Amy grew up embedded in the new wave of circus arts in the NY metro area in the 1990s, surrounded by mentors who were innovating within the resurgence of circus as an art form in the USA.  She has a B.S. in Theatre Arts Management, an M.A. in “Circus as a tool for social change, education, and creative expression” from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and was a 2009/2010 Fulbright Research Fellow based in London focusing on the cultivation of circus as an art form in the UK. During her time in the UK she formed SoundPlay, a collaborative multidisciplinary arts ensemble that made work from 2010-2012 and has since informed much of her creative practice.

From 2008-2018 Amy worked for the American Youth Circus Organization- as a youth organizer, operations director, festival director, and for the final 6 years as Executive Director where she worked in community to expand the organization to address the artistic, technical, educational and safety needs of the growing circus arts community. 

With a deep desire to focus locally after a decade of national and international focus, In 2015 Amy founded Circus Culture, a community circus arts hub based in Ithaca, NY.  Circus Culture. Amy has facilitated the development of a variety of new works by young artists via Circus Culture’s residency program and through hosting artists who have lost their rehearsal or performance spaces.

As a performance maker, devising director, and co-collaborator, Amy is deeply committed to creating processes that allow for the devising of original, contemporary circus work with young artists ages 16-23 who represent our vibrant future but whose voices are often not heard.  Her most profound education continues to come from her mentors and her student collaborators.