Founder, Executive Director, Co-Chair of the Board

Leah Abel is Founder, Executive Director, and Head Coach of Circus Up, a Boston-based social circus organization. She holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Simmons College and is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Leah additionally holds a master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy.

Leah performs and teaches with Clowns Without Borders, which has sent her to Haiti, Palestine, Myanmar, Lebanon, and Texas. She has worked as a hospital clown for many years, both with the Big Apple Circus and currently with Laughter League, bringing smiles to children and their families at Boston Children’s Hospital. Leah also stilts at various events and locations, including Fenway Park, and performs aerials all over New England at corporate, community, and college events both solo and with her doubles partner, Molly Baechtold - as Baechtold and Abel. Leah believes passionately in equity, access, and social justice for all, and in using the arts for social change. She is a strong supporter and practitioner of both the Liberation Health Model and restorative justice practice; all of these principles and practices are interwoven throughout the work of Circus Up. Leah loves to promote circus for social change, including using expressions of joy as a form of resistance.

Director of Development

Abbi Wilson, LCSW, grew up in social circus and loves the community, joy, and resilience it brings. She holds an MSW from Boston College School of Social Work, upon graduation receiving a Certificate for Equity and Justice in the Workplace and the Dean's Award for Equity, Justice, and Inclusion. She graduated from Hampshire College studying public health and performing arts and completed an ethnographic research project with Circus Up as her thesis on the power of social circus to address social determinants of health. After undergrad, Abbi went on to serve a year with Americorps, working at an afterschool program in Lynn, MA. Abbi holds many hats at Circus Up, including coaching, grants and development, program eval, and more. In circus, especially enjoys trapeze, unicycle, straps, and partner acrobatics.

Program Director

Olivia is a performing artist, dancer, model, actress, meditation guide and yoga instructor born, raised, and practicing on Nipmuc, Pocumtuc, Massachusett, Pawtucket land. Trained in traditional indigenous Afro-Brazilian, Ayisyen, and Guinean rhythms and movements by Kera Washington, Isaura Oliveira, Peniel Guerrier, and Toussaint the Liberator, has been trained in contemporary indigenous, intuition and environment led movement on Apache and Tewa land by Dancing Earth’s Rulan Tangen, gratefully. Formal dance training also includes jazz, ballet, modern, house & hip-hop. I am grateful to my nonhuman teachers, the Wind, the Water, the Sun, the Moon, our Mother Earth. Many more with inaudible names. My dance and embodiment work is a testimony of my ancestors prayers and preparation, as it is my own prayer and preparation for my descendants to continue this work.

In addition to my study of dance I also teach African dance at Roxbury Roots Montessori and study and teach yoga at the Jackson Youth Program.

Through this work I also reckon and encourage others to reckon with the trauma, self and other inflicted, that has manifested in and around us. I am offering joy, surprise, knowledge, unfamiliar comfort and love. Receiving acceptance, wisdom, power, nourishment, and love. Thank you. Let’s Go Together.

Oliver Burns IV has been dancing since a child and choreographing since attending Regis College. Although he performs many styles from contemporary to Latin, his main focus is Hip Hop. When he is not dancing, Oliver is building a media and event production company, Trend Stream, with a full array of audio/visual event services. He also co-founded the Hip Hop troupe, Trend N Motion who hosts interactive performances for local schools, concerts and community events. He joined beheard.world in 2017 as a cinematographer and choreographer to continue using the art platform to address social issues our neighborhoods face.

Yumaikys is growing up in Boston as an high school student with a strong passion for circus and athletics. He has been involved with Circus Up for five years through the Kirkos troupe and continues to build his skills through performance, teamwork, and leadership. While hard to choose, Maiky's favorite thing to do in circus is split between juggling and partner acrobatics. He has loved coaching circus since a young age, often sharing his juggling skills at Kirkos events and workshops. During programs he is especially adept at helping to create a positive learning environment. He continues to grow as a coach, athlete, circus artist, and leader in the community. 

Team Member

With a strong desire to collaborate artistically and return to a physical practice she discovered the New England Center for Circus Arts where she fell in love with aerials, theatrical expression, and the circus community. In 2011, Alissa graduated from the Professional training program with a focus on Trapeze and Handbalance. Since then she has been performing in street shows, festivals, theaters, and teaching across the globe.

