circus in olympia

Sparrow Studios has been located at 207 Washington St. since May 2015 and was originally owned and operated by Sara Sparrow. She also used to own, teach at, and perform out of a space called The Aviary out on Mud Bay Road in Olympia, which Sparrow Studios essentially replaced. Sara has been teaching circus arts for many years and has more than three decades of experience as a performance artist. Her professional resume includes duo acrobatics, foot juggling, fabric, rope, hoop, trapeze, hand-balancing, show direction and production, music, theater, visual art, and massage therapy. Although she currently lives elsewhere, she still travels regularly to teach and perform.

As Sara’s student population grew, she brought on additional instructors to accommodate. Using a curriculum she developed, a dedicated and loyal student body began to form. Thanks to Sara Sparrow, the Airbound Underground Circus Collective, Airbound Arts, and the supportive citizens of Olympia, the aerial and circus community has been growing and growing ever since.

In 2023, Sara Sparrow stepped down and the ownership of Sparrow Studios was transferred to instructors Ariel Schmidtke and Rumi Minowa. That May, the opportunity arose to rent out the space next door, and the Clown Annex was born. This opened the doors to more ground-based circus practice and additional class offerings. In August 2024, coach Audrey Spinazola joined the leadership team and came on as co-owner of Sparrow Studios.

The studio has also become a workshop and venue rental for traveling artists and creatives. Rumi, Ariel, and Audrey are proud to carry the torch for what Sara and the community began years ago, and are excited to see how the circus community will continue to develop.