Dear Cirkus Friend— It's been a busy year for the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. 2007 was filled with opportunities to bring Bindlestiff's unique brand of artistry and spectacle to audiences near and far, and we presented an exciting array of red-hot Cirkus talent to audiences all along the East Coast. Some performance highlights include: - *Bindlestiff's debut at BAM i*n February. Presented by longtime venue host Galapagos Art Space, we packed the house for the Brooklyn Next festival, produced by the internationally renowned Brooklyn Academy of Music. - *The second Magic Hat Summer Variety Show Tour*, featuring our signature combination of circus, sideshow, vaudeville, and burlesque. We brought 59 shows to 33 towns in 14 states—the biggest Bindlestiff tour ever! In addition to creating the outstanding shows Bindlestiff is known for, introducing a new generation of performers to the variety arts has become an integral part of what we do. Our youth program continued to grow by leaps and bounds in 2007: - *The fifth annual Cavalcade of Youth* in April included 24 circus performers ages 3 to 21. Since the Cavalcade's launch in 2002, we have seen a number of these talented young people grow into accomplished performers, and we're proud to give them a chance to develop—and show off—their skills. - *The first Cirkus Summer Day Camp *was held in August at Staten Island's Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Bindlestiff performers taught thirty individuals aged 8 to 14 years-old skills like juggling, clowning, tight wire walking, and stilt walking. We have more great things in store for 2008. Bindlestiff will produce two Cavalcade of Youth shows at New York's Zipper Factory Theater in January and April. The Zipper will also host the Bindlestiff Winter Cabaret in March, a chance to see all of Bindlestiff's favorite Cirkus stars in one place. We're already starting to plan our summer 2008 tour. And that's just the start. Bindlestiff also faces some big financial challenges in the upcoming year. The rising cost of gas is a particularly heavy burden to a small touring company like ours, especially as we intend to reach more people in more ways in more places in 2008. And the expense of developing and producing increasingly high quality work needs support beyond what ticket sales can provide (especially since we try to keep ticket prices affordably low). As we look to the upcoming year and the successes we aim to achieve, we hope you will consider making a tax-deductible gift in support of the work we do. Bindlestiff is lucky to have great audiences; we are grateful for your enthusiasm, your loyalty, and your support. Come out to see us next time we're in your neighborhood, and don't forget to say hello. In Play, Keith Nelson and Stephanie Monseu Bindlestiff Family Cirkus co-founders * * * * * To donate online: http://www.bindlestiff.org/donate.html Checks and money orders made out to Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc. can be sent to Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, PO Box 1917, New York, NY 10009 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization