2023 Sessions
| ★ Age 5-11: | ★ Age 8-16: | ★ Age 12-18: | ★ Families: |
| ★ Smirkling For A Day: SOLD OUT June 17, 2023 |
★ All Levels Circus Camp (1 week): Waitlist Only June 18-23, 2023  |
★ Intermediate Camp (2 weeks): SOLD OUT July 9-21, 2023 |
Family & Friends Camp: August 26 & 27, 2023 |
| ★ Smirkling Overnight: August 13-14, 2023 |
★ All Levels Circus Camp (2 weeks): Waitlist Only June 25-July 7, 2023 |
★ Intermediate Skills Intensive (2 weeks): SOLD OUT July 9-21, 2023 |
Fall Family & Friends Weekend: ALMOST FULL! September 1-3, 2023 |
| ★ Advanced Ensemble (3 weeks): July 23-August 11, 2023 |
|||
| ★ Advanced Individual Acts (3 weeks): July 23-August 11, 2023 |
|||
| ★ Road Show (5 weeks): ALMOST FULL! July 9-August 12, 2023 |
|||
| ★ CIT Program ★ Scholarship Applications ★ | |||
Smirkus campers are happy campers! Watch this video for proof:
Smirkling For A Day
Saturday, June 17, 2023: One Day Only • Ages 5-11 • Price $250
Drop off 8am/Pick up 4:30pm SOLD OUT
★ Sign Up
Smirkling Camp is designed for first-time campers ages 5 to 11, and is a great introduction to the circus arts for all the aspiring clowns and acrobats in your house!
Smirklings, as we call our young performers, will experience the fun of Smirkus learning, and get a taste of what our longer camp sessions have to offer.
The fun will include the magical feeling of hanging upside-down on a trapeze, balancing spinning plates, walking on a giant globe, and will give a general introduction to the circus arts skills we teach at Smirkus Camp.
Smirkling Overnight
August 13-14, 2023: Two Days, One Night • Ages 5-11 • Price $495
Drop off Sunday 11am/Pick up Monday 4:30pm
Smirkling Overnight is designed for first-time campers ages 5 to 11, and is a great introduction to the circus arts and first time overnight experience for all the aspiring clowns and acrobats in your house! Smirklings, as we call our young performers, will experience the fun of Smirkus learning and get a taste of what our longer camp sessions have to offer.
The fun will include the magical feeling of hanging upside-down on a trapeze, balancing spinning plates, walking on a giant globe, and will give a general introduction to the circus arts skills we teach at Camp. Other activities may include an evening campfire, Smirkus Camp song night, or playing wacky Smirkus Camp games!
Most importantly, it’s a chance for kids to test the waters and see what circus training and Smirkus Camp life is like at Circus Smirkus.
All Levels Circus Camp
June 18-23, 2023 (1 week) Price $1460 • Ages 8-16 WAITLIST ONLY OR
June 25-July 7, 2023 (2 weeks) Price $2660 • Ages 8-16 WAITLIST ONLY
Choose either camp session or combine them to form a 3-week camp by adding a
layover! (1 week+layover+2 weeks) Price $4420 • Ages 8-16
Live your best circus life at Smirkus Camp in a session designed for campers of all skill levels, ages 8 to 16.
Our All Level sessions are open to anyone interested in the magic and fun of circus, whether you are training at a circus school in your home community or this is your first time trying circus.
Expect top-rate training from qualified and enthusiastic coaches ready to meet you where you are in aerials, acrobatics, juggling, clowning and more! Also not to be missed are the wacky and one-of-a-kind Smirkus Camp games, campfires, and dinner dress up events that complete the magic of a Smirkus Camp summer. All under authentic circus big top tents on our little hill campus in the beautiful Green Mountains!
View our 2023 Smirkus Camper & Family Handbook.
Got A Question?
Intermediate Camp
July 9-21, 2023 (2 weeks) • Price $2660 • Ages 12-18
*No video required for this session* SOLD OUT
Take your skills to new heights in our Intermediate Camp program geared towards campers with some prior overnight or circus/athletic experience for ages 12-18.
Intermediate-level campers partake in a fully immersive overnight circus program, exploring all aspects of circus for two weeks. Whether you have lots of circus experience or you have experience in dance, gymnastics, or if you juggle at home or are into martial arts, our expert coaches will help you put a shine on those skills and send you home with new tricks and more confidence than ever before.
In addition to brushing up your circus skills, you’ll learn more about circus as a performing arts form and take part in making Smirkus magic under camp’s authentic big top circus tents!
View our 2023 Smirkus Camper & Family Handbook.
Got A Question?
Camps requiring Placement Videos
Dates and session information listed below.
*Placement videos are required for all camps in this session*
Submit your video to be considered for one of our 4 placement-based camp programs! Campers who send in a placement video will have the opportunity to be placed in one of the following 2, 3 or 5-week sessions. See below for full descriptions.
★ Road Show
★ Intermediate Skills Intensive
★ Advanced Individual Acts
★ Advanced Ensemble
Each of these sessions comprises a fully immersive circus experience, explores all aspects of circus and camp life, and is geared toward campers aged 12-18.
Campers will be given the chance to delve fully into the circus arts and enjoy more training time with their coaches while creating stronger connections with their Smirkus community of friends. These programs also incorporate additional circus program offerings including guest speakers, special workshops and electives in specialized circus disciplines, and the opportunity to learn more about other aspects of circus such as rigging, sound, lighting, choreography, and more based on the talents and interests of the campers and staff.
★ Road Show A 5-week mini-tour experience
July 9-Aug 12 • Ages 12-18 • Price $6000
Road Show is a 5-week performance-focused session for experienced campers ages 12-18. In the first 3 weeks, campers will focus on learning new skills, building their acts, writing their show and rehearsing it fully. The following 2 weeks will be dedicated to a 10-day van tour, using Smirkus Camp as home base for sleeping and meals! Our Road Show campers will close their session performing at our new summer festival Smirkfest!
