Our team
Robin Szuch
Owner & Creative Director
Founder of Spectacle Blue, Robin Szuch, spent almost 20 years as a dancer, training in ballet, tap, jazz, modern and contemporary dance. Armed with those of years dance training, and a degree in Fine Arts in Drama and Dance, Robin moved to Toronto to pursue her love of theatre and dance. While working as a dancer and actor and continuing her professional training, Robin found the element of artistry she was looking for to complete her artistic vision, Aerial. Taking the plunge with fellow artist Stacy Clark, High Strung aerial dance was born and the two spent the next decade training, performing, coaching, and creating dance, circus, and aerial dance works around the globe.
After ten successful years on the road High Strung aerial dance officially retired and Robin opened a full-time training and coaching studio, Spectacle Blue Studios. Spectacle Blue is a place where students of all ages and skill levels can train safely, explore their creativity, and build self-confidence and discipline as both technicians and performers.
Having made the full-time transition from choreographer/performer to choreographer/coach Robin had time to look at her world, the world of Aerial Dance, only to discover a gap in formal training methodologies for youth for this exciting genre. And so began the diligent work to create a solid, safety-conscious syllabus of training to help young dancers delve into the world of Aerial Dance and Circus. The culmination of Robin's years of experience in Dance, Aerial, Theatre, and fitness, along with the guidance and advice of experts in a variety of sport medicine fields, dance, circus and acrobatics is the Spectacle Blue Aerial Dance Syllabus.
Kate Van Kruyssen
Coach
From a young age, Kate has always had a love for human movement. She began dancing at 5 years of age and continued ever since. Throughout her younger years she trained in multiple dance styles and was part of the youth performing company, Alberta Dance Theatre. More recently, she has placed focus on contemporary and aerial dance styles for her training. This focus has elicited many opportunities for her, including performing in large production numbers and travelling to Europe to perform original works. In addition, she has begun sharing the joy of movement to students who come from a variety of backgrounds, by teaching contemporary, ballet, and aerial arts. Currently, Kate finds herself training and rehearsing with SeSol Dance Projects, Spectacle Blue, and W&M2.
Kate has now completed her Physiotherapy Degree and is a fully qualified Therapist.
She hopes to inspire as she assists audiences and students in experiencing the possibilities and subtleties of human movement.
brianna knox
Coach
Brianna, a former student of Spectacle Blue Circus Arts, started circus as a fun recreational activity. Her love of movement and fascination with the human body inspired her to attend the University of UBCO, where she majored in Human Kinetics and minored in Psychology. While attending school, she brought her love of acrobatics to the campus, where she founded UBCO’s Acro Club!
Nearing the end of her degree, Brianna enrolled in teachers training, where she became certified in courses such as aerial yoga and bungee fitness. With these new certifications, Spectacle Blue was able to offer expanded adult offerings to the studio. She has now returned to Spectacle Blue, but she made the jump from student to teacher! She hopes to inspire as she teaches by combining her academic knowledge with her love for circus. As a nutrition specialist, Brianna also hopes to share the importance of proper nutrition with her students to ensure their success as performers.
For fun, Brianna keeps active. She enjoys swimming during the hot summer months or downhill skiing in the Rockies throughout the winter. Brianna also has a creative side! She loves sewing or capturing that perfect shot on her camera.
Robin Buck
Office Manager
Robin should have been named Jack as she is a Jack of all trades. Her background features working in the hospitality/tourism field for almost 10 years as well as project management in Architecture and Manufacturing. She was the Project Coordinator on the Alberta Children’s Hospital, South Health Hospital, and many other architectural wonders in Calgary and most recently the PC and Document Control Technician for a Nitrogen plant in Borger Texas!
Then she has her FUN side… not as formal and detailed. She adds Production Manager for a tv series on Shaw and CTV to her growing list. Off-work time, you will find her either in nature: rafting down the kicking horse, kayaking or depending on the season, on the baseball diamond or playing hockey, She truly believes in play to balance out work life.
She is an active volunteer for many causes close to her heart - most importantly Kids Cancer Care Foundation. She has built with Habitat for Humanity, Skates for Hockey helps the Homeless, Volunteers with Inn from the Cold, Walks many km’s for Believe in the Gold Walk/Run and helps with the Art Exhibit for Helping Families Handle Cancer. You can see her guiding the Parents of Kids Cancer Dragon Boat every year at Glenmore Park. The funny part is, she is deaf, 100% and she is the one in charge of the stroke for the entire 26 person boat… why, because she can feel the beat through the boat and block out all of the other boats yelling beside them and keep her team on track.
She is the mother of a beautiful daughter who is an NICU nurse, and an amazing son who is a Cancer survivor with a caring, beautiful old soul of his own. Even though her other child has paws, she also claims him as her own.
Chris Gibbs
Videographer
From a very young age, Chris always had an interest in technology, specifically photography & video. That passion has taken Chris on a 25+ year journey through the broadcast industry. From controlling the equipment and programming on the front line, to overseeing technical operations of local and national televisions stations, to being involved in the launch of many specialty television networks and Pay-Per-View services. Over the past 5 years Chris has taken his photographic passion to the next level, especially in nature, wildlife, sports, and architecture, and is currently working on his goal of becoming a Master Photographer. He has also ventured away from the broadcast industry, and with his wife have created Gibbs Media, which provides photo, video, and social media services to small businesses and the real estate industry. With his daughter’s love for Aerial Circus, she has been part of the Spectacle Blue team for a number of years. During that time, Chris has assisted on various photo and video projects, and absolutely enjoys working with the creative like-minded team at Spectacle Blue. He is extremely excited about being part of the upcoming movie the team will be creating.
Michael King
Rigger
Michael is a Calgary based rigger and stage carpenter with a specialty in flying effects and acrobatic rigging. His work has been featured on stages from the smallest black box theatres to the world's biggest stadiums as well as high -end retail installations all over the world. When not rigging, Michael enjoys cowboy romance novels and swearing at children.
Michael is available for rigging consults and to install your initial rigging at your facility... just contact him at rigger@spectacleblue.ca.
Stacy Clark
A former gymnast and professional circus performer, Stacy worked in marketing and communications before leaving it all behind to perform and teach circus around the world on stage, at festivals and on screen.
Stacy is a freelance consultant specializing in casting, coaching and creation. She also teaches career development and act development to the next generation of circus artists training at San Diego Circus Center.
Until 2020, Stacy was the Director of Casting at Cirque du Soleil, leading a team of international talent scouts and advisors. Stacy's journey at Cirque du Soleil began in 2007 when she joined the Casting department as a Talent Scout, recruiting athletes and circus artists for the company’s shows worldwide. In 2011 she became Acrobatic Coach on Amaluna, touring North America.
Stacy holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts from Ryerson University and a Leadership diploma from Concordia University. She is a certified yoga teacher, nutrition coach, NASM performance enhancement specialist and CrossFit level 1 and CrossFit Kids trainer.
“I believe in safe, open learning environments, and cultivating a sense of agency in students, athletes and artists. Excellence in human performance begins with being an excellent human.”