The Pittsburgh Circus Arts Collaborative; An Origin Story…
In 2017 Mike Willis had the singular idea of providing the ultimate couple with the ultimate wedding.
A wedding that would also be ... a circus.
Being president and owner of both Modern Era Weddings and Pittsburgh’s Best DJs (two multi-award winning entertainment companies) Willis found he had, already in place, the resources required to make this happen - the very connections he had accumulated through years of involvement in Pittsburgh’s entertainment scene.
Willis soon partnered with Shipwreck Asunder (a person responsible for the novel beginnings of a myriad local experience) and together they gathered as many of Pittsburgh’s circus performers as they could - put them in a room and asked, simply, “do you think you could make a wedding?”
In that room, in 2017, at the offices of Modern Era Weddings sat a crowd of strangers. Strangers that could juggle, that could bend, that could breathe fire! Strangers that could stilt walk, that could spin 20 hoops on their body at once! Strangers that swung from silk straps and trapeze bars! Strangers that could stand 2 - no! 3! tall on each other's shoulders! Strangers who could shoot a flaming arrow from a bow as they stood on their hands and shot - with their feet!
Strangers who, somehow in this chaotic world, believed enough in the power of love to create circus weddings and turn from strangers into family.
Mike Willis is responsible for that.
And I am grateful for not only his resources but also his ingenuity and creative prowess.
Without him - we would never have become a circus at all and since 2017 the Pittsburgh Circus Arts Collaborative has been responsible for the creation and magical elaboration of no fewer than 10 weddings, 6 birthdays, countless fundraisers, a bat mitzvah, bachelor parties, music videos, movies, festivals, concerts, musicals, ballets, parades and on and on - the list continues.
In that room in 2017 two of the first members of the circus were a juggling mime named Zero. And a firebreather named Joker. These two circus kids quickly took to a partnership and through the years created a constant stream of carnival-tastic eros together.
Then in 2019 Willis found himself with goals outside of Pittsburgh and moved to Florida. Establishing himself there as he has here; someone creatively unique and wedding focused in ways only Willis can be.
And then - in 2021, after a global, year-long, hiatus, Joker signed a 2 year contract as a fire breather on the Las Vegas strip and Zero signed a contract with Mike Willis.
Specifically about the sale of the Pittsburgh Circus Arts Collaborative to Zero...
To me...
Hello.
My name is Jason Kirin. Better known as Zero.
I am turning December’s page to January. Trying as I may to peek around the corner of this year to no avail. What will 2022 bring for the Pittsburgh Circus Arts Collaborative? What will it bring for the world?
I can’t help but reflect on Mike, Shipwreck, Joker, founding members and all of those early days of the circus. So far behind us now.
There was a spirit born, an epigraph written, in 2017. It’s something that extends its intention from the initial meetings between Mike and Shipwreck through years and years to now. Something rooted in love, creativity, uniqueness, magic.
Something I hope I am carrying with me respectfully still. I hope I can do this right, that I can spread enchantment and fascination through circus arts. I hope I can make you believe in love, I hope I can make you believe in magic.
I guess we’ll see.
With love,
Zero
Owner and Artistic Director of
The Pittsburgh Circus Arts Collaborative.
