We are delighted to welcome Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone to our team as our Communications Director. Nicole has the unique perspective of being both a communications professional and a performing artist. She grew up watching performances of Pickle Family Circus and San Francisco Mime Troupe, and has a deep appreciation for the transformative power of performance.
You’ve probably already seen her exceptional writing on our blog. Her first piece was about the importance of why we go only where invited. She also worked with CoiCoi and Ana on their stories about El Salvador.
Nicole studied resource politics and dance performance at Hampshire College, and is interested in climate-induced migration. She regularly performs and choreographs in New York City, where she founded the roving performance series The Bunker Presents… to provide a platform for underexposed choreographers.
As the Digital Content Strategist for Pointe magazine, Nicole managed layout and updates to the website, edited the bi-monthly newsletter and executed various social media campaigns. She has extensive experience writing for both print and digital outlets on topics ranging from chamber music to civil rights.
We asked Nicole to share a little more about herself:
What’s your first memory of the circus?
I remember attending Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus when I was about four years old and being completely mesmerized by the tightrope and trapeze acts. But my favorite circus memory is of sitting in the park to watch the San Francisco Mime Troupe performance each summer, with my friends and family.
How does being a dancer influence your writing?
I try to remember that experimentation and failure lead to new (maybe better!) places, both in the studio and on the page. I also regularly ask myself, “what purpose does this (anecdote, movement phrase…etc.) serve toward the overall impact and composition of the work?”
What part of the job are you are most excited about?
I know I’ll be building relationships with amazing artists around the world, and I can’t wait to brainstorm ways of getting the CWB message out to even more people who never knew they were excited about social circus.
I’m a clown, improviser and screenwriter, in New York briefly, and I also went to Hampshire (a thousand years ago)! Would love to meet Nicole while I’m here as well as get more involved with Clowns Beyond Borders.
Hi Lynn! It’s so great to hear from an other Hampshire alum! Please feel free to reach out to me at nicole@clownswithoutborders.org.