A Saint Paul staple! Absolutely magical. My family and I have an annual tradition of seeing the Circus Juventas show yearly. We love supporting local talent and feel that our money goes to a great cause as every participant in the show is a student (sometimes they do have guests to help fill certain roles or parts). Overall, your money goes to helping students build confidence, community and collaboration at circus. By attending shows or purchasing merchandise, the money gets put back into the circus school. Each year, the theme of the show is different and students weave in and out of the program. Once they are a senior, students move on. My family has been attending for so long that I recognize many of the former talent now being volunteers or riggers on set. I am always amazed at the talent and even more, how it's local and in our own community. Skills range from silks, tumbling, roller skating, trampoline jumps, aerial, acrobatics, juggling and more. Each show typically runs about 3 hours with a 20-minute intermission. There are small vendors onsite that serve the standard hot dogs, chips, sodas, candy bars and even Cold Stone creamery has had a both the past couple years serving up ice cream. It's truly an honor to be under the high top. As they say at the end - may all your days be circus days! Thank you to all the students, coaches and volunteers! Bravo!! read more

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We attended Circus Juventas' Blizzard show this week. I wasn't sure what to expect having only seen one Cirque du Soleil show. What I didn't expect this to be was a show put on by kids! WOW! Blizzard was a culmination of several Christmas stories using the setting of Santa's Workshop. Christmas play meets Cirque du Soleil. These kids are no joke! The acting, strength, and fearlessness of these kids is amazing! If you weren't sure it's worth going don't, go! Bring your family and support these talented kids. Looking forward to seeing more of these shows in the future. read more

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Over the past 8 years, the summer performance of Circus Juventas has become part of our annual tradition. It's amazing that kids are the performers - given the incredible feats of strength, discipline and flexibility. Tickets in advance are recommended. Over the 8 years, they've increased from $20 to $40. Tickets can be purchased online about a month in advance of the show. The big top is an amazing venue. Parking is a bit tricky so plan in advance. Extra bathrooms and porta potties are brought in for the events. Concessions and programs are available. The seats are bench with a cushioned pad. After a bit they are tough for the full performance. With intermission, it's a good three hour performance. We've always been blown away! Highly recommend and will continue to return. read more

Circus Juventas - Art Schools Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Awesome show with some extremely talented kids! They have a Cirque du Soleil type style with a sort of abstract theme running through a 3 hour long performance. Good music, incredible talent & although long, relatively fast paced. My one big complaint is the seats. Incredibly uncomfortable for such a long show, even with an intermission to be able to stand up at. They have small cushions on the bleacher style seats, but even with an aisle seat you don't have much comfort for anyone over 5 feet tall. read more

Circus Juventas - Waiting for Confetti to start - Art Schools Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Very entertaining! So many talented young people and there is no "down" time, they keep things moving! The only drawback would be the bench seating. The older you are, the less likely you are to be comfortable sitting through the program read more

These kids are so brave and so talented! I was lucky to be invited to the artistic suite to watch my friend's daughters perform in the holiday show. I was also fortunate to hang out backstage. If you check out their website for the schedule of shows, they keep these kids busy all year round so there are many options to choose from. If you hang around these kids, they are so excited to be a part of this performing arts circus school. It is very refreshing to learn that there is another avenue for our youth today to try out a variety of extra curricular activity that does not involve sitting in front of a computer and staring at a screen. The shows are about an hour long with no intermission. It was a lot of fun and very family friendly. It feels great to support a good cause for our youth. The school has a permanent location in the Highland Park area with many parking on their front lot. ‍ read more

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Good show put on by talented kids. But to reiterate some of the reservations expressed by others: - The seating is a disaster. I spent the entire show leaning forward so I wouldn't get squashed by the people on either side of me. And I'm not a big person. They seem to be doing just fine financially; there's no need to cram patrons in like that. The venue isn't meant to hold 1,000 spectators. - The show length is excessive. I get that they want to give all the performers something to do, but use some discretion. Two hours and change is plenty for this kind of performance. - The constant begging for money is a big turnoff. CJ has corporate sponsors, gets funding from the state, and the families of the kids pay big $$$ for the classes. You got $40 of my money for a ticket and $5 for a program. Show a little class and don't harass me for more. read more

