Join this dynamic duo of circus researchers, Dr. Jen Agans and Dr. Melanie Stuckey for the August Circus Smart Speaker Series lecture!
This talk will introduce the new “Four Domains for Development for All” model of thriving through movement, highlighting the ways in which circus arts programs can (and often do) exemplify best practices. Following the introduction of the framework, participants will be invited to join in to discuss how this framework could be applied to both improve your program and legitimize your existing practices to stakeholders.
Can’t make it live?
** RECORDING AVAILABLE ** for one week afterwards
This talk will cover the following:
• How can movement contexts (like circus programs) better promote healthy, happy people?
• What are some specific best practices for circus organizations to use to improve programming?
• How can research help circus programs legitimize their practices to stakeholders?
More about Dr. Jen Agans:
Dr. Jen Agans is an associate professor of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management at the Pennsylvania State University, where her research focuses on adolescent recreation and positive youth development. Dr. Agans is also the current chair of the board of the American Youth Circus Organization / American Circus Educators Association and has been involved in circus arts since middle school.
More about Dr. Melanie Stuckey:
Dr. Melanie Stuckey is a researcher of social innovation and performance optimization at the research center of the National Circus School in Montreal.
She’s coached, performed, and competed in pole while dabbling in silks, hoop, trapeze, handstands, Chinese pole & aerial pole as well as developed her own programing (and occasionally coaching flying pole at ENC).
Her professional career has broadly encompassed – fitness professional, pole coach, studio owner, free-lance performer, exercise physiologist in cardiac rehab, cardiovascular research, scientific writer for a mental health hospital, and odd contracts before landing in the epicenter of circus research. She incorporates perspectives that she’s gained in each of these contexts in an attempt to approach scientific problems with a holistic perspective. One of her main research topics is injury in circus.
Read the published research:
Access them online!
*Dr. Jen Agans
IG: @CircusJen
*Dr. Melanie Stuckey
IG: @melirene13