We recently connected with Jehan Izhar and have shared our conversation below.
Jehan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?
I believe that having a physical movement practice that brings joy, value, and meaning to your life is one of the first steps in having bodily autonomy. Unfortunately, I do not believe that our mainstream fitness and athletic culture is conducive to helping people achieve true bodily autonomy. As a society, we either see movement as “exercise”, a chore that we must sacrifice time and money in which to partake in order to maintain a certain health status; or we see movement as physical labor. Fitness programs are riddled with rules about how to move our bodies “correctly” or what is the BEST way to exercise for the most results; sport culture tells us that only elite talented professionals who are magically gifted movers have the right to partake. As a circus school owner and kinesiology professor, I see movement as an intuitive process that is unique to each individual. Instead of forcing the “rules” of movement on people, I believe in observing my students first to understand their natural process and teaching movement concepts in a way that helps them find with their own unique expression. The classes I teach are a chance for people to learn how to understand their bodies, own their space, and shed whatever stigmas they have experienced about their capabilities…all while learning some pretty amazing circus skills! I believe this is an important process for people across the age spectrum, it is just as important for children as it is for older adults.
I want to shift our relationship to movement so it’s not “exercise” but a valued part of our human experience. Movement is liberation and the ability to express ourselves in our bodies freely is a basic human right.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a lifelong athlete and performing artist – my physical movement practice is my number one passion in life. I have dedicated my life to the study of the art and the science of human movement. Sharing this knowledge and passion is the only career path I ever desired and I truly feel like I was born to do it. I experimented with working in fitness, athletics, yoga, and rehabilitative exercise, but it was the circus that called to me the most. Circus arts allowed me to blend my two passions of theater and sport, and I found it the most exciting and engaging way to share my love of physical movement expression with others. I currently own The Stage Global in the Downtown Pomona Arts Colony; we are a circus arts training center that offers classes and performance opportunities for beginner to professional level students. We are most known for our original circus theater shows that we produce for the community every year. We have done everything from sci-fi circus shows, to disco murder mysteries, and culturally immersive shows to drive social change. A lot of what we do can be categorized as social circus, this means that we use circus arts as a medium to help people find personal empowerment, and build stronger communities, while improving their physical abilities and learning about how their bodies work.
The Stage offers people a supportive space to be in their bodies in ways they cannot elsewhere. In addition to our aerial circus program that includes hoop, fabrics, and trapeze, we also offer pole dancing, belly dance, burlesque, twerk, and a variety of strength and flexibility classes. Our teachers are expert coaches with years of experience teaching students of diverse backgrounds and varying levels of ability. We believe in fostering the success and supporting the movement goals of any student who walks through our doors, regardless of what their current capabilities are. Our mission is to make the challenge of circus arts fun, accessible, and empowering.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
When I first started out, I was under a lot of that millennial pressure to have early success in business. It was a time when the world was really glorifying young successful entrepreneurs. I had friends on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. I thought that in order to be successful, my revolutionary ideas had to change the world. I found myself fighting an internal battle between trying to stand out and yet still be relatable at the same time. The problem is, I’m not relatable to a mainstream audience and trying to pretend to be was exhausting. Instead I decided to lean into everything that made me different. My whole life as performer I had had hair and make-up artists tell me the ways in which I could “soften” my features. I decided to make them even more angular. I cross-dressed on stage at whim. My performances became increasingly more subversive and bold. I allowed my presence to be intimidating instead of trying to tone myself down. All of this was liberating but it was also a sacrifice because it meant that I would never have mainstream success. I am okay with that. The lesson I learned is that I didn’t have to change the world to be successful. I don’t need to conform the world to ME. Instead I can create the reality that I want to live in my own corner of the world and if others want to join me there – well, you know where to find me… at The Stage Global.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
The Godfather and Boogie Nights. That probably wasn’t the answer you were expecting; but remember my background is in theater – so I need a good story with interesting characters and symbolism if I want to learn a lesson. Why read a book about “how to negotiate” when you can watch Al Pacino stare someone down in a dimly lit restaurant? I am sure you are wondering what those two movies have to do with running a circus school, but for me its obvious: both are about tight-knit fringe communities trying to make it in a society that doesn’t accept them.
The Godfather taught me about courage, loyalty, and how to know when to draw the line with your own morality and ethics in business. It all comes down to my favorite question: “what are you willing to sacrifice to make your dreams come true?” I think that is something you really have to reflect on before beginning any new endeavor in your life. And even more importantly, what are you NOT willing to sacrifice?
Boogie Nights reminded me that you have to have radical acceptance of people in the arts. The rest of the world might not understand us – but those of us on this path understand, and we have to take care of each other. Looking out for the safety and well-being of my people is at the core of my business decisions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thestageglobal.com
- Instagram: @thestageglobal
Image Credits
Daniel Sliwa
Compassionate Action