Road Show is based on the original Smirkus Big Top Tour model of putting a show together and then taking that show on the road to perform live in front of local audiences, such as at fairs, libraries, other camps, nursing homes and even on Church St in Burlington. It is a collaborative effort between campers, coaches and the program director and is an excellent stepping stone on a path that could lead to the Big Top Tour or other performance opportunities.
★ Intermediate Skills Intensive A 2-week program to learn new skills and technique
July 9-21 • Ages 12-18 • Price $2760 SOLD OUT
The Skills Intensive program is a track within the Intermediate camp designed for campers who are interested in pursuing a higher level of circus training and education.
The goal of the program is to focus on building a strong foundation in a variety of circus disciplines while also working towards advanced skills in an area of specialization. Campers will be assigned a mentor to assist with goal setting, progress tracking and skill development. A showcase of new skills will be performed at the end of the session.
★ Advanced Individual Acts A 3-week camp focused on solo act creation
July 23-Aug 11 • Ages 12-18 • Price $4110
The Advanced Individual Acts program is built for creation-minded campers to focus on and learn what it takes to build a solo circus act. Campers will learn how to engage circus technique with artistic and self expression and be asked to think about choreographic choices that speak to them as a performer as well as to the audience.
At the end of the session campers will present their new acts as a full length show created with their coaches and program director and will leave camp with an audition- or performance- ready act.
★ Advanced Ensemble A 3-week camp to conceive, produce and create a circus show
July 23-Aug 11 • Ages 12-18 • Price $4110
The Advanced Ensemble show is the most similar in final product to the Smirkus Big Top Tour show and gives campers the opportunity to work together to create a full length, thematic circus show complete with costumes, transitions and a story.
Ensemble is for campers who like to work as part of a team, like to work hard, and who are open to learning and trying new approaches to skills they may already be familiar with. Campers will hone their circus skills and build upon them to create their acts and will work with their coaches and program directors as colleagues to build and write their show in a collective, creative approach. Performance skills such as the signature Smirkus “Style and Smile” will be reinforced and learning to be on stage comfortably, as yourself, will shine through at the camp performance.
Click here for more information on video submissions.
Click here to fill out our placement-based camp Application.
View our 2023 Smirkus Camper & Family Handbook.
Got A Question?
CIT Program
June 18-23 (1 week) Price $700 • Ages 15-18 OR
June 25-July 7 (2 weeks) Price $1300 • Ages 15-18
SOLD OUT OR
July 9-July 21 (2 weeks) Price $1300 • Ages 15-18
The CIT (Counselors-in-Training OR Coaches-in-Training) program is for returning Smirkus campers ages 15-18 who possess enthusiasm for Smirkus Camp. CITs are responsible individuals, initiative takers, and community leaders who may desire to be a counselor or coach at Smirkus Camp when they graduate from camp or as they become of working age. CITs know how to work hard and how to play hard while having fun and sharing their enthusiasm all the while!
CITs will be assigned a counselor or coach mentor they will shadow and learn from throughout the session. By the end of the camp session CITs will have gained the tools to perform all of the major tasks required of counselors and coaches at Smirkus Camp.
In addition to participating in daily camp activities, CITs meet as a group everyday with a member of the camp leadership team to discuss prepare, pitch and implement a team project relevant to their camp session and experience.
At the end of the program, CITs will receive a certificate documenting their community service hours. As a tip, we look to our CITs first when hiring new counselors.
For more information, email camp@smirkus.org.
Scholarships
Circus Smirkus has long been committed to making circus programs available for as many children as possible, regardless of ability to pay. A limited number of partial scholarships are available to families with low incomes or other financial circumstances.
There are no fees to apply for a scholarship, and you do not need to register for a camp session before doing so. However, registering for camp ensures that you have a spot saved for the session of your choice this summer.
Notifications of scholarship awards are made in the spring. Please contact camp@smirkus.org for more information.
Policies
View our 2023 Fees, Conditions, & Policies – PDF
View our Smirkus Camper & Family Handbook (includes packing lists!)
Covid Requirements:
Circus Smirkus requires proof of up-to-date vaccination (including boosters as recommended by CDC) against Covid-19 with a CDC or WHO authorized vaccine for all staff, campers, and troupers. Additional Covid-19
View our 2022 Smirkus Camp COVID-19 guidelines.
Circus Smirkus Inclusion Policy:
Smirkus celebrates all types of peoples, cultures, and skills to showcase the multifaceted triumph of human abilities, particularly among the youth population. Joining Smirkus—as a participant, an employee, a volunteer, or an audience member—means you belong. And to all who join, Smirkus asks for them to embrace its values and to help create joy and magic for everyone who encounters a Smirkus program. Smirkus commits to providing everyone equal opportunity to shine—both in and out of the ring.
VT DOH Licensing:
Smirkus Camp is licensed by the Vermont Department of Health and complies with their regulations. We perform a thorough background check of all newly hired staff, and repeat it every two years for returning seasonal employees.
Contact
Circus Smirkus Camp is located in Greensboro, Vermont, just down the road from our main headquarters. Email us at camp@smirkus.org.
SUMMER MAILING ADDRESS FOR CAMPERS:
Circus Smirkus Camp
409 Breezy Ave
Greensboro VT 05841
GPS Coordinates
Camp Office: 802-533-2423
camp@smirkus.org
CIRCUS SMIRKUS WORLD HEADQUARTERS:
Big Top Tour Kickoff & Finale (and year-round offices)
1 Circus Road
Greensboro, VT 05841
GPS Coordinates
phone: 802-533-7443