One of only a handful of U.S.-based circus artists specializing in German wheel, Carly Schuna is a five-time competitive wheel gymnastics national champion as well as a highly acclaimed, certified coach of multiple award-winning wheel athletes. With over a decade of training, coaching, and performance experience, Carly also performs professionally in static trapeze, juggling, and tricks with her dog, Piper.
With a style characterized by high-level technique and dynamic, momentum-based skills, Carly enjoys creating senses of tension and wonder in her work and lives for the moments when her audiences gasp.
Carly is based in Madison, Wisconsin, where she is a founder and executive board member of the Madison Circus Space. When not working in circus, Carly works for her three very demanding doggos, who do not appreciate respectfully defying death.
Luke Emery has performed and taught circus arts all around the world. His specialties include juggling, ball spinning, German wheel, and Cyr wheel, although he has also dabbled in ladder walking, teeterboard, aerial arts, and more.
Luke is a certified Level II wheel coach through the USA Wheel Gymnastics Federation and has served as a coach for the U.S. national team at the Wheel Gymnastics World Championships in Lignano, Italy. Like Carly, Luke is a founder and executive board member at the Madison Circus Space, where he teaches and practices circus arts.
Photographer: Tona Williams
Amanda Gatewood
Amanda began studying German wheel in 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland through In the Dark Circus Arts. She began traveling to Chicago for additional training and, in 2018, she became a certified Level I coach through the USA Wheel Gymnastics Federation. Amanda worked with a
community center in Baltimore to coordinate group trainings and establish a parent/child circus workshop series at Sokol Baltimore, a local nonprofit.
Amanda is a public health epidemiologist. In 2019, she moved to Madison, Wisconsin to accept a position at the UW. She has been fortunate to become a member of the Madison Circus Space, where she trains in German wheel and has begun to learn teeterboard.
Becky Krueger
Becky trained as a German wheel coach through the USA Wheel Gymnastics Federation. She also completed aerial teacher training through the Born to Fly curriculum. She has worked for Head Over Wheels Circus teaching and performing German wheel for several years, and she is an instructor with Flying Trapeze Madison. Becky has performed and competed in various shows and events, including Cirque du Sylvee in 2019, the 2019 MadFest Juggling Extravaganza, and the 2018 Wheel Gymnastics World Championship in Switzerland. Becky is a member of the Madison Circus Space, where she teaches youth and adult classes, produces and performs in shows, and trains in a variety of disciplines including German wheel, trapeze, partner acrobatics, and juggling. Becky co-created Novel Motion Circus in 2024.