Teagan Whitaker, student president of Gamma Phi Circus, started gymnastics when she was 3 years old. All through her venture into performance arts, particularly with the Gamma Phi Circus, one thing has enabled her to soar to great career heights—that is, the ability to push the limits.
The highs
“I have always loved being active,” Whitaker said. “As a child, I got into gymnastics but later ventured into theatre because I found a love for performance. When I found circus through online videos, I was thrilled to realize that there was a way I could combine my two passions—acrobatics and performance—in the right way.
“Being a leader for ISU’s Gamma Phi Circus is a dream that I never imagined would materialize.”
The journalism major said that throughout her life she has had to push the limits to experience the highs of her career.
“I am involved in the maximum number of acts allowed in the circus because I love participating in all of them,” she said. “Over the past two years I have been involved in the teeterboard and Russian bar, Russian swing, dance trapeze, ariel bamboo, as well as the dance group and singing. I was also the act captain for the teeterboard and Russian bar act.”
A typical day in the life of the Gamma Phi student president involves an active participation in schoolwork and the circus.
“It takes a lot of commitment. I have practice on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday as well as open gyms on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday,” Whitaker said. “I am also involved with the junior Gamma Phi circus which runs on Wednesday. I do this while still attending my classes and juggling assignments from Monday through Friday. Any chance I get to go to Milner Library to study, I take it and make the most of it.”
The daily commitment is evident throughout the school year. She’s involved in the Homecoming parade every year, Gamma Phi’s big home show in April, and she does exhibitions for Gamma Phi all through the rest of the school year. Some of those are smaller performances from 10 minutes to an hour throughout the state.
Whitaker has a sweet spot for Russian bar and the teeterboard which she said were among the first acts that she fell in love with, and she loves challenging herself on those apparatuses. So, it was a rewarding moment when she broke the record as the first member of the Gamma Phi Circus to do a double back (two somersaults) at a blind on the Russian bar.
“The key is to push the limits in a safe way,” Whitaker said. “And breaking this record allowed me to do just that. Being a performer for the Gamma Phi Circus allows me to take initiative and challenge myself in the best way.”
In fact, according to Rainie Themer Bosquet, program director for Gamma Phi, members learn a lot more than just circus skills.
“They learn the importance of working together and collaboration, taking small steps to work toward a larger goal, how to take initiative, and other important leadership skills,” Themer Bosquet said.
“The key is to push the limits in a safe way. Being a performer for the Gamma Phi Circus allows me to take initiative and challenge myself in the best way.”
Teagan Whitaker
The lows
According to Whitaker, the most challenging parts of being a circus member are the physical demand and the time and effort that go into it. In the past couple of months, she tore the posterior cruciate ligament in her knee. This kept her from performing teeterboard at the corn festival performance. Despite the injuries and feeling overwhelmed, Whitaker keeps going.
“Growing up a gymnast helped me get accustomed to the kind of intense practice, schedule, and demand on the body that physical performance requires,” she said.
Whitaker looks to Marcus Alouan, executive director of the Gamma Phi Circus, and Ivan Stoinev, the circus’ artistic director, whose backgrounds and dedication to the circus inspire her. Both have influenced her zeal for the sport.
“Another way I deal with feeling overwhelmed is by taking roles that allow me to have control,” she said. “As an act captain, I like to go in with a plan. I write down what we are doing for the day then make sure to brief the participants before they begin. After that, I step back so that I don’t end up micromanaging my teammates.”
The unpredictable
Most troupe members have no prior circus experience, Whitaker said, adding that there is still a variety of activities for everyone.
“There is a home for every type of person in Gamma Phi Circus,” she said. “If you are someone who thinks that they can’t do a triple somersault, there’s a wire act where you can learn to balance, a juggling act where you learn hand-eye coordination, or the clowns act if you have a bright personality and are funny.
“If you don’t want to be on stage, there is stage crew and e-crew that help with all the transitions backstage.”
Whitaker encourages auditions for open gym, noting that there are a lot of people in Gamma Phi who are committed to training newcomers.
“If you go into it knowing that it’s a bit of a commitment, you are going to do beautifully,” she said.
Themer Bosquet said that Whitaker is a natural fit for the role of Gamma Phi Circus student president.
“One thing that I think helps Teagan succeed in her role as student president is her approachability,” Themer Bosquet said. “She is a very warm, welcoming person, which makes it easy for other students to talk to her. She is a great advocate for the student membership and does an excellent job representing the membership to the staff leadership in the gym.”
Last summer, Whitaker performed in the circus as her job.
“I got to travel for something that is so abnormal and yet so desirable,” she said. “It’s a scary field to go into, but I would love to do it for the rest of my life.”
