Help Sam Bring Chinese Pole to the East Bay

I am Sam, a trans non-binary contemporary circus performer and instructor based in Oakland, CA and I am fundraising to purchase a Chinese pole in order to bring this unique discipline to the east bay.

Chinese Pole

Chinese pole is a 15-30 ft vertical apparatus covered in a rubberized coating originating in China over 2000 years ago. It allows for dynamic, acrobatic, and static movement including drops and poses that incorporate strength and flexibility. Chinese pole is gaining popularity in the contemporary circus world, featured in shows such at The Seven Fingers and Cirque Du Soleil. There aren’t currently any Chinese poles in the east bay for students or professionals to train on. I had the privilege to study Chinese pole under the guidance of Sandra Fuesi (a student of master Lu Yi) while attending the professional circus school and am eager to share what I have learned.

What you get for donating

By donating $50 or more, you will gain access to one of my act videos of your choice. Act details are included in the description of my demo on youtube.

By donating $100 or more, you will gain access to contributor-only workshops.

Cost Breakdown

Chinese Pole – $4714.92

Rigging Equipment – $274.10

Joint Protectors x5 – $187.51

Transport Bag – $75.97

Rotating attachment – $604.88

Shipping – $264.92

Insurance Fee – $87.86

Total ~$6,210

Impact

With your support I can share my love of Chinese pole through classes, workshops, and performances.

Chinese Pole provides a unique opportunity to build strength of character and confidence, and my personal experience brings me to the understanding that circus can be life-changing for everyone, but particularly for youth. I am passionate about providing a safe, challenging, and fun learning environment. Through classes and workshops on Chinese pole I will create opportunities for movement, recreation, and creativity in the east bay.

In addition to providing new opportunities for growth for my students, your aid will allow me to begin the creation of a new Chinese pole act. This act will explore the complexity of the trans experience, while celebrating and uplifting trans voices at a critical time.

I feel compelled to create this act now, in response to the current attacks against the trans community. We are currently under intense and ever-escalating threat from this federal administration, including erasure of trans history and denial of identifying documents and healthcare. In this environment, I believe making art that loudly celebrates our existence is critically important.

I create narrative performances with expressive choreography to share my lived experience as a trans non-binary artist. By bringing vulnerability and emotional honesty to the stage, I connect with my audience, offer representation in a very binary industry, and destigmatize the trans experience. I believe that the physically exceptional nature of circus performance creates an ideal space for audiences to question their biases.

My relationship to circus

Finding circus as a trans teenager saved my life and gave me a future. Aerial gave me an outlet that taught me I was strong, brave, and tenacious. My coaches taught me that I could do hard things and push past obstacles with the right perspective and support. I built respect for my body and myself and met people who respected me for who I was. Circus gave me a purpose when I needed one most.

Student Testimonials

“Sam is the best coach I’ve ever had. For anything. Most of the time people just ignore my disabilities and pretend they’re not there. Sometimes they don’t even believe that they’re real. Sam was the first person to ever ask me if I have any physical issues and considered how to make class more accessible for me. Sam makes me feel like it’s ok for me to accept my body. I am a trans person and Sam makes me feel like it’s ok for me to be myself when I’m at class. I also don’t know many adults who are some form of gender queer. It means a lot to me to see someone so confident and to be able to talk to someone like me and have someone so amazing to look up to. They should get a pole because I would love to take their class. It helps me be active and feel safe doing it.”

- Sparrow, teen student

“In addition to being an exceptional performer, Sam’s teaching reflects an excellent understanding of technique and anatomical mechanics that they deploy skillfully, whether coaching complete beginners or actively performing aerialists. Their classes are coherent, well-structured, and prioritize safety. They are also one of the few instructors in the area that I would trust with teaching my queer/trans/gnc friends: imo, it’s not just about the instructor’s identity, but how the instructor asks students to relate to their bodies in what can be a very vulnerable (and often literally painful) environment. For all of the above reasons, Sam has been the first on my list when recommending teachers in the area.”

- Rin, adult student

“Sam is one of the best circus coaches I have ever had. They are always so supportive of everyone in their class and they give everyone an appropriate level of challenge. Having someone who I look up to who is trans and nonbinary makes me feel like I really belong and I can see that I have a place here and it just makes me feel that much less alone (especially in these crazy times). They are both a wonderful coach and an amazing person to be around.”

-Laurel, teen student

“Sam is undoubtedly one of the most engaging performers in the Bay Area. They mix emotion with skill effortlessly. Their style is what I am looking for in the contemporary circus world”

-Katherine, Artistic Director Kinetic Arts Center