Zac Diener

I grew up in Berkeley, but in two worlds. I grew up priveledged. I trained in the elite sport of gymnastics since I was five, competing until I was twelve. Vaulting was my specialty, and I placed 4th in Regional competition. I was exposed to the cultured arts of the San Francisco Orchestra, Ballet and Cirque Du'Soleil (where I first saw equilibrism). My father had money, and I enjoyed the priveledges associated with that.

I also grew up under priveledged. My mother was a freelance art critic and art curator. The art she was drawn to was beautiful but esoteric, never lowering itself merely to appeal to the mainstream or popular culture. Explicit underground comic books , R. Crumb picture books, anti-establishment murals and rhetoric where as common in my childhood as Saturday morning cartoons. While the underground art scene was vibrant, it was not lucrative. Growing up amongst people who moved themselves closer to the poverty line for their art helped shape the ambivalence I have towards art, and helps me define what art is worthy of respect. That ambivelence can now be seen in my current performance work, where discrete, technically proficient tricks are wrapped in a glib and whimsical fabric of dance.

Kazum is the third acrobalance troupe I have founded. I got my start in acro with the S.P.A.Z. circus, Circo Mutante. Prior to traveling with across the midwest with them, and landing in Portland, I performed in the warehouse scene in the San Francisco Bay Area with The Trained Professionals. After traveling on two school buses converted to run on vegatable grease and performing in such places as the high desert of New Mexico, the Children's Museum in St. Louis, a bike workshop in Madison, Wisconsin and even so far as an electronic music festival 100 miles north of Toronto, Canada I found my home at the Nightmare Collective in Forest Grove. I eeked out a living with my acro partner Jamie Saunders as the acro duo Edifice Flesh. We performed at Dante's Sunday Sinferno, the odd birthday party, first and third Thursdays and Societas Insomnia.

Through the Nightmare Collective I met the Sprockettes which is how I met Ulrikka and Melissa. I also made strong ties with the circus community by diligently going to the Do Jump's Monday night acro class, taught by Stefan Furst.

Those humble beginnings led me to teach acrobatics and tumbling at Do Jump and the Spirit Horse Vaulting Conference. I have also performed with the Portland Christmas Revels and a variety of the lively circus performers Portland has spawned.

Zac left Portland in August of 2008 to pursue higher education at Tufts University in Boston, MA.