My 10-year-old son literally took my husband's jaw and pushed it closed, multiple times, as my husband sat watching the action in slack-jawed amazement. A contortionist who put her chin on a little T-ball like chin stand, balanced her body on her chin, and then put her feet on her shoulders. A catapult artist who would be ejected into the air, turn around two or three times and land on someone else's shoulders. The trapeze artist hanging from her heels while holding two other people below her. Fire juggling, artists wrapping their bodies around silk ropes high up into the big top and twirling down to their (seemingly) almost peril, artists falling backwards onto on trampolines split seconds from almost crashing, unicycle riding, walking on large yoga balls. I don't want to leave anything out, but it was a three an hour and 20 minute show, there was a lot going on. Did I forget to mention the performers were high school, middle school, and elementary students? Yes, this is the largest circus training facility in North America. The instructors are lifelong circus people from Mongolia, Russia, among many many others specialized in their respective fields. This particular show (running through August 13, 2017) on Norse mythology was totally conceived, created and written, in house. Costumes were amazing! Make up was amazing! Minor gripes: bathrooms inside, not enough female stalls, transitions between some sets had the spotlight on the people who were changing sets (but when you're creating nine worlds there is a lot to change), it was quite hot, and the seats were rock hard (many people brought pillows or football station pads!) All of this is done with plenty of padding, nets and people spotting these kids so you feel safe, not fearful for their lives. Cheap seats we had: Adult tickets $27.50 children $22.50, concession stand with hotdogs, pop, popcorn, cotton candy, overpriced but typical. You have 13 days left from today, grab your tickets and go! read more

I went to circus Juventas for 2 years. Overall I loved my experience. The coaches are all really nice and want you to get better. I learned a lot of cool tricks. The downside is how expensive it is to go. It's supposed to be a nonprofit but it was over $2,000 a season. During covid we still had to pay the same price even though they the classes were only 45 minutes long. read more

I am so saddened that it took me this long to discover Circus Juventas! I attended my first one this year as they put on Alice in Wonderland. Words cannot express how in awe I am. I would even recommend going by yourself just so your friends don't try to talk to you during the show...these young people are truly amazing and entertaining. You'll forget your every worry and want to attend every show. My only complaints are the "voice acting" and venue. I would prefer there to be no voices instead of having awkwardly loud and obvious recordings. I have heard that they've changed how things are done throughout the years so I am not meaning to be harsh. Their facility needs some growth! Concession lines and exits are extremely cramped and crowded. Go and you will not be disappointed (well, only disappointed in yourself for feeling like an underachiever compared to the circus cast... worth it!) read more

Ok, if you want to see serious talent.. go to this summer's 2018 show called STEAM. July 26-August 12, 2018. Great Family entertainment. I must admit.. our family of four adults really didn't understand the theme of the show... but it really doesn't matter because you get so inthralld with the amazing acrobatics and variety of acts that the story really doesn't matter. These kids and young adults, staff and volunteers are incredible and have once again produced a show you will not believe. The show is a great value- 3 hours long so if you don't buy the VIP cushioned seats...don't be shy about bringing in your own blanket or such to sit on.. you will thank me. Half time you will want to visit the indoor restrooms (crowded), or several outdoor biffs that move swiftly. Eat dinner before you come and pack your own water and snacks and you are set to go! They do have simple circus like concessions available before the show and during the 25 minute intermission. Parking for the event can be interesting.. Street parking available but cruise the lot.. you might get lucky and get a spot. Personal Special Shout out to talents Seniors Daniel Van Hoomissen & Anwar Hassouni, and 10th grader Lia Lemieux. read more

This event is a hidden gem in Saint Paul. We took our 7 and 4 year old kiddos to a 3 hour (yep, 3 full hours after bedtime) show and they (and we) were mesmerized every moment of the show. The talented local high school students perform like professionals and even meet the audience after the show. Our four year old couldn't stop talking about how much he admired the Sky Captain from Steam. Tickets may seem pricey, but once you see the show, you won't regret the expense. We brought dinner from Cecils deli for a picnic so we could park early (plan on parking down the road rather than in the main parking lot which fills up). The program was $5, but I'm glad that we got it for autographs and as a memory book for the performance. read more

I am a student at Circus Juventas, and I love it. I totally recommend that you see the Spring show as well as the summer show, because the Spring show features a lot more younger kids, and a lot of other acts that are left out of the summer show. My parents wanted me to try something new, so when I was 3, they signed me up. I started in Toddlers, then moved up to Kinders, and then chose some more acts from there. If you have a kid older than 6 who wants to try it, but doesn't know what class(es) to take, I suggest Circus Experience. It is a class for kids who don't know what acts they want to try. Because of COVID, there are only 250 tickets available for each of the 8 shows, so get your tickets early! For anyone who doesn't know, the Spring shows are in late April and early May. There is usually 9 shows and around 1,000 tickets, but there is a 25% capacity rule, so they are complying. There are so many different acts to try, from Low Casting (a mini flying trapeze); to Trampoline; to Side-By-Side, Multiple, and Triple Trapeze, stationary trapezes. There are not any special requirements for any classes, other than some age requirements (though those can be wavered for special circumstances), and some classes that require you take another class before that one. For example, Triple Trapeze requires you either take 2 years of Multiple, or 1 year and you are 8 or 10. (I don't remember it exactly, please don't fact check me.) The coaches are very good, and are all some of the best of their acts that you can find. I definitely recommend bringing a seat cushion, although usually they have them on every seat. There are strict social distancing measures, and the equipment is sanitized after every class, and masks are required. If you are looking for a physical thing for your kid to do, Circus Juventas is a great place for them! read more

