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…
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…
Session III Adventures
This blog post is written by Katja Orlow-Ornstein, Program Director/PR Intern and Nathan Eckstein, Head Counselor It’s hard to believe that Session III is already drawing to a close. All the campers have been working hard to prepare for the show! We got some amazing motivation for our Friday show over the weekend when we went to see the 2017 Smirkus tour “Midnight at the Museum” in St. Johnsbury. We bused over to and got our own section at the matinee show. It was fantastic seeing former campers fly high and style and smile in the ring as well as…
Two Week Camp Sessions Have Started!
This blog post is written by Head Counselor, Nathan Eckstein. Where is the summer going?!? It is hard to believe that we are already on day two of Session III. On Sunday, we welcomed 80 campers for our first two-week session of the summer including 4 international campers – 3 campers from Palestine, and 1 camper from France. We also welcomed another clown coach, Kelsey Custard, to camp. She is fresh off the European leg of the Amaluna Cirque du Soleil show – welcome to Smirkus Kelsey and campers! The energy in the air is electric with a mix…
Smirkus Camp July Fourth Celebration
This blog post was written by Katja Orlow-Ornstein, Camp Program Director and PR Intern Session II started off with a bang, quite literally. Campers were able to watch the town fireworks on Monday night create an impressive display over Caspian Lake. The views from camp are amazing, and despite the slightly later bedtime, it was well worth it. The weather has finally dried up a bit, and the sun has made many appearances throughout this session. The days have been filled with our fun and zany circus activities as well as a large variety of non-circus related games, and of…
Smirkus Camp is Underway
This blog post was written by Head Counselor Nathan. Hello Smirkus world! Head Counselor Nathan here. I am thrilled to be back at camp welcoming so many returning campers and getting to know the new members of our Smirkus Camp family! Our summer started off by hosting our youngest campers for a day of intro to circus. We enjoyed a rotation through our two big top tents Mama Mia and Natalie, and a trip to our clown tent Ruby. In the afternoon they got the opportunity to share their new skills with family and friends and to celebrate Pie Day- a 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…
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…
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…