In addition to circus arts, Alissa has experience in modern dance, Ashtanga yoga, and capoiera. Alissa moved to Boston in 2018 after living in Konstanz, Germany for 4 years. She is excited to join the exuberant circus community here in Boston. When Alissa is not teaching or preforming she is hiding in the woods or being a mama to her baby boy!

Lumyr Derisier is a Boston based dancer who has been dancing for over a decade. With a love of dance, and a passion for people, Lumyr finds joy in the product and process of creating art.  His passion is to see a dance community without walls in the city of Boston where a "we can '' attitude thrives among all its participants.

Lumyr trained in Salsa and Bachata under the direction of Anara Frank of Metamovements dance company, and Alma Latina Boston, respectively.

Lumyr currently teaches bachata at Salsa Y Control Dance Company,and runs "From Boston With Love" dance organization. He is most known for his big smile, hearty laugh and chiropractic hugs.

Team Member

Lucia Cassan has always been active. She began with sports and dance, yet discovered in high school that circus was her true passion. Aerial rope, silks, wire and partner acro are her most loved circus disciplines. Lucia is a recent college graduate from Umass Boston where she studied sociology and criminal justice. She would love to combine her knowledge of criminal justice and circus arts to create programs in prisons, where circus arts is a form of rehabilitation and reform. Currently, Lucia is a professional aerialist and belly dancer and full time circus instructor. She is excited to use her degree to help circus arts become a vessel for social change. She has seen in her own life how important movement and creativity is for a kid, and is passionate about bringing this exciting art to kids of all backgrounds, ages, races and abilities. Lucia loves teaching circus and is extremely excited to be part of the Circus Up team!

Coach, Website and Graphic Designer

Snghyun (Sng) is a California native that moved to Boston in 2023. She started her circus journey in South Korea in 2019, and has loved it ever since!

She attended Dartmouth College, where she performed in Dartmouth Aerial Arts. In school and in her professional career, Sng has been passionate about DEI and volunteer work. After taking classes at C3, she looked for opportunities to tie together her love of circus and volunteering, leading her to Circus Up!

Sng has a background in UI/UX Design, marketing, and visual art, and handles various projects for Circus Up in addition to coaching.

Yariel is Latino and grew up in Boston. He is currently in 10th grade and does circus as his main extracurricular activity. Yariel is one of the founding members of Circus Up’s very own Kirkos. He is an assistant coach with Circus Up at the Hernandez School and for youth classes at the Commonwealth Circus Center. For work-study at school, he is a part of Math Works as an Inside Sales Rep Assistant.

Dork Farguarson is a Boston native. Dork began dancing at the age of six in an after school program at the Joseph Lee Elementary School when David Vaughan, the program director, discovered him. Vaughan then brought him to the David Vaughan Center for the Arts where Dork joined the children’s dance group, Boys To Men Academy, under Vaughan’s direction. After ten years with Boys To Men Academy, Dork graduated into Sidekickz, the teenage group. While dancing for Vaughan, Dork performed at such venues as the Apollo Theatre (NYC), the Strand (Boston), and the Beantown Bounce (Boston). 
After four years with Sidekickz, Dork had a brief stint with Status Quo where he performed at Foxwoods and Vermont’s Urban Nutcracker. 
Dork was a member of hip hop company, Street HYpE, under the direction of Tony Tucker. In the three years he danced with Street Hype, he had the pleasure of performing at Prelude Boston, World of Dance, Christmas in the City, and several other venues.
Dork is a current member of contemporary company, Contemporarily Out of Order (COOco), under the direction of Wendy O’Byrne. In the years since he has joined COOco, Dork has performed at Club Oberon, Prelude Boston, BU Dance Theatre, and the Dance Complex. 
When Dork is not working or dancing, he enjoys skateboarding and street tumbling (parkour/acro).

Sophie Canon is a comedian, clown, tap dancer, acrobat, and musician who recently graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Comedic Arts. They are the main character and audiobook narrator of The Barking Puppy, a middle-grade series written by their godmother, Lori Lobenstine. 

Sophie also has a one-person show; The Star Canon Show, bringing all the things they love together, and delving into the diaspora with stand-up, tap, acrobatics, and film. Sophie is very grateful to their mother Melanie Canon who taught them how to unicycle and juggle, and has always encouraged and supported them!