I was fortunate enough to be part of the very first Starfish Circus, and it was incredible! I learned I was able to push myself to climb up in the hoop, on the silk, or into a split, and it fe...more
Press & Video
The Fort McMurray Today wrote about our upcoming Starfish in Alberta, Canada.
Circus camp setting up shop at Keyano College in February by Daniel Nugent-Bowman December 21, 2009 The circus is coming to town and you can be a part of it. Street performance troupe Aerial Angels will be returning to Fort McMurray to run its Starfish Circus camp starting Feb. 20th throughout teachers' convention week at Keyano College. The performers, who wowed audience at last summer's interPLAY, are hosting a camp open to the first 50 children from ages 5 to 17 to register. "All the stars really aligned for this," Events Wood Buffalo executive director Claude Giroux said. "The kids are going to be off school for a week and we have access to the facilities at Keyano College because we're going to be there anyways." Students will learn how to perform ground skills including clowning, acrobatics, contortionism, balancing, and juggling. They'll also get the opportunity to study aerial silk, hoop and trapeze artistry and tightrope walking. "We cast kids in areas they're naturally drawn to, so that they're challenged but not discouraged," Starfish Circus director and Aerial Angel Allison Williams said in a press release. "We draw on our teaching and performance experience to help them learn clean, safe, well-executed skills (often in unison) instead of tricky or complex sequences." But the biggest thrill for the students will undoubtedly be putting those new-found skills into practice. The students are scheduled to perform an opening act number for the Angels' new show Stand Up Eight on the Keyano Theatre main stage as part of the Syncrude winterPLAY Festival Feb. 26 and 27 at 7pm. "It should be a fantastic evening of circus theatre," Giroux said. The cost of the camp is $279 for eight hours of daily training, equipment and costumes over the seven-day period. Giroux believes those attending are getting a great deal. "We felt we wanted to make it as affordable as possible," he said. "Our summer camp is $375 for three weeks, but they're not with the kids as often and it's not as expensive of a show to do and we don't include lunch in the summer either." Tickets are now on sale at the Keyano College box office. * * *
The Christian Science Monitor'sfeature article on Starfish Circus.
"It turns out you don't have to run away to join the circus. It will come to you. At the Jenison High School auditorium in Michigan, a three-ring circus is in full swing. Aerial artists, acrobats, contortionists, clowns, the lion tamer even the lion all are 18 or younger. Teens run the lights and the sound system. The only adult in the show is the one who plays the janitor..." read more
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My Southside Sun'sstory on Starfish at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
"When she heard the circus was coming, Rachel Jones had her dad rig a 30-foot rope in the backyard of their East Arlington home.
She was so determined to hone her skills that she climbed it every day. That was last summer and now the 16-year-old junior at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts is in intensive rehearsals for - ta dum - the circus..." read more
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Brightcove Media's video of rehearsals at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. watch it here
* * * The Lakeland Ledger'sphoto gallery of Starfish Circus at Pied Piper Players.
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Starfish Circus at Pied Piper Players in Lakeland, on Brightcove.Watch it here
* * * Coach Rachel Shepherd performing at the end of a Starfish Circus Aerial Theatre workshop at Florida State Thespians.
* * * Brittany, a student from our Ocala Civic Theatre Starfish in July 2009 made this video of her experience learning aerial silk and hoop.
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