.  I talked with him about having some of my students learn Chinese Hoop Diving. Part one of Far East Meets Midwest was bringing Chinese master acrobatic teacher Xiao Hong Weng from the Circus Center to St. Louis to teach the classical Chinese circus art of Hoop Diving to the St. Louis Arches.  The Arches are the youth circus troupe that consists of the star students of the Circus Day Foundation. 

	The second phase of Far East Meets Midwest was the production of a show bringing together Asian and Midwestern arts and artists. I talked with Francis Yueh, editor of the St. Louis Chinese American News.  He connected me with the St. Louis Chinese Association. They invited me to the December show performed by students from the St. Louis Modern Chinese School. There, I was introduced to the school's principal, Yimin Zhu.  
	
	I explained the concept of Far East Meets Midwest.  The Circus Day Foundation uses Circus Arts to connect communities. We want to expand the concept of community here in St. Louis.  We hoped to expose Asian cultural arts to a wider audience and expose the St. Louis Arches to a wider audience.  Our method to do this was to produce this show.  Yimin Zhu approved of his students being part of this bridge-building project.

	Far East Meets Midwest had the St. Louis Arches performing the Chinese circus skills of Hoop Diving, Diablo (otherwise known as Chinese Yoyo) and Group Bicycling.  In addition to the Arches acts, the show consisted of Lion Dancers and Waist Drummers from the St. Louis Modern Chinese School, the St. Louis Osuwa Taiko Drummers, Team Respect from Amanat's Karate Center and master Japanese top spinner, Hiroshi Tada.  The show was performed on the evenings of Feb. 7 & 8 in the everydaycircus ring on the third floor at City Museum in downtown St. Louis to sold out crowds.  The show was a tremendous success.  The acts blended together in a unique combination of cultural and performance arts that made for a very interesting and entertaining evening. The moment in the show that most symbolizes Far East meeting Midwest was the Arches' somersaults over one of the big lions from the St. Louis Modern Chinese School!

	The show was dedicated to the lives and memories of Ngoot Lee and David Brown.  Ngoot Lee was a Chinese American artist originally from Canton.  Ngoot was a close friend of my family's while I was growing up. He lived and worked as an artist in New York City and died recently from throat cancer.  David Brown was one of the astronauts on the doomed space shuttle, Columbia.  Before he was an astronaut or a Navy pilot or a flight surgeon, David Brown was a member of a youth circus that myself, my assistant, April Zink, and another show performer, Donald Hughes, were also a part of.  Both Ngoot Lee and David Brown did what they loved and loved what they did.  They both viewed the world as a place without boundaries.  They both helped expand people's sense of community.   

	Far East Meets Midwest was also a fundraiser for the Circus Day Foundation.  After the Saturday show, there was a silent auction reception with Asian cuisine provided by the China Star and Midwestern cuisine from Pasta House and Supersmokers.    

	The St. Louis Arches were also honored by being asked to be part of the St. Louis Chinese Association's Chinese New Year Celebration on Feb. 1 at Forest Park Community College. The Arches performed their Chinese Hoop Diving and mini-trampoline acts ---including the sensational somersaults over the Chinese Lion. It was a great experience for the Arches and the audience seemed to really enjoy their performance.  For the Washington University Chinese New Year Celebration, the Circus Day Foundation provided the father and daughter team of Dangerous Donald (assistant coach of the Arches) and the Sensational Shaina (one of the Arches) performing tumbling, rolla bolla, rolling globe and elevated hoop diving--- including a dive through a hoop of fire.  

	The Circus Day Foundation hopes to have Far East Meets Midwest II.  For this production we are planning for the Arches to learn Chinese Vertical Poles.  We would also like to collaborate more closely with the students from the St. Louis Modern Chinese School.  Most Chinese Lion Dancers work on large balls called rolling globes.  The Arches are quite proficient at rolling globes. Our hope is for the two groups to do an act combining their performers and including tumbling, Lion Dancers and rolling globes! 

	Until then, the Arches can be seen performing regularly with everydaycircus at City Museum.  You can get more information about the Arches at www.circusday.org and about their performance schedule at www.everydaycircus.net.