Ulrikka Haveron

Director

My roots are in Texas, primarily in Austin and the Hill Country where I was raised by a family of artists. I moved around countless times. After High School I traveled for years, first all over the United States and then throughout Europe. I finally found my home in 2002 when I accidentally landed in Portland.

Since childhood I’ve been a visual artist and very physically active. I’ve been passionate about drawing and photography my whole life and have also studied yoga, pilates, trapeze and dance. I found a lovely way to combine these two aspects of myself when I discovered acrobalance, which lead to discovering adagio, choreography, and cheerleading-style double-stunting.

Since moving to Portland I’ve been involved with the performance troupes Precious Theatre, Les Papillons Noirs, and the Sprockettes. I founded Kazüm in late 2005.

My goal is to continue to create and hone my crafts, to put together a delightful touring show, and ultimately to uplift the spirit of humanity.

Scott Maxwell

I was raised in the mountains of northern Utah. I fell in love with gymnastics in high school and proceeded to spend several years as a college cheerleader before marrying and spawning just shy of a half-dozen sons. I’ve lived in the breathtaking city of Portland, which quickly won my heart with its lush beauty and amazingly diverse population. After a chance encounter with four performers in a park in the summer of 2006, I found myself once again throwing people into the air. My experience as a cheerleader brought some new partner-stunting elements to Kazüm’s acrobalancing excellence. I am ecstatic about being a part of Kazüm!

In addition to working with Kazüm I teach gymnastics and double-stunting in the community.

In the early 1900’s a throwback pirate by the name or “Razor” was terrorizing the lower islands in the Pacific Ocean.  The companies most affected by Razor hired an army of mercenaries  and  bounty hunters to track him down.  Cornering Razor in a cantina in northeastern Brazil, the army unleashed into a fray of gunfire, martial arts and explosions. Razor defeated the gang but suffered a huge head injury and fled into the jungle.  He quickly collapsed, but was taken in by Hindu pilgrims and taken to their ashram.  Razor suffered from amnesia and could remember nothing about his previous life.  The Brazilian-yogi-pilgrims called him “Pintado”-the portuguese word for painted-because of his comical pirate tattoos.  They taught him Yoga and the Brazilian art of Capoeira.  The Brazilian cultural art combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music with high kicks and trips. Pintado learned peace through Yoga and cultivated a love of art and performance through Capoeira. 

Then, 30 years ago, Razor/Pintado’s past came back to haunt him.  The descendants of the first Army of mercenaries returned to Brazil to seek revenge on the man who had defeated their predecessors. The Ashram was destroyed and Pintado was exiled.  He traveled to the states and began working in the circus arts. 

Currently Pintado has taken the American name of James Pintado and is an instructor of Capoeira and Yoga.   He is still searching for clues about his past as a Pirate-Acrobat-Ninja.  He is a contributing member of Kazum, a place where he finds much love and peace with his new family of acrobats.