Did you even know there was such a thing as circus school?
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| Photo courtesy of Circus Juventas |
If not, you could be forgiven. With the end of Barnum & Bailey’s and the Ringling Brothers after a 100+ year run, animal performance venues like Sea World on death throes, and the every day county fair slowly receding into the night, circus events under a true big top are hardly commonplace.
Acrobatics and physical performance art, however, are a whole other story, and that’s where Circus Juventas comes in. As the nation’s largest circus arts school with nearly 1,000 students, Circus Juventas does amazing work to help kids not only stay in peak physical performance but learn confidence, balance, storytelling, and many other skills.
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| Photo courtesy of Circus Juventas |
I can attest first-hand that the work Circus Juventas does is truly inspiring. I will never forget the first performance of theirs that I was able to witness – a lively iteration of Peter Pan a few years ago – and I was absolutely blown away by the talent of the students. There’s nothing quite like live acrobatics (as any Cirque du Soleil fan can attest), and watching pint size acrobats whirling through the air is beyond thrilling.
If any of this piques your curiosity then you’re in luck! On Saturday, June 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Circus Juventas is letting the public behind the scenes by inviting anyone interested to watch circus classes and rehearsals for their upcoming flagship performance. Co-Founder Dan Butler will also give tours around the ring and explain the intricacies of all the high-flying apparatus and how the school works.
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| Photo courtesy of Circus Juventas |
The event is totally free (so you should go no matter what), but here’s where the Good Karma comes in: Circus Juventas is currently working to raise money for their trip to perform at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival June 29-July 9. They have just $5,000 left to raise, so anything donated at the open house will go straight towards helping the kids to perform later this summer.
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There are so many incredible, unique opportunities to get out of the house for free in the Twin Cities. Compendium is all about helping people better explore their cities and try new things. If you can give back to kids’ summer programs and learn about circus arts while doing it then, why not? I highly encourage you to follow Circus Juventas and check out this open house, it’s going to be a blast. For more information, click here to go to their website.