We recently connected with Angela Buccinni Butch and have shared our conversation below.
Angela , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Growing up in Buffalo, my ambition was to become a dancer. At the age of 6, I would dream of being a ballerina on horseback. The grandiose spectacle of the circus was not frequent to Buffalo or something I had ever seen or been exposed to. So how did this 6 yr old girl know that’s what she was destined to run away with ….
I dedicated my childhood to dance. Scrubbing studio floors, holding paper routes to cover the cost of lessons, eventually I found myself studying at The Boston Conservatory. With a BFA in dance and choreography, I moved to NYC to begin a professional career and soon found it very difficult to keep my toes on the ground .
While at Elizabeth Streb’s Studio my career literally took flight and I WAS HOME as I was introduced to more and more circus arts. I fell in love with the unmatched trust & communication required for safety to achieve something so impressive and far beyond what one could do alone. This began the next decade and half of touring nationally and internationally.
Loving, living where circus, dance, and physical acting meet and human connection went beyond day-to-day limitations. This was the magic because of the joined emotional journey and a childlike sense of wonder that only the circus could create.
“.. It was clear that the world between circus, dance and storytelling was my home…. Where either as an audience member experiencing a sense of wonder and awe or as someone training or unlearning their mental and physical boundaries THIS is where people’s minds were changed of what IS possible ….. and this could happen only because of their shared experiences in a held moment in time or safe space My heart beats circus ..” Angela Buccinni
This began the next chapter was an artistic vision of a dream space where dance, aerial art, circus and theater meet and where a community could exist with unparalleled trust and communication. This led to the founding of The Muse Brooklyn, an immersive experiential performance space in Bushwick in 2011- 2023. The concept was to craft works that were not only multi-sensory and magical, but socially conscious and life changing. The goal was to build a performance that was not simply about watching the story unfold but to be part of it. These moments of connection create a pivotal experience that defies categorization, one in which the space between audience and performer is broken and reality and fantasy blend into an existential moment that changes everyone present long after they leave the venue.
I have a deep passion for the fusion of contemporary circus, dance and music to tell and retell stories , help shift narratives , open conversations or stir reactions to social injustice and political commentary. Some of my favorite fusions we created while at the Muse included Cirque Storybook Ballets such as The Firebird, Symphonie Fantastique, Petruskca and is also the creative force behind contemporary immersive cirque shows such as Was Me, Is Me, The Tao Line, Different Trains and more.
And while I have performed all around the world for 26+ years some of my most cherished experiences were the most intimate of settings/ platforms that broke the 4th wall and created environments where the Audience and cast alike are one in the same . Some of these highlights include at Greenwood cemetery with Bindlestiff family circus Niblo’s Garden and their roadshow flatbed follies as well as, Fuerza Bruta (NYC & international) and Strut and Fret (Australia).
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Ive had an abundance of opportunities & hardships that have uniquely grown my skill sets to help steer a new narrative for the circus & arts community. At the age of 6 I knew what I wanted to do and by 8 I was dancing and performing professionally. I worked paper routes and cleaning studios in exchange for the opportunity to dance.
While receiving my BFA from The Boston Conservatory for Choreography & Dance, I managed dance studios and box offices learning more in depth arts administrative roles.
When I first moved to NYC I was a starving artist…. quite literally, I was passing out on the subways because I couldn’t afford meals and had no community or connections established. About 7 months into my journey I found myself at Elizabeth Streb’s Studio in Brooklyn and here is where my life took a huge pivot. I was embraced and welcomed into their training program and artistic family . My career literally took flight. The raw athleticism of the stunts and team work of the company required an unmatched necessary trust & communication among the full team for safety. With in this we could achieve something so impressive and far beyond what one could do alone. This care for one another in the studio trickled outside the studio as well and needless to say I ran away to join the circus. This collaborative way of working inside or outside the studio was the only way of being that made sense.
After recently surviving an accident in August 2023 I walk through this world more aware of how fragile and fickle LIFE truly is. I see no better place to re-discover what it is TO BE HERE . While performing this past August I heard a loud crack and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. The apparatus I was on failed, and I dropped 15 ft to the pavement. I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital discovering fractures in my back, sacrum as well as suffered a traumatic brain injury . Surviving and being able to recover from the accident was nothing shy of a miracle. Now I am on a path of discovery re learning who I am and what it means to be HERE. and through it all I keep returning to the essence of who I am as an artist and curator that holds space and creates collaboratively with others . We cant not return to who we are at our core and its a beautiful opportunity to have to sit back in stillness and discomfort and check in what you are refilling your life with .
In life all we have is to bear witness to each other’s journeys and share our stories ! Ty for letting me share part of mine
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
For over a decade I have poured all of my time, money, energy, love and passion into building The Muse. From construction, admin, cleaning, stage managing, marketing, driving the tour bus, grant writing, teaching, performing… you name it! I stepped into the roles not only to get the jobs done but it has been extraordinarily valuable to experience each role to be an effective leader. We started with nothing but a dream and have built a business that rolls around $500K annually.
