Help us build a new kind of circus in Northern Virginia.

Hi there! We’re Daniel and Lizzy, circus nomads who have spent our adult lives traveling the world, sharing our passion for circus craft with students and audiences alike. Over the years, we’ve done a bit of everything—from designing and installing custom rigging solutions to writing, directing, and producing full-length shows. We’re best known as flying trapeze coaches, having played a pivotal role in starting numerous trapeze programs and holding leadership positions at prominent professional and recreational circus schools across North America.

As coaches, we’ve had the privilege of working with artists of all skill levels, and we’ve come to realize that the industry’s distinction between “professional” and “recreational” training is unnecessary and often harmful. This division overlooks many of the reasons people pursue circus and undermines the dedication of serious amateurs while creating unrealistic expectations for those aiming for a professional path. We’ve been part of an incredible community of adult circus artists—people who train not for money, but for the joy of the craft. Yet, we’ve seen how most schools treat this group as an afterthought. After years of disappointment, we’re taking matters into our own hands to create a space where their dedication is honored and their passion can truly thrive.

Our ultimate goal is to build a world-class circus space in Northern Virginia—a home where we can teach, train, and inspire the next generation of circus artists. However, this dream is much larger than what we could raise through GoFundMe alone. But with your support, we can make key purchases that will allow us to grow, attract more attention from investors, and improve our business along the way. Every contribution helps us move forward.

Your donations will help us produce small events and shows in the DC/NOVA area, even as we continue working toward our long-term dream of a full training space and performance venue. This fall and winter, we’ll be working with local artists to produce performances, and your support will help us buy essential equipment like a PA system and lighting to make those shows happen.

We’re also planning for the future: although we likely won’t be able to set up our outdoor rig before the weather turns cold, we’re already working on securing a location for the spring. During the winter months, Lizzy will be teaching aerials and private lessons, and we’ll both be offering personal training and program design help. We’ll also be creating the content for our upcoming Circus Steps online platform.

This GoFundMe campaign is just the start. As we grow our audience and expand our reach, we’ll explore larger crowdsourcing efforts to fund our first full season of shows. Whether it takes a few months or several years, we’re committed to making this dream a reality.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us! We appreciate every single contribution, and we’ll soon have many other ways for you to support us—whether it’s attending our shows, helping with social media, website development, video editing, or simply spreading the word. Follow us on Facebook and check out circussteps.com to stay in touch and learn more!