Kristi Alyssa will be celebrating her 20th year in circus in 2027! This is her second full cycle as Director of the Professional Training Program. She first found circus by joining the Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University. She later went on to graduate from NECCA (2012) and Aloft Circus Arts (2015) professional training programs. Kristi is a highly in-demand instructor, director and choreographer in the Chicagoland area. She is the Director of the Professional Training Programs, Director of the Youth Program, Director of the Aloft Youth Ensemble, an instructor, performer, lightning designer, and photographer at Aloft Circus Arts in Chicago, IL. Kristi is known as a director and choreographer who brings strong ensemble, narrative-based storytelling to the stage. Her work is rooted in emotion, story and character. She is the founder and director of Reminiscent Circus (@reminiscentcircus) who are the creators of the contemporary circus show "Way Home" (premiered July 2024). She also co-directed "Somewhere Out There" (May 2023) and "All in Good Time" (May 2024). “From the Ground, Up” (June 2025) and “What Came with the House” (May 2026). She is currently writing her second Reminiscent Circus show, centered around the experiences of aging, set to debut in 2027. Kristi has a masters degree in clinical mental health. Alongside her circus career, she is a professional photographer (@kristialyssaphotos). She enjoys film acting (and was in AMC's Interview with the Vampire, 2022), being anywhere her girlfriend is, traveling, her cats and Taylor Swift.

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