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…
Work at Smirkus Camp!
Smirkus Camp is hiring for the 2017 summer season in beautiful Greensboro, VT. Room and board can be arranged for all positions. Click the job title to see job descriptions. All applicants should send their Smirkus job application, resume and cover letters to bill.merrylees@smirkus.org. Smirkus Camp Speciality Cook Head Counselor Prep Cook/Dishwasher Camp Program Director Note: All Applicants to work at Camp in 2017 must be 18 years of age on or before their first day of employment. Camp will be reviewing applications as they arrive. Please provide a Smirkus Job Application, a cover letter, and a resume in your application. Email…
CIT (Counselor-In-Training) Applications Now Open
Smirkus Camp’s CIT (Counselor-In-Training) Program is now accepting applications until March 4th, 2017. The CIT program is for current or former Smirkus campers, ages 16-18, who possess lots of enthusiasm, responsibility, and desire to maybe be a counselor someday! 2017 CITs will work one-on-one with an experienced mentor counselor throughout the camp session, and by the end will perform all of the tasks that their mentor counselor does. You will also meet daily as a group with a camp administrator for sharing, reflection, plus special topics and activities. At the end of the program, CITs will receive a certificate documenting their…
The circus is hiring!
Join us this summer on Breezy Avenue hilltop for a summer camp gig like no other! Smirkus Camp is seeking nurturing, enthusiastic and versatile coaches who specialize in clowning, acrobatics, aerial arts, and juggling. Camp is also hiring a skilled Head Rigger to support tent operations! At Circus Smirkus Camp, you’ll be an integral part of a team that upholds Smirkus Camp values- cooperation over competition, friendship, a love of learning, and fostering life-changing adventures in the circus arts. Interested applicants should send their resume, cover letter, Smirkus job description, and promo video to camp@smirkus.org. Visit the employment page for more information. Handy in the…
The Spirit of Session V
There’s a busy week at camp and then there’s session V busy! Everyone at camp has been putting in the sweat and love required to make not one but THREE independent shows that culminate into the Session V experience. Our Roadshow people have been hitting the road over the past week and visiting everything from nursing homes, to children’s centers, to Church Street in Burlington. Our campers have brought the joy and the magic of circus performance to so many adoring people in the community. Another subsection of the session is the Individual acts. A handful of campers take one…
Three Ringed Circus Camp
We have arrived at our last session of camp, and it is a real tour de force for everyone. From the leadership team who organized and scheduled the three rings of session five: Ensemble, Individual Acts, and Roadshow, to the coaches, who serve as teachers and directors these weeks creating three unique shows. Not to mention the counselors who continue to guide the campers with their leadership and their dynamite personalities and to the campers themselves, all of whom have worked extraordinarily hard to put their acts together in Session V, and it shows! Click to view slideshow. Speaking of…