Despite difficulties, hardships, and many city bureaucracies, I am committed to paving a new path for more ethical treatment of performers and putting people before profits. I often have taken extra jobs to make ends meet (i.e. crash pads= my radio city performance paychecks). As you walk through our studio I can tell you where and how created each step and we have built it all Green–everything has been done with recycled, reused, and repurposed materials!
Muse values are a way-of-life to lead by example that collaboration over competition can thrive and things CAN be done differently. This may mean we build slower and staying true to values means often turning down some work or standing up for artists in situations where values are not aligned.
Reflecting back to childhood, this is who I am and how I have always been. If I wanted to dance, I took on a paper route & scrubbed the mirrors to pay for my lessons, finding creative solutions in order to achieve something.
Muse values are a way-of-life to lead by example that collaboration over competition can thrive and things CAN be done differently. This may mean we build slower and staying true to values means often turning down some work or standing up for artists in situations where values are not aligned.
This collaborative way of working inside or outside the studio was the only way of being that made sense.
In March 2020 the world came to a halt. Grieving mass loss while navigating a terrifying new world. At A time when artists would normally turn to their craft , the arts were the first to shut down and last to reopen. The pandemic shuttered the arts and eventually The Muse collapsed in Dec of 2022 leaving our community homeless. At this time I was experiencing consecutive miscarriages and than the accident that almost took my life .
ABCirque was formed and founded and while we operate as a small pop up now the palse and heart of who we are as a collective and focusing ont he next generation via our youth circus is strong .
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
The Change I want to see in NYC is easing the circumstances for artists to THRIVE here and deepening a sense of Community. The Artists talents are a critical key to the local economy and pulse for this city. From broadway, off broadway to the main screens in film, from small Indie theaters scattering the city to dive bars and night life around town you are guaranteed to find the highest caliber of performers and world class entertainment . The artists are at the heart of it all and draw people to theaters, clubs, hotels, restaurants around the city. They bring a deep rich cultural scene and play a huge role in generating revenue for the city however they have to take on many jobs often just to get by and stay here in the city.
This harsh reality of the financial difficulties for artists and lack of safe spaces to train their craft fuels a competitive and scarcity mentality and that hinders the growth. I dream of seeing more safe spaces, training facilities, performance venues all operating with hired local talents operating with the highest standard of ethics at the forefront for the artists and an awareness and investment in future generations . If enough of these safe opportunities where artists could thrive existed community over competition thrive and I believe the draw to the city would only increase as well as being able to maintain the cities most valuable cultural contributors .
Over the past decade Artists communities have continued to migrate further and further out of Manhattan and to the outer areas of the boughs and beyond. Often this migration is the first sign of oncoming gentrification to the new areas these communities eventually again are squeezed out eventually yet again . For some time it has felt like the door to NYC has been closing itself off to the young and emerging artists and the circumstances to for the more established and seasoned artists has only become increasingly difficult to stay …….
The Pandemic has only expedited the number of artists leaving the city all together and the artistic communities are shuttered to say the least. This only makes sense as these were the first jobs to stop with the pandemic and are likely the last to be restored however the devastation could be far more damaging long term if there is not a great attention to rebuild and maintain artists communities .
I dream of society in the united states that recognizes and values ALL forms of ART
New York City, with its vibrant tapestry of cultures and creativity, should wholeheartedly embrace multigenerational spaces while proudly offering a haven for EVERY form of artistic expression. Since December 2022, NYC has felt the palpable absence of a central hub for circus arts. This gap stifles the vibrant community of circus performers in NYC, which has since been forced to navigate an increasingly hazardous training and performance landscape. This disheartening shift not only jeopardizes the safety of artists but also diminishes the rich arts’ cultural tapestry and educational opportunities for the next generation.
ABCirque formally at The Muse Brooklyn stands at the intersection of artistry, community, and tradition, embracing the multigenerational essence that makes circus arts uniquely powerful and needs a hub to improve offerings and capabilities to help rebuild the specialty arts community in NYC.
Establishing a dedicated SAFE space for Circus Arts with all the necessary safety requirements, staffing, and a nurturing environment is urgent in a country where the circus is significantly underfunded, and misunderstood. . It provides a foundation for mentorship for future generations. We envision a vibrant ecosystem with robust family & professional programming enriching all layers of the NYC circus arts community. Where toddlers play with parents in circus family rooms, training alongside high-level professionals from Broadway and Cirque du Soleil stages.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.abcirque.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcirque_angelabutch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCirquecircus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMuseBrooklyn
Image Credits
Phoenix Orange & Broken Blk & Gold Photo Photographer: Patrick Straub
Moon Smile Photo Chelcy Harrell
Outdoor Sky Moon Photo : Dewitt
Indoor Muse closing Moon Photo : Ryan Shinji
Brooklyn Children’s Museum Group ABCirque : Photo Pete Mattheisen