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Adam Benson

@stoplightcircus

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Denver Performer. Circus acts. Event Entertainment, Costumed Stilt walking, Fire+LED, Giant bubbles, Human statue, and Workshops. Daily improvement

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grateful for summer fire jams with the flowmies💕😍

#fireflow #flowarts #isohoop

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1st Fire Sword!

Ever since I started spinning fire (last year) I’ve had this yearning to flow with fire sword! Sword has been my first love, and any stick is also on the top of my list - but a fire sword with the large flaming blade so close to the hand has always had me on reserve. I had brought my fire retardant gloves in case someone came with a sword that I could play with! Much gratitude to @stoplightcircus for letting me play with his sword! This sword only has a 45-60 second burn, which is perfect for what I wanted on this first burn, otherwise I would have wanted a shared burn.

Before lighting up I practiced with the undipped sword a sequence: rocket, whip blind, angel roll, obi-ani, strike, palm spin, strike. I got this to work and it seemed to fit within the time frame. Knowing the fuel dip changes the center of balance, and the flames add drag, I was hoping I could adapt quickly once lit.

Lighting up my mind glitched momentarily and I had to shake it off quickly to remember what I was going to do! Then I started spinning up for the rocket … My first rocket was a miss (often the case when I change props I have to “recalibrate”). The second rocket was also a miss, and the third I felt like I had it calibrated and sure enough it flew and landed delightfully!

Immediately after the rocket I threw the whip blind … its landing was safe but not pretty. Having burned more than half my fuel to this point I immediately tried to do angel rolls and after three failed attempts I ran out of fuel. Even so I’m so stoked to have landed this rocket … and look forward to what lies ahead!

Much gratitude to all my Flowmie friends: You are supportive, smart, creative, talented, humble, always learning, sometimes nerdish, passionate, compassionate, … , simply the best!

Love to all my IG pals!

Love to @michelle.c.smith and @freestyle.staff who ignited and fuel my journey! Lovin’ the freestyling foundation!

Thank you @dinosflow for videoing and all your support throughout!

#firespinning #flowarts #performanceart
#firesword #freestylestaff

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Fire n Light!

Backyard flow jams are absolute treasures! Experiencing close-up the creativity and skills of flow artists manipulating fire props into spectacular and mesmerizing colors, shapes, and sounds! And the camaraderie with Flowmies: supportive, smart, creative, humble, always learning, sometimes nerdish, passionate, compassionate, …

It’s been over a year and I had learned so many new skills I wanted to apply to fire. I had to do fishtails! My intro would start a slow horizontal sweep, transition to forward fishtail, transfer to reverse fishtail, then to angel, then … This flopped at the reverse fishtail 3 times in a row! 1) My glasses were reflecting back the firelight and confusing me, so I took them off l (hadn’t worn glasses at fire before), 2) I hadn’t remembered how fire adds friction and the fishtails floating on the back of the hand needed more push! This motivates me to spin fire more - and to see if adding poofs (derpgear) or flowers has the feel of fire spinning.

Was happy to burn sequential Steves and devil throw.

I wanted to do some doubles! Having only one fire staff I thought I’d bring a double-bladed lightsaber. I prepared tricks that would not have the fire melt the plastic blades. The double chelidon flopped so I moved on to a double toss to opposite hands - which delivered gloriously - so I plan on working a set for a future fire jam!

Love to @michelle.c.smith and @freestyle.staff who ignited and fuel my journey metaphorically! Lovin’ the freestyling foundation!

Thank you @stoplightcircus for recording video!
Thank you @hi.im.joy.pack for hosting, making it such a fun experience for all the flowmies! Setting up chairs, fire pit, safety blanket, dip and spinoff areas, music, and spraying the grass for safety!

Fire Staff: @ninjapyrate
Contech Staff - Fire
57in length, 5/8 diameter carbon fiber tube
Black Rubber Pyrate Grip
Kevlar Wick Ends, 5in 12.7cm length, 2.25in 5.7cm diameter
1lb 10oz 0.737kg (dry)

Lightsaber: @ultrasabers
Phantasm V2
90in 229cm long
Blades: 36inch 92cm UltraEdge Midgrade
Hilt: 23in 58cm long. 1.3in 3.3cm diameter
2lb 7.75oz 1.13kg

#firespinning #flowarts #performanceart
#contactstaff

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Thank you #Denver for an incredible time and for allowing me to share #ropeflow in your flow journey!

If you picked up a flow rope this weekend and wanna learn more, head over to the Slushropes Youtube channel for a free playlist tutorial! Or DM me directly 🙏🏻

Thank you to the entire staff that made this weekend possible !

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@flowfestdenver ➡️ flowmies n friends ☄️🫶🙏🏻💕✨ Incredible time this weekend meeting new faces and reconnecting with friends!

