Board of Directors

Luke Emery
President
Luke has performed and taught circus arts all around the world, including juggling, ball spinning, German wheel, and Cyr wheel. He is a certified wheel coach through the USA Wheel Gymnastics Federation and an original co-founder of the Madison Circus Space. Luke dabbles in all types of trapeze, aerial straps, rope, and whatever else is hanging from the ceiling that looks like fun.

Carly Schuna
Secretary
Carly is an original co-founder of MCS, where she teaches and practices both German wheel and static trapeze. When she is not doing circus things, she works on her own business as a freelance writer and editor. Carly enjoys scheduling all the awesome events that happen at MCS and using color-coding to make everything look beautiful.

Danielle Lee
Treasurer
Danielle Lee has been hooping since 2004 and teaching since 2008, and has served on the board of the Madison Circus Space since its start in 2013. At MCS, Danielle keeps track of all things financial and is also the board representative for hooping and the flow arts. She lives to lead flow jams, teach classes, perform, and do everything possible to share the transformational joy of hooping.

Josh Casey
Director
Josh Casey is a co-founder of MCS and spends his time juggling, riding a circus bike and recently started doing flying trapeze. You might have seen Josh emceeing a show or performing some of his comedy juggling act at MCS events.

Karen Nellessen
Director
Karen started practicing aerial in 2010 at the Bellingham Circus Guild in Washington while working as a traveling physical therapist. She was inspired by the strength, skills, and messages of acceptance and joy delivered at shows by the dedicated troupe of circus artists who she worked with there. Karen moved to Madison in 2014, where she found another wonderful circus family and joined MCS as an aerial member specializing in cloud swing. Since then, she’s been a performer, teacher, board member, and arranges rigging inspections for the space. She is dedicated to keeping circus open and available in the Madison community, as a source of inspiration and joy to all who find it.

Stephanie Richards
Director
Stephanie is an aerial member, instructor, and show producer. She served as Director of Development through MCS’s capital campaign having only written a grant or two prior to taking on the goal of raising $1 million. By day, she is an arts administrator for the UW Community Arts Collaboratory, managing youth arts programs, research, and community partnerships. She is excited to formerly join the board and support strategic initiatives for the next generation of circus and movement arts.

Jess Courtier
Director
Jess Courtier is in love with the joys, challenges, discoveries, and community she finds in circus. She started playing on dance trapeze in 2009, was an early aerial member of MCS, and joined the MCS board in late 2021. Her life outside of MCS is just another version of circus: she works in the world of arts nonprofits and parents a circus kid.
Past Board Members

Nick Aikens
Past Director

Liz Sexe
Past Director

Deanna Schneider
Past Director

Rob Summerbell
Past Director

Jeremy Perkins
Past Director, Treasurer

Trilly Gregg
Past Director

Tom Running
Past Director