Circus Juventas should be FAR better known for what they do than having only a few reviews on Yelp. Fantastic - Creative - Imaginative - Exhilarating are just some of the words I could use. They teach all types of circus gymnastics to all age groups and stage performances year-round featuring their students. Son #2 used to belong to another gymnastics group but we felt the organization was run poorly and was geared only towards making a profit for the owner. Seeing an article on Circus Juventas, we visited the website and then took a trip to their location and we were absolutely dazzled. It even ended up being cheaper than the gymnastics classes we were paying for! From the outside it looks like a mini Metrodome but on the inside it's just like you're under the big top from the floor to the ceiling. They have safe lessons for small children in small groups where they introduce everything from tumbling to balancing and body positioning. All the while they are using all of the circus equipment you'd expect. Son #2 absolutely loves his classes and wants to keep practicing the trampoline so he can do the climbing up the wall trick he sees the older kids do. I love just watching him learn to do things even he never thought he could do. You can find videos of their shows on YouTube but if you're interested in introducing something your child will never forget learning and being a part of, you cannot go wrong with enrolling them in classes at Circus Juventas. read more

If you like Cirque du Soleil, you'll love Circus Juventas. Circus Juventas is a youth performing arts circus with a permanent big top right in beautiful Highland Park, St. Paul. Not only do they have classes and camps for kids, but they have incredible performances which are just as amazing as Cirque du Soleil, but for a helluva lot less money per ticket. Because of its close proximity to the park, it's a great destination for a family or other group event. I organized a company outing here. We started at the park with food catered by Pizza Luce and then walked over to the big top for a breathtaking performance by the youths of Circus Juventas. I cannot say enough positive things about it. You must check it out. read more

I first enrolled my son as a 2.5yr old to work on his balance because he kept tripping over things and requiring stitches! I thought circus would help him build core strength and, perhaps, a little much needed coordination :-). Boy is that an understatement! Two years later, and he's still loving "circus school" and - fingers crossed - no further trips to the ER for stitches. He is growing into a confident, athletic young man, in no small part due to his time in circus. The coaches are talented, patient, and kind, and the kids are simply amazing. The parents are also very friendly, chatty, and welcoming - helpful for us since we drive an hour from WI and don't know anyone in the cities. The summer show (about 19 performances in August) is expertly done and definitely worth your time. If you're looking for something a little different for an after school or weekend activity for your child, definitely consider Circus Juventas. If you're fond of volunteering, they'll happily put you to work, too. Come join us and have fun! Note: Curious what circus is like for toddlers? Age 2.5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcX-50P4lWQ&list=UUmGXkkmuPxGd96u_lyUBnew&index=43 Age 4.5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE38MvrxxjI&list=UUmGXkkmuPxGd96u_lyUBnew&index=5 read more

So, in Sex and The City (the movie), the girls get together and sit front row at New York Fashion Week. Well, that's me and my friends at Circus Juventas. Three years now that we've done VIP (meaning more comfortable seats in the front row). It's one of the few times (and pretty much only time) I can hold my nose up high as I walk by the lowly, regs who sit in the normal people section. The first year was some sort of creepy romance, which I didn't fully understand until the last scene (aha moment). The second year was based on "Yulong" (or basically, Mulan). This past year was about two old dudes reminiscin' the good ole days of their circus youths. What amazes me is that every year, they've used the same circus tricks and routines, but seems to just have a different story line. I think this past year was the first time they added biking on a tight rope (uber scary!!). The show itself gets pretty long, so I don't recommend bringing your little kiddies if you know they need to get to bed before eight. Also, you have to line up your cars in the grass lot... wait... VIPs should have VIP parking?! Yeah.... no. Maybe not so VIP and classy afterall. read more

One of the best things about living in St. Paul with kids is this amazing place. So warm and inviting, and it really nurtures kids toward excellence (terrible sentence I know but CJ interferes with my grammar and style, it's great). read more

