Today we’d like to introduce you to Caiya Velasco.
Hi Caiya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The beginning of it all was at the age of 3 for me. I began with Classical Ballet, which then led to a multitude of things. Growing up, I was a homeschooled ballet dancer training in multiple different dance disciplines, plus musical theater!
One of the hardest parts was definitely the negativity I would receive, I would always get picked on by kids for being homeschooled and was always accused of not having any friends and being a shut-in. I tried not letting what they said get to me because I knew that wasn’t who I was, but it was still hard to deal with as a kid. So I kept on training and tried to surround myself with as much positivity as possible. Looking back I am also extremely thankful for my parents for putting me in the performing arts at a young age and instilling work ethic in me. Thanks to them I knew at a very young age that my dream was to one day open up a performing arts studio.
I started training Circus when I was 17. It was such a crazy and different kind of experience for me that I never imagined myself exploring. I was always known as “the dancer” among my fellow classmates and colleagues and I think when they found out what I was doing it surprised everyone just as much as it did me. After training circus, I began performing with a company and loved it! I felt I could implicate all my years of dance and musical theater training. After 3 years I decided to leave the company and start performing on my own. It was a scary new chapter in my life which definitely has had its up and downs but has definitely been worth it! That has led to starting my own Circus Performing and Teaching Company (Cai Circus) which I could not be more proud of.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning a business at a young age is challenging and has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I don’t think it’s talked about much; but when you have coaches and performers depending on you to provide them with a safe space to practice and perform, it puts a lot of pressure on you. It’s easy to neglect and treat them unfairly. (I’ve experienced a lot of negativity from former coaches & performing agents in the past.) You’re supposed to be the light for these people, helping them reach their physical and performance goals. You are there to lift them up. If you treat people with kindness and respect, you will receive it right back. So this is also a little “thank you” to all of the current/past coaches and performers that have worked with Cai Circus, we would not be here without you.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My company specializes in Traditional & Contemporary Circus Arts. Having that dance background, I am able to incorporate a lot of dance into my shows & training technique. The students at Cai Circus don’t only learn how to execute tricks, but how to move with them and incorporate some sort of flow.
Something we are known for and that sets us apart is definitely our contortionists & aerial shows. We are one of the few Circus companies in Houston that have in house traditionally trained performing & coaching contortionists. On top of that, we are also one of the few companies that put on different themed circus events in the studio space! Our last one was 1920’s Speakeasy and it was a HIT!
I think one of the things I am most proud of is the community we have built. Cai Circus has turned into a lot of Houston performers’ and students’ safe space. We accept and celebrate everyone. You are not defined by who you know, how skilled of an artist you are, where you’re from or who you’ve worked with. There is no competition. You come as you are and we love that.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Share our social media with your friends and work colleagues, come take a class, perform in our showcases or reach out to us via email if you want to collab! We are always looking for new workshops and performers.
Contact Info:
- Website: caicircus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caicircus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caicircus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDODNcXw-D2n2329ANNbujA
- Other: https://linktr.ee/caicircus
Image Credits
Mcauley Teters
Matt Rood
