Circuses (Plural) Are In Town

For me it’s often the jugglers. When I am seated circus-side (as I was for the recent performance of Opera North’s “Havana Nights”), I am awed by the aerialists but never imagine myself winging through the air. Watching jugglers, though . . . I am spellbound, and there’s always a brief moment when, with no evidence whatsoever, I think maybe I could learn to do that.

Upper Valley Circus Camp can fulfill the dreams of both children and adults who long to learn or observe the circus arts. (Click here for more information.) Children’s summer camp (ages 8 to 18) is full but maintaining a wait list; there’s a performance by the camp’s coaches in Plainfield Village NH on July 27, and an Adult Night on August 3.

Hideaway Circus describes itself as “. . . a Brooklyn based circus, dance, and multi-media producing company founded and run by Josh & Lyndsay Aviner. The company’s original theatrical productions include: the two-time Drama Desk nominated dance show BEYOND BABEL, a ‘Critics Pick’ of the The New York Times described as ‘astonishing and irresistible’; and the genre-defying slasher circus show SLUMBER described by Time Out NY as ‘contemporary, sexy and a little bit dangerous.’” Hideaway Circus will be presenting a more traditional, family-friendly outdoor performance, “Stars Above,” during a Northeast tour that begins in Brattleboro VT (August 13-14) and ends in the Upper Valley’s Cornish NH (September 17-18).

Back to the jugglers for just a moment . . . Juggler Delaney Bayles will join “Stars Above.” She holds multiple world records and has performed at numerous national and international festivals. Upper Valley fans may have caught her mind-jarring performances (she really is the best) at Circus Smirkus and at Cirque Us (photo, above.) Click here for tickets and more information.

Speaking of Cirque Us, this down home circus troupe that made its way to the Upper Valley over the past few years has been honored with an invitation to perform at the Rochester Fringe Festival (September 14-25) in Rochester NY. Rochester Fringe descended from Scotland’s famed Edinburgh Fringe Festival. “Rochester’s not-for-profit Fringe has become one of the largest and most successful fringe festivals in the nation, the largest multi-disciplinary performing arts festival in New York State, and one of the region’s most anticipated festivals each year.”

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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.