Kris
Kris brings 17 years of experience in acrobatic performance, character performance and head coaching with Cirque Du Soleil. Additionally, Kris has 3 years of experience coaching youth at Trapeze Arts in Oakland and The Circus Center of SF, as well as years of experience coaching men’s gymnastics at GAD Gymnastics Academy in South Lake Tahoe, San Mateo Gymnastics, and the Olympic Sports Training Center in Long Beach, CA. He also worked in Cirque Du Soleil’s R&D department and created acrobatic material used in several Cirque Du Soleil shows.
Some highlights of his performance career include inventing skills and creating a solo Russian Swing act for Cirque Du Soleil's The Beatles, Love where he performed his act for 10 years straight. He also performed his unique swing act in World’s Away, a 3D movie directed by James Cameron. Prior to LOVE, he performed Russian Swing, Chinese Poles and Aerial Bungees in Cirque Du Soleil’s Saltimbanco, and he also performed a solo German Wheel act and the character ‘Boum Boum’ in Cirque Du Soleil’s Quidam. He has logged 5,000+ shows with Cirque from 2000 to 2016.
Following his performance career with Cirque, Kris teamed up with the Circus Center of San Francisco to write and direct their 2018 Youth Circus Spring Show, Fog City Swing, an original, full length, in-house produced show with 12 performances. He worked daily with their Pre-Professional Youth Program, coaching German Wheel, tumbling, acrobatics, trampoline, handstands, Chinese Poles, teeterboard, pyramids, hoop-diving, sports acro, acting, clowning, character development and performance quality.
As a coach, Kris works hard to foster self-reliant, fit and reflective artists who develop the skills necessary to thrive in whatever challenges they might meet in life. Kris strives to inspire strong mindsets, and build autonomous, durable, emotionally stable artists that exercise creativity and flourish under pressure.
Kris graduated from Stanford University with a BA in English Literature. Kris was an elite gymnast and a member of the 1992 Stanford Gymnastics NCAA Championship Team. He is an active Professional Member of USA Gymnastics, USAG Instructor Certified, Safety and Risk Management Certified, Background Check and USOC SafeSport Certified. He completed T200: Trampoline and Tumbling Development Coaches Course, as well as U200: Development Coaches Course: Sport Science.
Some highlights of his performance career include inventing skills and creating a solo Russian Swing act for Cirque Du Soleil's The Beatles, Love where he performed his act for 10 years straight. He also performed his unique swing act in World’s Away, a 3D movie directed by James Cameron. Prior to LOVE, he performed Russian Swing, Chinese Poles and Aerial Bungees in Cirque Du Soleil’s Saltimbanco, and he also performed a solo German Wheel act and the character ‘Boum Boum’ in Cirque Du Soleil’s Quidam. He has logged 5,000+ shows with Cirque from 2000 to 2016.
Following his performance career with Cirque, Kris teamed up with the Circus Center of San Francisco to write and direct their 2018 Youth Circus Spring Show, Fog City Swing, an original, full length, in-house produced show with 12 performances. He worked daily with their Pre-Professional Youth Program, coaching German Wheel, tumbling, acrobatics, trampoline, handstands, Chinese Poles, teeterboard, pyramids, hoop-diving, sports acro, acting, clowning, character development and performance quality.
As a coach, Kris works hard to foster self-reliant, fit and reflective artists who develop the skills necessary to thrive in whatever challenges they might meet in life. Kris strives to inspire strong mindsets, and build autonomous, durable, emotionally stable artists that exercise creativity and flourish under pressure.
Kris graduated from Stanford University with a BA in English Literature. Kris was an elite gymnast and a member of the 1992 Stanford Gymnastics NCAA Championship Team. He is an active Professional Member of USA Gymnastics, USAG Instructor Certified, Safety and Risk Management Certified, Background Check and USOC SafeSport Certified. He completed T200: Trampoline and Tumbling Development Coaches Course, as well as U200: Development Coaches Course: Sport Science.
