Skills Include

Abigail is the director, Ring Master and co-founder of Circus Bella, creating and producing new work for over 14 years. Along with the more conventional duties she also serves as the company's catering service, laundress and occasional truck driver. An accomplished dancer, choreographer, and aerialist, Munn holds a BFA in Modern Dance from UC Santa Barbara. As a child, who was born and raised in SF, she appeared with the Pickle Family Circus, and later with Zoppe Italian Family Circus, Lone Star Circus, The Moisture Festival, New Pickle Circus, Cabaret Verdelet, Circus Cabaret, Tease-O-Rama, Va Voom Room, and The Velvet Hammer Burlesque. Munn was commended in the New York Times for her performance in Alma Esperanza Cunningham’s Princess. Munn co-directed the nouveau-vaudeville troupe Kitty Bang, an internationally recognized three-time “Best of the Bay” winner that is influential in the modern Burlesque resurgence.

Over the past few years Abigail has become increasingly involved in advocacy work for the Circus Arts. When transitioning Circus Bella performers to Employees, she became aware that the current workers compensation rates and policy descriptions in California were way out of step with the current reality of the Circus Industry. Munn embarked on a one women quest to help change this and after initiating a study from the Workers Comp Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), rates were significant lowered (by 80%) for ALL Circus Companies in California. In addition she is a founding member and on the board of the American Circus Alliance.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

FOUNDER, ARTISTIC AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CHOREOGRAPHER, TRAPEZE ARTIST
Circus Bella, San Francisco, California; 2008 - present

Provide artistic and administrative leadership, including creation of acts, scheduling, fundraising, personnel supervision, and overall inspiration for the company.

Created in 2008, Circus Bella’s mission is to produce and present the joy of high-quality Circus Arts entertainment and to ensure it is accessible to all audiences.

Circus Bella programs include:

• Circus in the Parks: A series of free, open air performances in parks and open spaces aroundthe Bay Area. Partners include: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Bay View Opera House, Dimond Neighborhood Association, Mission Bay Parks, Oakland Parks and Recreation, NOW Hunters Point and the North Beach Business Association.
• Kaleidoscope: A Circus Spectacular! A ticketed, 90-minute performance in a big top circus tent; performed on Treasure Island, San Francisco and Avon and Snowmass, Colorado.
• Other events: A variety of smaller events and productions including performances at the Jewish Community Center, the Hoes Down Festival, and with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra.

Distinctions:
- Since 2008 company has performed, 514 shows in 59 locations reaching over 97,500 people

- produced 44 original creations.
- All shows accompanied by live original music; 

- Circus Bella has produced 2 albums:

Circus Bella and Mighty!
- Presented performances on the National Mall and participated in panel discussions and demonstrations at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, 2017.
- 10-week contract in Huis Ten Bosch, theme park near Nagasaki, Japan, 2012-2013.

EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Circus Center, San Francisco, California; 2019-2020

Supervised curriculum development, teacher hiring and scheduling for adult and youth programs.

OTHER PERFORMANCE, 2001 - 2016  

Trapeze:

• Lone Star Circus, Dallas, Texas
• Moisture Festival, Seattle, Washington
• Le Cirque de Boheme, Napa, California
• Cabaret Verdelet, San Francisco, California
• Zoppe Family Circus, National Tour
• New Pickle Circus, San Francisco and Fremont, California
• Three Drops of Blood, San Francisco, California
• Velvet Hammer Burlesque, Los Angeles, California

Dance:

• Oakland Opera: principal role in Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat and chorus in Renard.
• Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, vaudeville dance group, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, and Toronto: founding member, manager and choreographer.
• Alma Esperanza Cunningham Movement, various locations in San Francisco, and the Joyce Soho, New York: performer.
• Wild West Performers, a wild-west show, Montana, California, Virginia, Arizona, andSingapore: performed and toured US.
• Va Va Voom Room at The Plush room, San Francisco: full time cast member.

TEACHING, 2004 – present

Pilates 

• Body Chemistry Studio
• EHS Pilates
• Mercury Fitness

Trapeze

• San Francisco Circus Center

EDUCATION
B.F.A. Modern Dance, 2001

University of California, Santa Barbara

Additional Study

Circus:

• San Francisco Circus Center, static and swinging trapeze and choreography, Helene Turcotte and Elena Panova
• SANCA, doubles trapeze, Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer
• Sons of Cayuga, acrobatics, Dominique Wyss
• Judy Finelli, Juggling Coach 

Dance:

•  San Francisco Dance Center, Ballet and Modern Dance o Pilates:

Pilates

• Ellie Herman Studios, Pilates Certification
• Balanced Body University, Teacher Trainer Course

PROFESSIONAL and VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES date: ongoing

• Founding Board Member, American Circus Alliance, a national advocacy program for professional Circus Artists.
• Active partner with community organizations and recreation centers to widen Circus Bella’s connection to the community and to widen and further diversify its audiences.
• Teacher of hands-on workshops with students in costume design and creation, Prescott Circus Theatre.
• Teacher of weekly movement and mobility classes for residents at Martin Luther Tower, San Francisco.