CIRCOMASCA

Ruby Karen

With a career spanning five decades, aerialist, dancer and choreographer, Ruby Karen has thrived in the performing arts – theater, cinema, music and circus arts.  Her success gave her the opportunity to globetrot, teaching and performing in metropolises locally in most urban cities within the Unites States and internationally in over twenty (20) countries, including cities such as, Zurich, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, New York, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Rio De Janiero, Vancouver, Gotenburg, Guatemala, Mumbai, among others, and has been the consultant to several organizations, including Philippine’s Ballet Manila and Airdance, Bangkok’s Sky Fly, Mumbai’s Fly High and Shree Samartha Vyayam Mandir, has received ostensible press coverage from respected publications across continents.   She holds three (3) World Titles in Ballet, Latin and Acrobatic Partnering, was a choreographer and guest performer for So You Think You Can Dance, has authored, designed and produced educational programs, e.g. Instructional Lifts and Tricks DVD, International Aerial Teacher Training Program (IATTP), and entertainment for Circo Etereo.  She is the founding director of Aerial Arts America, (the hosting organization to the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival, California and CircoMasCA, Italy and together with husband, Luca Cecchini, they manage their school and other group outlets, the Ruby Karen Project Aerial Dance Performing Arts and Orange County Aerial Arts.

Squilibrate Danza Team

Circo Etereo

Orange County Aerial Arts

Luca Cecchini

Director of Aerial Arts America, Luca plays a key role in the organization of the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival.

Born and raised in Italy,  after a long standing career (25 years) as a chef, restaurant owner and event producer, Luca started his training in aerial arts in 2007, under the tutelage of his wife, Ruby Karen, and furthered his training established instructors and institutions in California and Europe.  He is the technical director for the Ruby Karen Project and its associated organizations, Orange County Aerial Arts, Circo Etereo and Aerial Dance Theater.  He is also the official rigger for the West Coast Aerial Arts Festival. He installs, maintains and prepares all rigging needs and fabrication and designing of aerial apparatuses and circus props for the above organizations.
He garnered his United States rigging certificate in 2010 in compliance with safety protocol of their school and has been the official aerial rigger for international companies – Ballet Manila, Airdance and Skyfly, to name a few.  Luca also extends his services to rigging indoor and outdoor venues such as convention centers, theaters, hotels and park to clients including aerial companies, studios, academic schools and universities, fitness gyms, as well as small and large event production companies such as EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival).   And..as a young man in Italy, Luca grew up competing in martial arts in the likes of UFC type events, and carries his hobby till this day, in the form of sword fighting and combative stage training.

In 2025, together with his wife, they organized the 1st annual Italian circus festival, CIRCOMASCA in the Tuscanian Riviera.  CircoMasCA is held on the 2nd weekend of June each year.

Chris Yates

I am an international variety entertainer and comic actor with over twenty years full time experience. Drama and Circus School trained I have performed on four continents in three different languages, in a variety of performance genres, from corporate to carnival, theater to film.  Clients include The Lord Mayor of Sydney, BBC studios, London, the S.F. 49ers….I specialize in presenting unique acts and characters for both stage and roving for festivals, parades and more. All my acts and characters are designed to enhance the public perception of an event or occasion. I have performed at many of the major outdoor festival events of the world including Glastonbury and Covent Garden, England, The Edinburgh Fringe, The Sydney Festival, The Love Parade Berlin, Pier 39, S.F., and locally, the Sunset Junction Music festival, The Long Beach Grand Prix, The Socal Renaissance Faire, The Scotsfest Highland Games, and many more.

Dana Augustin

With a rich background in circus arts and fine arts, Dana brings over two decades of experience to every workshop and retreat she leads. Dana graduated from the Centre National des Arts du Cirque in France in 2008, following a degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Slovenia in 2005. Since 2003, she immersed herself in the world of circus arts, performances, pedagogy, and creative collaborations across Europe.

Throughout her career, she worked with diverse collectives, choreographers, and artists, bringing a unique blend of artistic depth and technical skill to each project. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, and she regularly lead workshops in Slovenia and internationally, as well as offer online courses that reach students around the world. As a certified instructor in Yoga, Aerial Yoga, and Face Yoga, she teaches a variety of classes, including aerial yoga, face yoga, micromovement yoga, aerial silks, and aerial workout. Her programs also cover essential elements like flexibility, mobility, balance, and strength training.

Beyond teaching, she is an active performer and choreographer, involved in numerous projects and constantly pushing the boundaries of contemporary and experimental circus. I create original shows and performances, collaborating with artists from various disciplines to bring fresh, innovative perspectives to the art form.

Alejandro Pena

Alejandro José de Jesús Peña Durán is a Chilean circus artist, teacher, and researcher with a passion for sharing his knowledge and skills with the world. He is an expert in aerial techniques, including lyra, trapeze, rope, and silk, and has also mastered hand-to-hand acrobatics and troupe acrobatics. Renowned for his innovative pedagogy, Alejandro has developed a unique teaching methodology that has been used in circus schools around the globe.

Artistic career spans over two decades, and he has performed in numerous shows and productions across Chile, Argentina,BRasil, uruguay, paraguay, Italy, Spain, France, Slovenia, and Portugal. His work has been praised for its creativity, artistry, and social impact. In 2010, he founded the Colectivo Xibalba, a collective of circus artists dedicated to social circus projects. With Colectivo Xibalba, Alejandro has created several award-winning shows that have toured extensively in Latin America.  He currently works as director of an Italian circus company with an international character called Cia Rayuela. A creative proposal based on contemporary circus and multidisciplinary movement arts.

Alejandro is also a dedicated educator and researcher. He has taught circus techniques and pedagogy at various schools and institutions around the world. His research focuses on developing new methodologies for circus training, particularly in the areas of aerial techniques and social circus pedagogy.  He has developed his own training methodology for circus artists and high-performance athletes, where the main focus is the vitality of a body that can be virtuous and capable of transmitting sensitivity and strength. Various artists and teachers have been trained with this methodology. He has also given advanced courses to various schools and associations related to the art of circus.

“We have created and worked in various realities with this methodology. And it has always been able to give positive answers to the countless questions of the participants.”

Alejandro is a true ambassador for the circus arts and is committed to promoting the circus as a powerful tool for education, social inclusion, and cultural exchange.

His work has inspired countless individuals and helped to expand the reach of circus around the world.