A major shakeup in the local performing arts world may have circus fans, both here and beyond, reeling.

Circus Arts Conservatory co-founder and legendary circus performer Dolly Jacobs released a statement late last week that “CAC unexpectedly terminated” her employment “and removed her from its board. This brings to a close her formal role with the organization she co-founded and helped build from the ground up.”

It's shocking news considering Jacobs and her ex-husband, Pedro Reis, have been the leaders and public faces of the CAC (rebranded in 2013 from its original name of Circus Sarasota) since its beginnings in 1997. For many years Jacobs also performed in each winter’s circus shows, which have been presented lately under the Big Top tent near Nathan Benderson Park.

Apparently, Jacobs’ removal from her position as a vice president and board member at CAC took place earlier this summer, but Jacobs sought legal advice on how to frame her departure statement before circulating it, while at the same time addressing staff in a separate email explaining her absence from CAC. Jacobs was heading out of town for a trip shortly after making her announcement, so was not immediately available for further comment.

Jennifer Mitchell, the current president and CEO of CAC, who took over the reins after Jacobs and Reis stepped back from managerial duties in 2024, responded to a request for comment with this emailed statement:

“The Circus Arts Conservatory is grateful for Dolly’s many years of service, her vision and passion and her contributions as a Co-Founder of the organization.

“Through her artistry, creativity and dedication to the circus, Dolly played an instrumental role in helping build CAC into the respected institution it is today and in enriching countless lives.

 “CAC remains firmly committed to our mission, our students, our artists, our supporters, and the communities we serve. We will continue the organization's important work, as showcased on the National Mall Labor Day weekend with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and move CAC forward purposefully.”  

Whatever the cause, Jacobs’ departure ends an era for the CAC and its outreach programs. The daughter of longtime Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clown Lou Jacobs, Jacobs grew up in Sarasota and began performing at a young age, eventually gaining world renown as an aerialist (winning the moniker “Queen of the Air”). She also broadened her reach through teaching and advancing the circus tradition, becoming the only circus artist to receive the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship and being recognized with the Silver Clown Award.

In her formal statement, Jacobs says she “remains proud of CAC’s history and the many students, performers, staff members, volunteers, donors, families and community members whose lives have been touched through its programs and performances.” She added that she is also “grateful to those who worked alongside her over the years and wishes the students, performers, staff, volunteers, donors and supporters of CAC continued success” and that she will “always carry the people, memories and mission close to her heart.”