Author Archives: Circus Smirkus
Getting Camp Ready
On Saturday June 3, volunteers around Vermont came to Circus Smirkus camp to decorate and beautify the grounds for the 2017 camp season. At Smirkus camp, we take our responsibility as temporary surrogate circus parents very seriously. From homesickness to the highwire to their health, we promise to be vigilant, caring and prepared. Your kids become family to us and they will be treated accordingly. We will challenge them, care for them, and support them. And we too will beam with pride at their accomplishments this season. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped us prepare the grounds for Camp. We…
Circus Season Begins
I often get the question, “How in the world do you guys put together a circus?” I don’t know how other people do it, but here at Smirkus we keep it simple. I tell staff, “Start by recognizing that you are a part of something larger than yourself. Encourage each other to take pride in all our combined efforts. Be kind, funny, and imaginative. Welcome every new person you meet. Feed whimsy whenever you can. Everything else will take care of itself.” Right now it’s hard to hear yourself think around here. There is a constant staccato of hammers and…
Reflections on Smirkus Adult Camp
Editor’s Note: This blog post first appeared in Misadventures Magazine, and was written by former Smirkus Adult Camper Jennifer Brodowski, who works for the U.S Army in Civil Service, stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany. There’s still room for you at Smirkus Adult Camp (June 8-10, 2018) In 2016, the famous traveling youth circus and camp, Circus Smirkus, opened its doors for the first time to adult campers, for an aptly-named “Big Kid Camp.” Until now, Circus Smirkus has made its name working with children: every year, they select 30 performers aged 18 and under to perform in the Circus Smirkus traveling show…
12 Year Old Dreams Of Finding A Circus Camp
This summer, Circus Smirkus camp welcomes 12-year old Audrey Webb all the way from Flower Mound, Texas. We learned about Audrey through a feature on her local news station and we were really impressed with her dedication to circus and her desire to find a camp to hone her skills deeper. So much so, in fact, that we offered her a scholarship to Smirkus camp this summer. Audrey goes to school online through the Texas Online Preparatory School and says having the classroom in your bedroom has its perks. She can go to class whenever she wants, takes courses meant…
Lakeview Residency Update
The Lakeview Elementary School in our hometown of Greensboro, VT has about 80 students in grades K – 6. This school year something extraordinary happened there – nearly half of these kids participated in an extended Smirkus Residency that lasted about half of the school year within their PE class. For me, as a former classroom science teacher and longtime unicycle coach, this was a chance to get to know many of our local kids and their parents, while expanding my skills in teaching circus arts. In this project I was fortunate to be mentored by Jackie Davis, a Circademic,…
Best of CV Profiles Smirkus
Editor’s note: This piece written by Corey Burdick was originally published in the print edition of the Best of Central Vermont, June 2017 issue. Come one! Come all! It’s the excitement of acrobatics, juggling, and live performance for the whole family! Where? Right here in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Circus Smirkus is celebrating its 30th anniversary in style with Midnight at the Museum, the 2017 Big Top Tour. From the opening of the tour in early July to its mid August finale, Circus Smirkus will perform 69 shows in five states. The theme-based shows will include aerial acts, wire walking, clowns, and…
Kids VT Profiles Ariana Wunderle
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in the May 30, 2017 edition of Kids Vermont and was written by Sarah Galbraith. Born Performer: A Vermont Teen Spends Her Summers in the Circus Name: Ariana Wunderle Age: 13 Town: Chester Circus Smirkus, Vermont’s award-winning international youth circus, trains kids as young as 5. But Ariana Wunderle started practicing with the troupe when she was just 3 years old. The tall, wiry 13-year-old has a special connection to the organization — her parents help run it. Over the years, they’ve had various positions there. Her dad, Troy, is currently its artistic director; her…
Smirkus at the Smithsonian
Circus Smirkus has been invited to participate in The Smithsonian Folklife Festival that includes a program which spotlights the Circus Arts and will feature intimate workshops, full-scale performances, and learning opportunities from master circus artists. At the Folklife Festival, founder Rob Mermin will be joined by “Smirko” alumni to showcase their role in propagating the values and culture of the traveling circus and its place in circus education in America. Co-creator of the CircusSecrets methodology Jackie Davis and youth development researcher Jen Agans will also demonstrate how the skills and allure of the circus can impart learning strategies that meet the needs…
Meet Alice Day, Smirkus Camp Nurse
If you’ve never been to Smirkus Camp, it might surprise you to know that along with individual tents for aerials, juggling, clowning and acrobatics, there’s also a special red and white Nurse’s Tent and First Aid Station. This is where you’ll find camp nurse Alice Day most of the camp day. Except, maybe, when she’s doing her rounds on her bicycle. Alice has been a constant at Smirkus Camp for 11 summers. Like many staff, she first got hooked after seeing a Smirkus show when her kids were small. Her then 10 year old twin daughters and 8 year old son loved the show…
2017 Trouper Patrick Chikoloma of Circus Zambia
Name: Patrick Chikoloma Age: 17 From: Lusaka, Zambia Training: Circus Zambia It was an exchange program between students of Van Lodostov Family Circus in Hartford, Vermont and Circus Zambia last summer that made Patrick Chikoloma’s first visit to the United States possible. Coming to perform around the Vermont for Circus Zambia, he also attended his first Big Top Tour show and visited the headquarters of Circus Smirkus. We’re now eagerly awaiting Patrick’s arrival to the Circus Barn for training as a trouper in the 30th Anniversary Big Top Tour – almost a year to the date that we first met him….