Our Team
Lissin & Hearty have been performing Environmental Education Assembly Programs in schools, libraries, theaters and festivals since 1997!
Meet our team here.
LISSIN LEV CHAYA, EarthCapades Co-Director and performer, has been singing for as long as she’s been walking. Before teaming up with Hearty in 1996, Lissin lived at the IDA School for Organic Arts in Tennessee where she studied storytelling, juggling, stilt walking, improvisation, organic gardening and Earth wisdom.
A renowned classical vocalist, she has studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Interlochen Arts Camp, and The Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. Lissin also leads Community Song Circles to bring people together in harmony and spread joy.
Lissin serves as Sheli’ach Tzibbur, or Service Leader, for the Coastside Jewish Community, and officiates weddings and other rites of passage as a Life-Cycle Celebrant, www.LissinSong.com. Lissin has played lead roles in dozens of musicals, practices yoga and meditation, and enjoys spending time in nature and with friends and family.
Lissin
HEARTY (AKA D. Heartlife), EarthCapades executive director, co-founder and performer, has been a professional entertainer and entrepreneur since 1987. After receiving a BA in Environmental Education he became a teacher and was instantly a huge hit performing as a storyteller, unicyclist and juggler.
Hearty co-founded the Boogie Down Jugglers in San Francisco and created the Greatest Show 4 Earth, which he performed on television and in schools, festivals and family theatres all across the continent. In 1997 Hearty and Lissin created EarthCapades Environmental Vaudeville.
Hearty has studied comedy with Dan Holzman of the Raspyni Brothers and circus with Mr. Lu Yi, a highly respected Chinese Master Acrobat. Amongst other talents, Hearty is a circus arts coach, massage therapist, web-master, tree hugger, passionate surfer, and an all around bald guy.
Hearty
KAI HEARTLIFE is a juggler, artist, and poet who has performed with their parents since they were born. Kai has performed solo sets on the path and on the Youth Stage at the Oregon Country Fair and at events around the San Francisco Bay Area. Kai was a Youth Speaks Poetry Slam Finalist in 2022 and 2023 and served on the YS SPOKES Youth Advisory Board in the 2022/2023 school year. They have been doing poetry since 4th grade with Bay Area Creative in and outside of school. In Spring of 2024 Kai will be attending The Oxbow School for an intensive visual arts semester program.
Kai
