About | Kinetic Tapestry

Who We Are

"To speak or not to speak...that is our question."

Kinetic Tapestry began in 2010 and formally incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit in 2014. We opened our Circus Barn studio in 2015 at 2500 Metro Blvd. in Maryland Heights. We perform original theatrical circus shows as well as providing unique entertainment for organizations, events and festivals. We have performed at venues such as Busch Stadium, The St. Louis Renaissance Festival, the Clay Cooper Theatre in Branson, Mo, JUMP Summer camp and many, many more.

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Quality Circus Arts training to both amateurs and professionals, children and adults.

Another emphasis of Kinetic Tapestry is offering quality Circus Arts training to both amateurs and professionals, children and adults. We offer classes and workshops throughout the year, both at own Circus Barn studio in Maryland Heights and off site for other organizations. We offer training in a variety of circus skills including Trapeze, Silks, Tumbling, Acrobatics, Stilt walking, Juggling, Mime and more.

A third area that is very important to us at Kinetic Tapestry is Community Involvement, both locally and around the world. We have traveled to Spain, Nicaragua and Egypt to provide workshops and performances for refugees, students, children’s workers and arts professionals. In 2017, we brought joy to families in the towns of Puerto Rico through relief shows in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Here at home, Kinetic Tapestry partners with organizations like Freedom Arts and Education, First Steps Back Home, Oasis International and DASA to bring Circus training into the community. Our Barnstormers Youth Circus Troupe performs around 12 times per year, free of charge for places like veterans homes, retirement facilities and other community events. Over the past several years Kinetic Tapestry has seen steady growth as an organization. We look forward to continuing that growth, both in size and in excellence.

Our Team

As performing artists, our desire is to impact people with truth through excellent, entertaining and meaningful performances using a unique blend of Theater, Dance and Circus Arts, and to provide high quality training to artists in techniques of performance and production.Our performance material is original, inventive and it is sure to leave a lasting impression.The training we provide is professional and comes from our years of training and experience.

We select our performers and teaching artists based on the excellence of their training, the display of mastery in their area of expertise, and their display of outstanding character.

Meet The Team

Jaime Zayas

Executive Director/Lead Circus Coach/Performer

Actor, mime and clown. ETCP Certified Theatre Rigger. Born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He received a B.A in Theater from the University of Puerto Rico. With over 18 years of experience in professional theater, TV, film and commercials, Jaime brings a broad base of experience to his teaching and performances. He is also fully bilingual and brings the Puerto Rican flavor with him wherever he goes.

Jaime studied mime and physical theater in The School for Mime Theater in Gambier, Ohio, clown theater with the former Cirque du Soleil’s clown, Alex Navarro, and circus and corporal mime with Luis Oliva, Puerto Rico’s greatest mime. Jaime has trained, toured and/or performed with different theater companies including Matthew Thorton of Philobulus Dance Theater, Elsie Smith, former Cirque du Soleil aerialist, Acrodramance Theater Company, Inlet Dance Theater andﾠPUSH Physical Theater.

He has participated in many theater plays back in Puerto Rico and in Missouri. In 2005, he acted in the hit T.V. series Seconds from Disaster for the National Geographic Channel and he was contracted for specialty character work by the Walt Disney Company. His performances and talent have taken him all over the USA, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Nicaragua, Spain, Switzerland and Egypt.

In addition to teaching his circus classes at Kinetic Tapestry, he has taught circus for 10 years in St. Louis for Dayspring School of the Arts. Previous to that, he taught theater and circus in the public schools of Puerto Rico.He an engaging circus instructor who loves to bring out the best of his students, no matter their level of proficiency.

Vanessa Waggoner

Artistic Director/Lead Aerial Coach/Performer

Vanessa is the Artistic Director, lead aerial teacher and assistant coach for the Barnstormers Youth Circus Troupe. She is a creative native of St Louis with over 18 years of teaching experience, 27 years of performance experience, and training in all areas of the performing arts.

She graduated from Belhaven University, with a Bachelors of Arts in Theater, Summa Cum Laude. She has received additional theatre and circus training through Master classes with professionals such as Avner Eisenberg, Hovey Burgess, Elsie Smith from Gemini Trapeze, Dan Stein, Mary Corrigan, Christopher Russo and others.

Vanessa has trained and/or performed with theater and dance companies including The Joshua Squad, Kinetic Echo, Duncan Dance, Off-Kilter Comedy, WyCliffe Dinner Theater, STREB, and PUSH Physical Theater, St Louis Shakespeare Company and Mustard Seed Theater. She has also performed in a variety of musical theater stage shows.

Her performance and teaching have taken her all over the United States as well as abroad in England, Scotland, Honduras, Nicaragua, Spain, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Egypt. Her desire is to be a high quality performer and to equip other artists of all ages.