Author Archives: Circus Smirkus
Camp’s Session V
This blog post is written by Head Counselor, Nathan Eckstein It is so hard to believe that we are saying goodbye to Session V on Friday! We have had an absolutely amazing time this session. With three programs running all at once its been a whirlwind of activity and circus fun. This session’s 10 member Road Show, under the direction of Suzanne Santos, brought their Greek God’s and Goddess themed show all over Vermont, including stops in Derby Line, Burlington, and Montpellier. They visited senior living centers, childcare centers, and had a few public performances out doors as well including…
Trouper Close-Ups: Chase Levy, Jeannette Oubre, and Cheya Potter
Touper Close-Ups: Chase Levy, Jeannette Oubre, and Cheya Potter Chase Levy is a 16 year old Trouper from Newton, MA. Chase got his start with circus by being a homestay family at the age of 8, where the Troupers opened his eyes to the world of circus. “From there, I went to Circus Smirkus Camp for 6 years.” Chase did not learn all of his skills overnight, and he never let the word “No” defeat him. “Two years ago I auditioned and didn’t get in. So, I auditioned again last year and made it, and this year as well.” All…
Trouper Close-Ups: William Borges, Maedya Kojis, and Laska Léonard
Trouper Close-Ups: William Borges, Maedya Kojis, and Laska Léonard William Borges is a 16 year old from Baiting Hollow, NY and this is his first year as a Trouper. He got his start with circus by training gymnastics when he was young, and his mom introduced him to flying trapeze. He started training more regularly and says, “flying trapeze opened the doors to aerial and juggling.” Will performs in the hat juggling and the rope/cube act. Although Will is not in a flying trapeze act this year, he says that is his specialty and favorite thing to train. His favorite…
Zambian Performer Joins Circus Smirkus
Editors note: This article is KYMELYA SARI of Seven Days Vermont and was originally published there on August 9, 2017 When Zambian circus artist Patrick Chikoloma does a back flip or strikes a pose on a Chinese pole in front of an enraptured audience, he isn’t just defying gravity. He’s also proving skeptics wrong. Chikoloma, 18, grew up in Chibolya Township, a slum in the Zambian capital, Lusaka. “If you come from Chibolya, no one believes in you,” said Chikoloma in an audition video that he submitted to Circus Smirkus last December. “My target is to kill the bad name of Chibolya using circus…
Trouper Close-Ups: Hannah Grove, Isabella Majzun, and Anna Zuckerman
Trouper Close-Ups: Hannah Grove, Isabella Majzun, and Anna Zuckerman Hannah Grove is a 15 year old from Blacksburg, VA and this is her 2nd year as a Trouper. She was first inspired to get involved with circus when she saw her first Cirque du Soleil show when she was 10. She began at Circus Smirkus Camp in 2013 and continued by going to a camp at Ecole National de Cirque in 2014 where fell in love with tight wire. Tight wire is her favorite thing to train and says, “I am self taught, so I can easily train it myself.”…
Trouper Close-Ups: Graham Reicher, Saffi Watson, and Leah Zuckerman
Trouper Close-Ups: Graham Reicher, Saffi Watson, and Leah Zuckerman Graham Reicher is a 14 year old from Piedmont, CA, and he is a second year Trouper. He got his start in circus by seeing Circus Smirkus at the age of three. He was so excited, that by the age of six he started going to Smirkus Camp. Additionally, Graham has trained at the Kinetic Arts Center and is a part of their circus troupe. Graham has learned a lot from being a Trouper, but he says one thing that had really stuck out is the teamwork. “You learn how…
Trouper Close-Ups: Lucia Mason, Nemo Mass, and Serafina Walker
Trouper Close-Ups: Lucia Mason, Nemo Mass, and Serafina Walker Lucia Mason is an 18 year old Trouper from Montague, MA and this is her 2nd year on tour. She got her start in circus because, “I was a really antsy kid, and my mom wanted an outlet for all my energy, and circus is a really positive place for that.” This year she is the rope/cube act and loves it. She says, “I’ve done rope before, but I haven’t touched a cube until I got here! It is really fun.” “Lucia says her favorite part of tour is, “hanging out…
Trouper Close-Ups: Eva Lou Rhinelander and Alexa Wang
Trouper Close-Ups: Eva Lou Rhinelander and Alexa Wang Eva-Lou Rhinelander is a 12 year old Trouper from Melrose, MA. She is a 2nd year Trouper and is so excited to be back on tour! She first got involved with circus by taking a hula-hooping class. “I like hula-hooping, but I also really like handstands and contortion a lot.” She says her favorite part about being on tour is, “meeting new people at the homestays.” The most difficult part of being on tour for her is, ”the physical activity. I just have to stay on top of conditioning”, which she gets help…
A Day in the Life: Pie Car
When an audience comes to see a Circus Smirkus show, they see the final product. They see the gorgeous costumes and the pretty lights, they hear the sensational sounds of the Smirkus band, they smell the freshly popped popcorn, all as they watch the hardworking Troupers perform. But what the audience does not see is how the crew and Troupers live while not performing. In Circus Smirkus’ backlot, where the staff lives while on tour, there is a travelling Pie Car that comes with us. It is essentially a kitchen on wheels, and is where all of the Trouper and…
Junior Road Show in Full Swing
This blog post was written by Head Counselor, Nathan Eckstein Jr. Road Show hit the road today for day two of their week-long mini tour of Greensboro and the the Northeast Kingdom. Junior Road Show, for campers ages 13-16, is patterned after our long-established Session V Road Show, is in its second year of providing community service while giving participants an authentic and sometimes intense performing experience. In both Road Shows a group of 10 selected campers create and rehearse a 30-minute themed show under the guidance of a Director and a variety of camp coaches. When it is rehearsed…