Thank you for an unforgettable weekend and sharing your flows !

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@stoplightcircus Thank you sensei 🙏🏻 You are a huge influence in my journey and I’m forever grateful to be taught by you!!! @flowfestdenver

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Fun fact: spinning a hula hoop in a park is one of the most contagious forms of joy known to children AND adults. 🎪 Flow Fest Denver is a free, family-friendly festival with FREE beginner workshops & events designed for ALL ages, all skill levels, all levels of readiness to be briefly magnificent in public. May 10 | McFall Park, Westminster | 10am–6pm | Free entry | Free beginner workshops all day. All Access Workshop Passes: $55 in advance for those ready to go deep. Bring the whole crew. 🌟 #FlowFestDenver #FamilyFriendly #FreeEvent #JoinTheCircus #FlowFest #Denver

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🗻 🎉 Instructor Announcement! Flow Fest Denver- May 10! 🗻 🎉
Blessed to announce workshops by Adam Benson @stoplightcircus & Cory Brown of Tetra Fans @tetrafanflow ! GET TRICKS & DRILL at Flow Fest Denver.

Plate Spinning Silliness, Contact Juggling Isolations & Intro to Toss Juggling with Adam Benson
Multi-Prop Mash-up & Club Juggling: Traps and Rolls with Cory Brown

**Adam Benson** is a seasoned circus entertainer with a flair for captivating audiences. A veteran stilt walker, Adam has performed in three iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades and brought his talents to countless variety shows with the National Circus Project, House of Yes, and Hausmorango. With a dynamic presence both on and off the ground, Adam continues to elevate live entertainment through skill, creativity, and showmanship.
@stoplightcircus on Instagram

Cory is a proficient, multi-prop, fire and LED artist with over a decade of experience training in the flow arts. His disciplines also include fire eating, juggling, electric unicycles, costume design, and a wide range of other skills including 3D printing his own unique practice and LED props.
@tetrafanflow on Instagram

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My 1st Triple!

If you never had justification for owning 3 double-bladed lightsabers, now you do! (Whew, finally now I do!😂) I say “Hello There!,” to Generals Grievous and Pong Krell who wield a mere 4 blades 🤣!

My lightsaber and doubles journey was ignited by @michelle.c.smith and fueled by her and @amiramh @funkycircusfreak and the @freestyle.staff community. The large and beautiful angel roll I learned early on via Michelle’s tutorial!

Multi-prop flow artists, contact staff and performance artists local and on IG continue to inspire my desire to learn doubles - and it wasn’t until 2025 where triples (and maybe more) have been on my radar! HUGE influence from @christofireinflow @staff_doctor @yonniccolins @gorybowie … @stoplightcircus @antoinejuggler …

TOP SECRET: There are elements of the juggling arts that will serve the Star Wars Rebel Alliance (hopefully not the Empire) well.

Double-Bladed Lightsabers: @ultrasabers (2) Phantasm, (1) Phantom V2 36in UltraEdge Midgrade blades
The only difference: the Phantom has a black anodized hilt and the Phantasm is bare aluminum. I put various black tapes on the hilt for both grip and appearance.

Contact Staff: @ninjapyrate Contech Staff - Training 57in
Sword: Rawlings Synthetic Sparring Bastard Sword w/ my homemade steel pommel that moves the point of balance where thumb and forefinger land beneath the cross guard - making it easy to spin and do tricks!

Bamboo Lightsabers/Swords: These are super practice swords that I made for less than $10 each! I posted how I made them June 2, 2022.

I made my Jedi cosplay posted in story highlights. It has served well for years in Jedi Knight, Sith Lord, and Ninja rolls!
I’m grateful to live near the Colorado Rocky Mountains where breathtaking scenery is so reachable!

#freestylestaff #contactstaff #lightsabertricks #flowarts #performanceart

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Dec 2025

We got to preform for the Apple holiday party! I was a type writer poet and had a ton of fun being a lyrical genius!

Then Isa came for Xmas where we got a bunch of snowboarding days in and saw Polish Ambassador!

Overall was a good but tough year, looking forward to what this next year will bring!!!

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Aug 2025

Got to play around with some fire and flow gigs! Then went to play in Detroit for Brian’s bachelor party!!!

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❄️✨❄️Cheers to an absolutely fabulous holiday season! This team was a glittering gem and created a fun filled night for @apple’s end of the year holiday party. We loved how many guests joined in our playful antics- creating poems with our typewriter poets, giving jokes to our stilt walkers in exchange for a snowflake, double dutching with our jugglers, getting a bubbly drink from our aerial fairies, and applauding the array of spontaneous, talented acts. It was such a pleasure to share in this joyful evening! And always a pleasure to create in the amazing venue and delicious brewery, @bierstadtlager. Wishing you all a warm holiday season❄️✨❄️

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