The senior who ran away from the circus to join Yale

Imagine the life of an Environmental Studies major.

Now imagine the life of an Environmental Studies major who happens to be a professionally trained circus performer specializing in dazzling aerial acts who also performs with Yale Dancers, instructs at a local studio in New Haven all while being a memorably humble, fun, friendly and compassionate presence.

Presenting to you, JE senior Gracie White on living the life you’re still finding hard to imagine.

When did you realize your passion for the circus?

I started performing for the circus at the age of eleven and knew right away that it was my passion! My parents tried to enroll me in sports, but I was bad at all of them—I never felt motivated by competition. I love the circus because it’s a non-competitive, creative yet athletic space.

How did you make the decision to come to Yale instead of performing professionally?

For a while I thought I wouldn’t go to college and take the professional circus-performing route. But I realized that I didn’t want that as a full-time and long-term career goal. So I took a gap year before Yale to perform professionally as a compromise to myself. And after that, I got here! I love learning—I’m actually quite nerdy and wasn’t ready to give up that side of me. I like that I have a happy medium and can balance all my passions.

How do you balance such diverse interests as a professionally trained circus performer majoring in Environmental Studies?

I worry sometimes that I’m spreading myself too thin. I feel that if I’d picked one, maybe I would have been able to explore that one thing more deeply- but both things make me happy. I thought about a double major in Environmental Studies and Theatre Studies but I’m less interested in theater theory and more interested in delving right in and creating.

The goal of a circus performer is to make your audience’s jaws drop from physical feats and that approach didn’t necessarily feel like a good fit with the Yale’s theoretical study (I’ve never been in a show with spoken lines!). And I’m also very passionate about environmental studies, especially about marine life and seafood sustainability—all my friends make fun of me for my obsession with fish!

What do you think about the performing arts scene here at Yale?

The performing arts scene at Yale is definitely growing. Theatre here is very well established but other areas are still experiencing growth in terms of funding or access to rehearsal spaces. Making circus performing a viable activity at Yale wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation of the Office of Undergraduate Productions.

For instance, they recently set up an aerial ring for me and a few other aerialists at Payne Whitney. Justin DeLand is one person who’s been especially supportive of bringing aerial arts to Yale, which I really appreciate. So I’d say it’s getting there; it’s going in a good direction and I’m excited about that direction.

What’s your favorite non-YD dance group on campus?

My favorite non-YD dance group is RB. I wish I was a better hip-hop dancer but I don’t have enough swag to pull that off.

What role has Minnesota played in shaping Gracie White?

Minnesota is nice, friendly, active and liberal. Winters are terrible but that’s nice in that it creates a bond between neighbors—we get through it together, you know!

Minnesota also has the largest youth performance school, Circus Juventas, which has shaped a lot of my life. I trained there from 4 pm to 10 pm, four to five days a week for a considerable part of my life.

Rehearsal doesn’t allow me to attend Minnesota club meetings as much as I want to. But I am a proud Minnesotan—I have lots of Minnesota shirts and I love our mixers with the Texas society.

What are three qualities of a good circus performer?

You need to be confident, you have to be good at finding moments to connect with the audience—eye contact is essential, and of course, you need to love glitter!

What would be your advice to the aspiring Gracie Whites at Yale?

Don’t be immediately put off by red tape. To expand opportunities for circus performance at Yale, I kept pushing. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries if you’re passionate about something.

Don’t feel like you have to choose one thing over another to do it well. Life is long—don’t give up on things that make you happy so quickly.

And finally, don’t lose creativity! Creativity is an important skill, but it’s also easy to lose. Personally, I try to pick one class each semester that lets me be creative in some way—it could be an open final project or something with hands-on work.