Circus Harmony St. Louis Children Return After Soaring High In Stuttgart, Germany
Eight members of the St. Louis Circus Harmony troupe just returned from Stuttgart Germany after soaring high when reuniting with their partners there, Circus Circuli! This marks the fourth collaboration between the two youth circuses from the sister cities of St. Louis, Missouri and Stuttgart, Germany.
Eight of the members of Circus Harmony St. Louis traveled to Stuttgart Germany this summer to participate in the Peace Through Pyramids program.
This Peace Through Pyramids partnership started in 2020 which was the 60th anniversary of St. Louis and Stuttgart being sister cities. Thanks to the St. Louis based St. Louis-Stuttgart Sister City group and the city of Stuttgart, students from the circus schools of Circus Harmony in St. Louis and Circus Circuli in Stuttgart met online, trained together, and created a video featuring circus arts in both cities for the celebration! This first video, Sister City Circus, can be found on Circus Harmony’s YouTube page.
In the summer of 2023, the two groups met in person for the first time and created a live show that toured Stuttgart and around Lake Bodensee in Germany. In the summer of 2024, members of Circus Circuli came to St. Louis to create a new show with their St. Louis counterparts! This year, it’s Circus Harmony’s turn to head overseas. The Sister City Circus show includes juggling, contortion, hula hooping, partner acrobatics and more. They are also looking for donations to help pay for transportation and food. Donations can be made at their show or via the www.circusharmony.org website.
Stuttgart and St. Louis unite for Sister City Circus 2025.
With Sister City Circus 2025 in the books, the children created yet another chapter in their young careers as high flying artists. Eleanor, age 13, said, “When I went to Germany this summer, I expected it to be all the same as my first time, but what actually ended up happening was me making memories I would remember for a lifetime. I tried a really good type of bread that translates to tasty noodles. I used public transportation every day for two weeks, and I walked away with a new best friend. I think that the Peace Through Pyramids program helps connect people through Circus Harmony and I am so glad I got to be a part of it!”
Troupe members literally fly through the air as they perform acrobatics.
Another member of the St. Louis troupe, Therese, age 18, said, “I went to Germany because I wanted to see the friends that I had made throughout this partnership, and I was excited to travel and experience new things in a different country.”
A whimsical number in Stuttgart.
“In this experience I got to learn and develop new skills including creating new sequences and tricks with other people. I also got to learn German words, phrases, dishes, and traditions. Overall I really enjoyed the experience and had fun learning new things and making new friends as well as catching up with old ones.”
Poppy, age 13, said it best, “Having the opportunity to go to Germany has been life changing for me. It not only gave us the chance to meet new people, but it taught us so many life lessons, including leadership, independence, and determination. Going to a foreign country at such a young age truly is a life changing experience, and I wouldn't trade that for the world.
About Circus Harmony
Circus Harmony has been bringing young people of different backgrounds together in St. Louis as well as with groups in Israel, Puerto Rico, and Germany since Ms. Hentoff founded Circus Harmony in 2001. According to Hentoff “We show children that when they focus on what connects them, instead of what divides them, they can create something amazing. We think this is especially important in the world right now!”