Jonathon Conant, Anne Brown and Dave Brown co-founded Trapeze School New York in 2002, each
bringing their special skills to the table with excited attention.
Jonathon's training in physical and human development made developing and teaching aerial
arts a natural next step. ‘We feel the success of Trapeze School New York is in great
part due to the compassion and support students receive from our amazing staff and the true
miracles that can be achieved through teamwork.’
Dave and Anne partnered with Jonathon toward the goal of bringing the thrill and joy of
flying trapeze to greater numbers of people. The benefits of flying were so obvious to the
new partners that they found themselves committing every moment of their time to the project.
Jonathon, Anne and Dave spent nearly a year developing the business into a solid and worthy company while seeking
a new home for the school. They knew that finding space was going to be difficult, but finding the space our New York
school currently occupies was an outright miracle. Fulfilling our vision of a world-class aerial school in NYC could
not possibly have had a better start.
Jonathon Conant
Anne Brown
Dave Brown
After long negotiations with the Hudson River Park (curators of the property hosting the school), we decided on a perfect location and began to build. Every element of the project presented tremendous challenges for us. Fortunately, others joined in the challenge.
When it was time to hire, Jonathon made sure that the School would have staff with the best combination of teaching, safety and people skills. Jonathon impressed upon the staff the importance of respecting the needs of the School's students. The staff members were carefully chosen from the scores of people who applied to work at TSNY. The instructors quickly became a team and created a wonderful learning experience for the students. The staff continues to hang out during the off-season and misses no opportunity to work on developing the School.
The School has attracted an inspired, diverse group of people who've contributed their talents in numerous invaluable ways. Names that are central to the TSNY story are Tony (location support), Arlie (hard work and innovation with rigging), Bevin (artistic photos and support), Bob (artistic photos and support), Alex (political support), Connie (believing in the dream), Jason and Lynn (partnership), Dana and Jodi (putting a good face on the company), Paul (hard work and dedication to high flyers), Chrissy (flying inspiration), Dino (holding down the fort) and many, many others.
One person who deserves special mention is Carol Haynes. Carol was our student, became our friend and then proceeded to become our most impressive PR person. Carol (with the help of a very creative Jacob) completely revamped our website, giving it the professional feel it has today. Carol has also been amazing at problem solving many of the registration, class card and gift certificate issues and has had her creative hand in advertising as well as curriculum. She is now working part time helping us develop the image of the school. Thanks Carol!
Some of the unsung heroes of TSNY are the investors. These folks risk their hard-earned dollars on a dream. They are not millionaires, nor are they looking to get rich quick. They are simply moved by what flying trapeze has to offer humanity and wanted to do something to help the sport grow. We all work hard in hopes of bringing them a return on their investments that is at least equal to the joy that their efforts have made possible in our lives.
In 2002 Brian McVicker joined Jonathon as a catcher and instructor, and dedicated immense energy to the set-up and operation of the first season in NYC. His background in flying trapeze, rock climbing, safety and education were invaluable to a business that had never been attempted in NYC. His kind nature has won him a place in the hearts of many grateful students and staff alike. In 2004, Brian was rewarded for his valiant efforts by being invited to become an owner/operator of his own school in Baltimore, Maryland.
In 2003 the unexpected happened. Our school gained national recognition through a series of media exposures and class attendance went through the roof. TSNY had touched off a trend and was ideally placed to enjoy the benefits of it. One of the most important benefits was improved working conditions and future growth possibilities from a business that had, to date, shown little potential for being more than an unusual hobby.
After appearances on The Today Show, Sex and The City and The David Letterman Show, we found ourselves enjoying some fame which, added to the already mythical nature of flying, has inspired thousands of new flyers to join in the fun.
We had a wonderfully successful season in 2004. Those who were once beginners have become intermediate flyers and are looking like stars in the sky. You can't imagine what an honor it is to be a part of something so real and necessary. To bring health and happiness into people's lives, well, there is just no greater joy.
In October of 2004 we open the first indoor flying trapeze facility on the east coast in Boston. Named TSNY Beantown, this is a completely different venue from anything we have been part of before: state-of-the-art rigging and lighting, a brand new, never-been-done-before net design, and a symphonic sound system in a fantastic world of color and creativity in the new Jordan's complex just 15 minutes from Cambridge. This new location's surroundings were designed by the world famous Joanne Newbold. Joanne is best known in NYC for her visionary design of the Toys R Us store in Times Square. The entire project was commissioned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and we are proud to be considered a part of such an important project. A special thanks to Danny Colvin for managing this project under an impossible time line.
So there you have it: a brief history of the time and the success of the Trapeze School New York family. Many new adventures face us and we are honored that you have chosen to put your trust in us and support us as we grow and fly.
Proud to be your dedicated allies,
Jonathon, Dave and Anne
