juggling - trapeze - unicycling

Juggling calls into play a bit of physics, some dexterity, more props than you have hands, and a lot of practice. Archaeologists have found depictions of jugglers on the walls of Egyptian tombs, so juggling has been around as a form of popular entertainment for almost four thousand years! At Circus Arts Camp you will work on controlling the height and force of your toss and shifting your attention effectively back and forth as you acquire various patterns and learn to manipulate scarves, beanbags, balls, rings, diabolos, devil sticks, clubs, cups, boxes and more.

Whether you are learning to balance an object on your nose, like a feather or a stick, or trying to stay upright on the rolla bolla board, the globe, or atop a set of stilts, balancing skills develop concentration and awareness of your center of gravity, and prepare you for the thrill of shifting your weight when you are off the ground, on a wire, in a hammock, or on a trapeze. Refining your sense of balance is basic to many of the skills you will learn at Circus Arts Camp.

Aerial arts encompass so much more than just the trapeze! The Spanish web is an elegant art, displaying graceful poses and acrobatic maneuvers while you are secured to a soft rope, spun from the ground by your spotter. The lyra is similar in nature, using a large suspended hoop that can spin and twirl while the aerialist within it shows off poise and flexibility in a series of graceful moves. The shifts and poses of the Spanish web and lyra are also often performed with long pieces of fabric that can create a hammock in which the aerialist twirls, spins, and entwines above the ground. Perhaps the best known, and most loved, of the aerial arts, is the trapeze. Instruction in static trapeze—and for the first time in Westchester, the flying trapeze—will develop your strength, timing, and flexibility, and an additional challenge is available for those who choose to work with a partner on the bar. All aerial rigging is installed and maintained by a rigger who has passed the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) and has worked for the world's largest professional circuses.

This sport enjoys international popularity that eclipses the circus art with its own worldwide federation and skill examinations. If you aspire to the sport and recreational pursuits of unicycling, or if you just want to perfect the performance of the circus skill, you can learn unicycling technique at Circus Arts Camp. Work on your forward, backward, mount, and dismount skills a little closer to the ground, then tackle the giraffe unicycle—another 4 to 6 feet up!—and apply your mastery as a solo cyclist, with a partner, and as a member of a group in the performance that closes each two-week session.

After its appearance on the American market in the 1930s, the modern trampoline was used to train pilots and astronauts, providing practice for in-fllight spatial orientation and body positioning. Immerse yourself in the feeling of “flying” that a trampoline supplies and learn to twist, twirl, somersault, spin, pike, and work with a partner as you tumble in midair. A good cardio-vascular workout, trampolining is also excellent cross-training for other sports, like basketball, skiing, wrestling, and gymnastics. The trampolines at Circus Arts Camp are competitive-quality, regulation equipment and our instructors are safety-trained and certified by the United States Gymnastics Federation (USGF) and other recognized industry organizations.

Clowning, like juggling, enjoys a long history, emerging in popular entertainment as far back as the Harlequin of the 16th century commedia dell’arte. Clowning is characterized by broad humor, physical tricks like pratfalls, outrageous circumstances, and surprising outcomes. But don’t be fooled by what seems to be carefree buffoonery in a clown act. At Circus Arts Camp you will learn that a successful clown performance relies on good acting abilities, teamwork, timing, clever prop manipulation and careful planning in order to draw the audience into the realm of the ridiculous. Campers are encouraged to be inventive and create their own variations on the traditional clown, which they will get to show off in their final presentation at the end of the session. Your reward for this hard work will be great: All the world will love you!

Learn to walk the wire and progress to new heights at your own pace, graduating from the two-foot to three-foot, then the six-foot elevation. All campers are taught the basics of safety and encouraged to maintain awareness of each team member’s well-being. Many campers leave their camp session having performed a kneel on the wire, a split, or even a backwards walk. Paddles that help you maintain your balance, spotters, and safety belts are all there to help you reach your personal best on the wire.

Some kids have a natural ability for tumbling; many more surprise themselves at Circus Arts Camp with things they didn’t know they could do. Experienced professional instruction, good spotting, and a supportive, positive environment, bring out the very best in every camper and engender a can-do attitude. Campers sail through the air from the mini-trampoline. Team spirit deepens as campers rely on one another in partner acrobatics and human pyramid building.