Eric Michael Gillett was the 27th Ringmaster in the history of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey, serving from 1987-1997. Broadway debut: 1999’s Tony Award-winning revival of Kiss Me, Kate. Other Broadway: Original casts of Sweet Smell of Success and Sondheim’s The Frogs. Other NYC: Carnegie Hall (Showboat), New York City Opera (Candide, Cinderella, The Pirates of Penzance), New York City Ballet (Seven Deadly Sins), MTC (Time and Again), Encores (Of Thee I Sing), J2Spotlight’s A Class Act, and The Baker’s Wife. Regional credits include Paper Mill, McCarter, Oklahoma Lyric, Geva, the Hangar, Cape Playhouse and, most recently: Matthew Harrison Brady in Inherit the Wind (Tantrum Theater). An award-winning concert artist and director, he has appeared on film in “The Producers,” “Maid in Manhattan,” and “My Brother.” TV: “The Chair Company,” “Mr and Mrs Smith,” “Wu Tang,” “Quantico,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” “Daredevil,” “Law and Order,” Law and Order: SVU,” “The Mysteries of Laura,” “The Blacklist,” “The Loudest Voice,” “Kevin Can Wait.” ericmichaelgillett.com

Delaney Carter is a multi-apparatus aerialist and contortionist from Denver Colorado with a background in gymnastics and dance. She graduated from Artistic Fusion Dance Academy in 2021, and first performed as an aerialist with Frequent Fliers in 2022. After a 6 month contract aboard Aida Mar as an aerialist, she co-taught a series of dynamic duo trapeze workshops with Saifee Ghadiyali. Outside of the studio, Delaney spends time painting, sewing, and with her pets. @delaney_g_c on instagram / [email protected]

Funny, curious, irreverent, and technically brilliant, Jacob D’Eustachio is a uniquely captivating juggler! Born to two New York City professors, Jacob became obsessed with juggling at age 10. Determined to forge his own path in the arts, he took time off from high school to tour the US with the Zoppé Family Circus. At 18, he apprenticed to renowned Swiss juggler, Kris Kremo, and was subsequently one of the first Americans accepted to Canada’s prestigious École de Cirque de Québec. Jacob has since performed in 15 countries on 5 continents. Highlights include juggling with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, clowning at North America’s oldest theater, performing at the Kennedy Center, being the only American to compete in Moscow’s Nikulin Circus Festival, and performing for Adele with England’s Giffords Circus. He earned his Actor’s Equity membership playing the role of Trinculo in West Hyler’s circus-influenced production of The Tempest at the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival. Passionate about using juggling for social change, he is especially proud of his work as a juggling and clowning coach to HIV-positive children in Cape Town South Africa with Médecins Sans Frontiéres and the Zip Zap Circus.

Rachel Nesnevich is a movement artist based in Chicago. Both an aerialist and a hula hooper, Rachel draws inspiration from her lifelong dance training. She has performed both internationally and across the US, most recently completing a month-long tour in Japan with Aloft Circus Arts’ show Brave Space. With Brave Space, she had the honor of performing in festivals such as Montréal Complètement Cirque, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Circusstad Festival, and Cirkl Fest. In Chicago, she regularly performs in dinner shows, cabaret shows, and private events throughout the city.

Joel Baker brings to the stage a unique style of physical comedy, acrobatics, and improvisation. He is a graduate of San Francisco’s Clown Conservatory and the San Francisco Circus Center, where he began incorporating acrobatics, handstands, and chair balancing into physical comedy. Joel launched his career as an acrobatic clown in San Francisco’s legendary New Pickle Circus. For seven years, Joel was a key performer—and additionally served as an Artistic Coach—in the award-winning Cirque du Soleil show The Beatles’ LOVE. Joel has performed main clown roles in LOFT by The 7 Fingers,Teatro Zinnani in Seattle, CIRKOPOLIS by Cirque Eloize. and currently is performing as clown in the touring show ALEGRIA by Cirque du Soleil. Joel lives in Brattleboro when not off on tour.

Maia is a New England based circus artist specializing in hula hoops, aerial hoop, and badass muscle princess energy. Maia began her training at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) when she was eight years old and toured with the Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour as a teenager from 2019-2021. After being named Valedictorian for Northfield Mount Hermon’s (NMH) class of 2020 and completing two years at Columbia University as a Cognitive Science major specializing in Human Computer Interaction, she decided AI made her sad, and she is much happier professionally upside down. She has performed across the country for companies including Spiegelworld, New York Circus Project, Cirque Us, and more. She has also collaborated with the classical music community, bringing her acts to Opera Vermont and the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra. Maia returned to NECCA this year as a coach, and when she is not performing she is available for private lessons!

Emma Maines & Levi Helton, graduates of the New England Center for Circus Arts, form a dynamic Chinese Pole duo. Levi's long-standing dedication to Chinese Pole meets Emma's Aerial Pole roots as they collaborate for this year's Circus Spectacular. This debut act explores two people rediscovering joy through curiosity and play, With shared risk, experimentation, and moments of lightness, they invite the audience into a world where connection rekindles wonder and movement becomes a celebration of possibility. Follow @1a37 on IG for more of Levi and Emma's creative endeavors and future projects.

Troy Wunderle is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of art, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He is a former international performer with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and has spent the past 29 years touring throughout the United States as a freelance performer. His antics have been featured on the Disney channel, The Today Show, Martha Stewart, Chronicle, Fetch, Fox and Friends and Americas Funniest Home Videos. He worked for Circus Smirkus for 26 years and held the titles of Creative Director, Artistic Director and Producing Director. For 6 years he acted as the Director of Clowning for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Troy is the founder of Wunderle's Big Top Adventures an interactive circus arts organization based out of Rockingham, VT. He is a juried artist through the Vermont State Arts Council and the 2022 recipient of the American Circus Educators - Excellence in Circus Education Award. Troy is also the 2025 recipient of the Vermont Governor’s Award for Arts Education.

Julian McTaggart is a circus artist, avid cyclist, musically inclined human, and amateur chef. A graduate of NECCA’s ProTrack he has performed in more than 15 countries as a straps and duo artist, hand-to-hand and acrobatic flyer, and character actor. His performance experience includes Dragone, Cirque Dreams, Virgin Voyages cast by the 7 Fingers, and at the VIVA Festival he received both the Judges’ Choice Award and the Cirque du Soleil Prize. Julian seeks to capture an encapsulated moment—using music, lighting, and movement quality as guiding forces. Above all, he hopes to inspire more people to explore aerial straps—whether as a conditioning tool or a lifelong pursuit. @julianacrobat/

Megan Gimnig is a multidisciplinary circus performer originally from Atlanta, Georgia. After 7 years of aerials, she was accepted into NECCA's Protrack program. It was here that she fell in love with swinging trapeze. Since graduating she has performed and coached in a variety of circus disciplines both on the ground and in the air. Her newest circus project is hula hooping. When not upside down Megan can be found in the kitchen baking yummy treats, at her sewing machine, or hiking.