Circus Juventas - My 9-year-old soaring high! - Art Schools Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Loved it! It is so hard to find performance art in the Twin Cities. We took our 4 year old nephew and 2 year old niece. They loved it! We sat right behind the VIP seats, so close you could touch the performers. A must do for all families / couples. read more

This was my second time at Circus Juventas, I saw the "Nordsaga" show last week and was very impressed at the talent of the young performers! My coworker's little kids are students at the circus and the summer show always features the more advanced and experienced among the hundreds of students that learn and practice here. The show was packed full of fun tricks and acrobatics, cool choreography and music. The show does run long (3hours) but it's almost necessary with the amount of set changes they do and includes a long 20-25 min intermission. The show started out a little slow but picked up by the end of the first half and stayed strong throughout the second half. I like how they always have a theme/storyline to engage the audience and their costumes are really fun too. The first time I attended a summer performance here was for Arabian Nights a couple years ago; last year was Alice in Wonderland. The seats are basically plastic stadium seats with a thin pad so not very comfortable. A lot of smart people around us brought their own plush looking seat cushions. My husband and I had great center seats a couple rows up. It cost around $35 a ticket which I thought was well worth it for us to have a unique and entertaining date night. I wouldn't pay more than that though. If you haven't been here before it's definitely worth checking out and putting on your MN to do checklist. We got here early to get street parking close by. There is a small parking lot right outside the building but it's always packed on show days. Small wine/beer stand outside and other drinks and snacks for purchase inside. During intermission it quickly gets stuffy and crowded inside because it's not very big, I tried to get outside as fast as I could for some fresh air. Besides that, it's a well put together show and the kids performance will leave you amazed! read more

Saw the summer show this week. I will say, it is very impressive performances by these young adults. They have some serious talent. Swings, acrobatics, throws, tumbling, trampoline were all very well done. They serve beer and wine and decent snacks before and during intermission. There are a few negatives. Tickets are fairly expensive at $32 for best seats. The show is waaaaay too long at 2.5 hours PLUS 25 min intermission. They seem to do the same thing over and over again with the same performers. And the seats are extremely uncomfortable to sit in for that long. They're essentially bench seats and a very low unusable backrest. And my biggest complaint: the show is way too loud. It's really dangerous for your ears to blast music for that long, especially since the audience is filled with little kids. I was actually curious to see how loud it was so I quick downloaded a decibel meter app: avg 96 decibels with max of 106. And this goes on for 2.5 hours. Those poor kid performers are going to be deaf after being in this show every day for 3 weeks. Do us all a favor and TURN DOWN THE VOLUME. (Geez, I sound like a cranky old man). Anyway, bring ear plugs or your ears will ring for hours afterwards. read more

I am a fan of this joint for how well they work with kids. My daughter has taken a couple of sessions of classes there, and the teachers are fantastic, incredibly positive and patient. More patient then I could ever be doing similar work. Want to try something different for your kids than the regular sports or gymnastics...its worth it. They kids have a killer time. Now the shows...their fall show (if I recall correctly) is the one that is like run like a play...there is a story line and the acts are incorporated into it. Generally just the older "experienced" circus kids. The spring show is the all the kids from all the classes from toddlers on up. The spring show is like a kid's dance recital./ Awesome for the precious few minutes your kid is out there, and a little on the boring side the rest of the time - with the exception of what the older kids do, which is usually something I would die even trying once. The staged fall show is usually quite good. Sometimes I think a bit on the long side for kids to watch, but always well done. Worth checking out - and buying advanced tickets - as they usually sell out. Overall a totally cool place I am glad to have in my neighborhood. read more

this show was simple amazing. this is my 4 th year attending this show. love it

Attended the Nordrsaga last night. What an AMAZING performance these young students (8-21) put on!The talent in this performance it top notch! It's a "mini" cirque de soleil. I've personally seen 5-6 Cirque shows and watched them during training practices. I have NO doubt that some of these young performers will continue to further this passion in the professional circuit. Well done performers, coaches, staff, and volunteers. I look forward to next year's event. read more

This place is amazing. These young kids do some incredible things during the show. Three seating isn't the most comfortable. Very entertaining! read more

