Author Archives: Circus Smirkus
Smirkus Comes To Marshfield
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the Patriot Ledger on July 26, 2017 and was written by Mary Whitfill MARSHFIELD — Kids crowded around a circular stage, climbing over each other to get a better view as young circus performers soared, danced and spun Wednesday. Circus Smirkus, a traveling show made up of performers 12 to 18 years old, had come to Marshfield to present shows that are raising money for the Marshfield Education Foundation. “There is a useful enthusiasm and a spirit of giving these kids all share with the audience,” Circus Smirkus artistic director Troy Wunderle said….
Circus Smirkus Troupers visit Franciscan Children’s
On July 25th, the Circus Smirkus Troupers paid a visit to Franciscan Children’s, a center which provides special needs health care and education services for children to help them reach their full potential. The Troupers performed a version of Midnight at the Museum to a gymnasium full of appreciative kids. The acrobats, jugglers, contortionists and a whole circus full of performances to thrill our audience. Check out a few of our photos from the day.
Teen circus performers dazzle in Waltham
Editors note: This story appeared in Metrowest Daily News on July 28, 2017 photos below credit Ken McGagh/Daily News Staff] They’re all under eighteen, but the kids at Circus Smirkus know how to put on a show. The traveling youth circus is at Waltham’s Gore Place this weekend and a Friday matinee show was just about sold out. The Greensboro, Vermont-based circus is celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer. The tour began July 2 in Greensboro and travels to New York, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, finishing back in Greensboro on August 20. Shows continue in Waltham Saturday and Sunday….
Trouper Close-Ups: Andrew Kaefer, Lola Picayo, and Aaron Schondorf
Trouper Close-Ups: Andrew Kaefer, Lola Picayo, and Aaron Schondorf Andrew Kaefer is a 14 year old Trouper from Maplewood, NJ. He is a 1st year Trouper and is very excited to be apart of Circus Smirkus. He originally got started in circus by going to a two week circus camp in New Jersey. He also attended Circus Smirkus Camp. “I started out doing everything, but took to juggling as the camp progressed.” Being only 14 years old, Andrew is starting his circus career young and says he has interest in trying other disciplines within circus. However, juggling will always be…
From Camper to CIT to Counselor
This post was written by Counselors Ren Carter-Tucker and Emma Steinert, as well as PR Intern and Program Director Katja Orlow-Ornstein CIT’s Do it All Each year we select a number of perennial campers to be Counselors in Training (CIT’s) here at camp. In this program they shadow and assist a veteran counselor, performing the full range of counselor tasks with guidance, and gradually taking on more responsibility as the session goes on. For us, it’s a way to give a leadership experience to older campers that show promise, and also to identify people to hire in the future. Current…
A Day in the Life: The Smirkus Band
Imagine. You have what seems to be the pinkest, softest cotton candy in the world in one hand, and a cool, refreshing iced tea in the other. You enter the Big Top to see little ones playing with fairy wands, or dinosaur bubble blasters. As you glance around the ring, looking for which seat available is the right one for you, a warm breeze brushes against your legs. You smile in delight. As you take your seat in the perfect spot, you hear the band tuning their instruments, and they begin to play a little tune. Cue the Smirkus Band….
Trouper Close-Ups: Dylan Biedrzycki, Jack Miron, and Keiran Sass
Trouper Close-Ups: Dylan Biedrzycki, Jack Miron, and Keiran Sass Dylan Biedrzycki is a 16 year old Trouper from Merrimack, NH. This is his 4th year on tour, and he couldn’t be more excited to be apart of Smirkus again! He began getting involved with circus when he went to see a Flying Gravity show, and felt inspired to teach himself to juggle. At age 6, Dylan started taking gymnastics and later he joined a Flying Gravity after-school circus program. He says his favorite acts are ball juggling and acrobatics. The most challenging part about being on the road for him…
Trouper Close-Ups: Ilse Bryan, Patrick Chikoloma, and Liam Ryan-O’Flaherty
Trouper Close-Ups: Ilse Bryan, Patrick Chikoloma, and Liam Ryan-O’Flaherty Ilse Bryan is 12 year old, second year Trouper from Lincoln, Rhode Island. She started getting involved with circus 3 years ago, getting her start at Circus Smirkus Summer Camp. She began training in fabric, but has recently been getting more involved with ground work, like contortion and handstands. Ilse’s favorite part of being a Trouper is performing. However, on tour, the Troupers aren’t always working. Ilse finds the hardest part of being a Trouper is, “not spending all of your money on ice-cream.” She would also like to note that…
A Day in the Life: Production Interns of the Past and Present
Here at Circus Smirkus, there is no small job. Building a show from the ground up in a three week time frame and taking it on the road for seven weeks in not an easy task, and takes much planning, organization, and hard work. No one job is more or less important than another, because if we were missing any one position, this operation would not work. We are all a cog in a wheel in the well-oiled, magical, creative machine that is Smirkus. One of these positions that captured the hearts of 5 staff members and kept them…
Trouper Close-Ups: Ben Kaufman, Sam Landa, and Ariana Wunderle
Trouper Close-Ups: Ben Kaufman, Sam Landa, and Ariana Wunderle A senior this year, Ben Kaufman is 18 years old and is from Brattleboro, VT. This is his 3rd year as a Trouper, and is so excited to be on tour once again. When he was younger, Ben was interested in gymnastics, theatre, and dance. He says “he needed to find something that combined all of those in a non-competitive way.” He started out at the New England Center for Circus Arts with his first discipline, jump rope. Ben then attended Circus Smirkus Summer Camps for four years. Now, Ben does anything…