Author Archives: Circus Smirkus
Truly Inspired
Greetings Smirkus Family & Friends, The countdown has begun, we have t-minus 5 days to Opening Day! The Troupers are fine-tuning their acts and dress rehearsals have begun. Our amazing costume designer, Julie Michael, has been working around the clock to produce fantastic Smirkus-style garments that will wow you! I can’t give away all of our secrets though, so be sure to catch a show near you to discover all the surprises we have in store for you. We also have had a bevy of Smirko traditional events this week and oh, what fun was had! The weekend started with…
On the Cusp
Dear Smirkus Family and Friends, With the outset of our first performance fast approaching, just nine days away from the 2015 Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour Opening Weekend, with our first show on June 28, here in Greensboro, the Troupers are more focused than ever. Known in the Smirko world as the toughest week, we are closing up the second week of rehearsal just beautifully, looking forward to the annual Banquet on Saturday night. Each routine is beginning to reach “act-ness,” the term we use when things just start coming together and we start to see the performance shine through….
Worth It
Dear Smirkus Friends and Family, We did it! The first week of rehearsals and preparation is down and boy was it was a doozie. Throughout the course of the week we have hammered down the last details of the show, completed casting, attended and performed at the official Smirkus Camp Ribbon Cutting (see Hannah’s blog below!) played Panic, rehearsed and rehearsed some more, sweat, put on the No-Talent Talent Show, and even took a day off to relax and recuperate. This week the Troupers will ramp up their training in preparation for the acts they have been cast in and…
We’ve Only Just Begun
Salutations, Smirkus Friends and Family, Well, it’s official, the 2015 Bon Appétit Circus Smirkus crew has assembled! Saturday, June 6, our uber-talented group of Smirkos arrived one after another with enthusiastic hugging, emotional reunions and electric excitement. The next few days are tough ones for these magical mavens of talent. They began to train with our stellar coaching staff yesterday, June 7, where they were able to show their talents in…well, we’ll just leave that a secret until June 28th when Bon Appétit opens! The coaches observe each Trouper closely while giving instruction, and simultaneously these highly professional masters…
Getting Ready to Soar
Greeting Smirkus Family and Friends, Excitement is beginning to fill the atmosphere here at Smirkus headquarters and with the arrival of coaches, counselors, interns and integral support staff this past week our summer of magic and marvel has officially begun! This season’s show aptly named, Bon Appétit, will have a culinary theme with acrobatic hors d’oeuvres, juggling sous chefs, sweet and sour unicycles, and high frying aerialists. As is tradition, we have an amazing crew working tirelessly to make this show really shine and I hope you are as excited as I am to see what fantastic and phenomenal things…
Sailing Into the Sunset
Dear Smirkus Family, The final few days in Greensboro flew by, and suddenly the time has come for me to head home. Three weeks of pre-tour and seven weeks on the road all blurred into one fantastic dream. I wrote this sitting on the porch of the barn, surrounded by Troupers giving final hugs before they departed. Some barely noticed their parents arrival, so absorbed in their last moments together for summer. Smirkus is much more than a place, it’s a feeling that takes over you. It’s joy and exhaustion; it’s dedication and love. Most importantly though, it’s something that…
How the Circus Leaves
Today marks our last day of shows. It’s bittersweet, looking back on how far we have come. There are so many memories to cherish from the summer and yet, the Big Top Tour 2014 is coming to a close. Today is full of laughs, smiles, tears, and hugs (mostly hugs!) as Troupers and staff reminisce. Below is a poem that Counselor Andrew wrote while on tour. And remember: live in the moment! -Emma How the Circus Leaves It was July 4th when I missed the circus. Alone on a Diamond bike I arrived; sweaty & a geode, shining. With steely grips they rolled up the big…
Behind the Scenes: Jeff Maynard
Our final Jump Day began with a rousing version of “When the Saints Come Marching In,” played by staff members parading around the bunk trailers with accordions, trumpets, drums, kazoos, and all sorts of other instruments. We coiled our muddy cables and started off towards home, the Circus Barn in Greensboro, Vermont. After driving just over an hour, we made the turn onto Circus Road! Car horns honked in excitement. People audibly sighed as they breathed in the icy Vermont air. A small group gathered in the wooden chairs on the porch. Though it had been almost two months since…
Families that Play Together Stay Together!
Mid-morning yesterday, everyone gathered on the lawn in front of the Pie Car for the annual Staff-Trouper Kickball Game. The sun beamed down on the sunny diamond behind Montpelier High School and dust swirled with every step as the staff took the field and Troupers lined up to kick. With limited coordination and boundless enthusiasm, the game began. There were no “3 strikes you’re out” type of rules, and the game involved as much cheering and jeering as actual kicking and running. Some kicks resulted in home-runs and yet, some innings ended after the first three kicks in a row…
STEP RIGHT UP, ONE FLIGHT UP!
Hello Smirkus Family! Today I have an incredibly special post for you all. It is a poem written by one of our tent crew, Brian Rodriguez Redmond. Brian is Seat Boss, meaning he is responsible for the assembly and disassembly of the bleachers that you sit on when you come to see a Smirkus show, but he is also a poet, an artist and so much more! Brian would love to hear your wildest, most fantastic ideas for circus acts, real or impossible, in the comments section! Enjoy, Emma STEP RIGHT UP, ONE FLIGHT UP! “Three thimbles full!” No more no less…