We went to see this year's summer production, Nordsaga. Other than this probably being our last year living in the Highland neighbourhood, it's likely also going to be the last Circus Juventas production we see for a couple of years, but not because we're moving: it just isn't as good as it used to be. I hate to criticize a show where all the main performers are kids - and HUGELY talented kids at that - but from a longtime attendee like me (since 2011, anyway), I've noticed a large drop in the variety of the show. Another reviewer mentioned that so much of feels repetitious these days, and it does to me too. The show used to contain a lot more of the traditional "strongman" circus acts, but those seem to have dried up, and been replaced with more dancing and acrobatic acts. Maybe the insurance skyrocketed, maybe someone got injured, maybe parents of the kids who take part called for less dangerous acts - or maybe it was just a simple change in focus on the part of the Butlers. Whatever caused this change, the show is far less exciting now than it was in previous years, maybe since the 2013 show. And with the running time still 3 hours minus a 25 minute intermission, a number of the acts feel like filler. In terms of this particular show, my wife and I left disappointed. I am a huge fan of Norse mythology, and particularly knowledgeable about the actual material, but I didn't go in last night expecting a faithful rendition of The Poetic Edda, and I was glad to see it wasn't dumbed down for people whose only exposure to Norse legends are Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston - but there was so little story in last night's show. Thor's hammer gets stolen, and there's a quest to find it that spans the seven realms, but Thor is hardly in the entire production, and he's portrayed as more of a boorish bro than a Norse god. The show focuses almost exclusively on a younger character (I've seen this kid progress from minor roles to this starring role, and he deserves it; his physical skills and showmanship are currently second to none in the cast), and some kind of competition between he and Thor that seemed to detract from the actual main story. The writing of this year's show was definitely sub par, maybe the worst I've seen of the 7 shows I've watched - it felt to me that there just wasn't much effort made in this area, just enough to get by between sets. The standard of the acts too was not as great as in previous years, and maybe it's just because I've attended so frequently, but a lot of it has begun to feel stale to me. The trampoline act, where various cast members bounce up and down to the top of a wall was changed up a little bit from previous year, moving the action to the centre of the ring, but it felt half-hearted and same old-same old. Ultimately, each year probably has new attendees who've never seen the show before, so for them the wow factor would definitely still be there. I wish the show contained the same acts as it used to, because that wow factor would be a WOW factor. I think it's time for me to retire from it for a while and give my seat to someone who can still appreciate it. read more

Good place to bring your kids to for circus lessons if they're well-behaved neurotypical kids. If your child has autism or any other condition that makes it difficult to listen to instructors the first time, just realize that the CJ instructors (youth instructors and adult instructors) will likely get frustrated with your child and lack the patience that a regular school teacher has. Not surprising though...the prices for classes here are super high. Basically a great circus school for well-behaved rich kids. read more

Admittedly a great circus to have kids involved in, and bring kids to see. My personal feelings, however, are that the the show finds it's place somewhere between a real circus, a high school dance line, and a junior high talent show. Everything was just ok, but that's about it. The length was a long three hours, presumably intended on including all the audience member's children who sign up for the show. An abridged version of the production with more quality and less repeated mediocre content would have been much more appealing. My wife says I'm just negative.. and she may be right in this case. I guess I was just hoping for more than the show had to offer. On the plus side... some of the children have some real talent, and the the two old geezers still know how to impress a crowd. I hope I didn't offend any parents of the circus participants... Who are likely the only people that will ever see this review. If you do find yourself at Circus Juventas Sawdust... Keep your eyes on the guy risking his life as he climbs around in the rafters continuously making adjustments... That dude is certainly earning his paycheck... I give him 5 stars but only 2 for the show. read more

This is my favorite school out of what I have done I have done ballet, jazz, gymnastics in and out , Circus Juventas is a mix of all of this it's amazing I really love it and they have a variety and they have safety i really love this place and I just got done preforming in the spring show!! read more

Have been attending performances for 4 years. Likely won't go anymore. The shows are good, but quite a few acts are the same year to year. Well executed and amazing that all of the shows are teenagers and young adults. They perform acts that are on par with Cirque de Soleil. In addition to being repetitive, the shows are becoming more political. Yesterday's show was prominently kicked off by Betty McCollum. I didn't want to think about politics and her kick off to the show spoiled the first half for me. The shows are well staged and costumed, but there really is no plot. Just collections of scenes. "Steam" (this summer's show) has some good music and some heavy metal. Since there is no plot, it is difficult to follow. The show is a disjointed collection of beautiful themes (the old) and gangs strutting and fighting (new). Overall, pretty disturbing. It is very clear that the producers have never read "The Time Machine", "20,000 Leagues under the sea" (eg Captain Nemo has octopus hands in the show) and other works they are referencing throughout. Logistics: there is a small parking lot that gets full right away. Be prepared to walk for about a mile if you get there 30 min before, probably more if you arrive later. Bring an umbrella if it is raining. read more