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…
Circus, Circus Everywhere
To the staff, jump days are times to move ahead to set up the next site, but to Troupers, they are the rare times they get to enjoy summer as normal kids. Each jump day is started by gathering in the place where the ring used to rest. Troupers hold hands in a circle, and learn about the coming jump. General announcements are made, home-stays are announced, and then, a Trouper will reflect on tour. They contemplate where they have come from and where they will go. They appreciate the moment. On past jumps, Troupers have swam in rivers, explored Boston, and…
Inside the Pie Car
What has four wheels and makes 19 thousand meals a summer? If you answered the Pie Car, you’d be correct! The Pie Car is a very special vehicle that travels with us on tour because it makes all of our food. The term “Pie Car” is used throughout the circus world referring to where food is cooked! It’s 6am and Cook Clark is up. He downs some coffee, blasts a little music and begins the day. Breakfast feeds all of the tour staff and generally consists of something like this: scones with homemade, candied orange peel, stove top oatmeal, bacon, sausage, and…
Rolling of the Ring Rug
As we travel all across New England and New York, the process of packing up everything at one site and jumping to another gains a methodic momentum: the bleacher pads come off, the lights come down, costumes are carried back to wardrobe. In particular, a ritual surrounds the rolling and transportation of the ring rug. This year, the red rug that adorned the floor of the ring for years was replaced with a more versatile gray rug. But the traditions surrounding the ring rug remain. During teardown yesterday in Northampton, MA, as tent crew swiftly disassembled the tent around them,…