Sophia Herscu

Sophia Herscu is an artist and educator based in Boston, MA dedicated to creating opportunities for learning and performance in circus arts and aerial dance. Whether in the classroom or on the stage, she has always been interested in pushing athletic rigor, exploring human perspectives, and telling stories in the three-dimensional space. In 2011, Sophia was awarded a Watson Fellowship to conduct a year-long study of social circus, a modality of social work infusing circus arts and social justice, in seven countries around the world. Impacted by this study and the power of social circus she auditioned for and attended the accredited Professional Training Program at Frequent Flyers in Boulder, Colorado where she developed her choreographic voice under the mentorship of Nancy Smith. Prior to moving to Boston in 2014, she performed and taught aerial dance with Iluminar Aerial and Frequent Flyers Productions in Colorado.

As the owner and co-founder of Commonwealth Circus Center, Sophia is committed to increasing access to high-quality circus arts education across the city of Boston. As the Artistic Director of Boston-based physical theater and circus company, Spoke Movement Ensemble, she hopes to create impactful works that inspire conversation. Sophie received BAs in Theatre/Dance and Sociology from Colorado College in 2011 and earned her Ed.M. in Arts in Education from the Harvard University in 2015.