46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes

for teachers and parents:

A Good Audience

Dear Grownups: The information on this page is designed to help you further the adventure of Circa with children.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

At the

, you are the

.

Coming Full Circa While some of Circa’s tricks may be too dangerous for children, others will provides hours of at-home fun for children. As your own budding circus stars try these tricks described below, be sure they have plenty of space, soft surroundings (if juggling with breakables or if tumbling), and adult supervision: Juggle with beanbags or soft balls. Start with just two and try to arc them gently from hand to hand. Then try to add a third ball. Or have someone stand nearby and serve as a second juggler. See how long the two of you can keep several items in the air if you’re throwing them back and forth.

This is different from

a

Create your own circus show. Acts can include hula hooping, jumping rope, clowning, and magic tricks. Come up with nicknames for each of the performers. How many acts can you perform in ten minutes? How will your audience members know when one act ends and another begins?

the

carefully.

Darrell M. Ayers Vice President , Education This tour of CIRCA is made possible by a grant from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Performed by Featuring Darcy Grant, Scott Grove, James Kingsford-Smith, and Jess Love

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by The U.S. Department of Education, The President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, and The Clark Charitable Foundation.

. They do best when you

and the

or

. You are in the same room with

the

Balance on one leg. Are you better on the right or left leg?

Can you keep the other leg raised in the air while you balance?

Then place an object on your hand or head and see how long you can keep it there. Try using rulers or old toothbrushes on your palm and plastic cups, tennis balls, or pillows on your head. What happens when you move faster?

ing

Michael M. Kaiser President

like it when

reacts to parts of the story

Cuesheets are made possible by the U.S. Department of Education, AT&T, the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust, James V. Kimsey, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, and Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. Stolwijk, and the Verizon Foundation.

www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org

that are

,

, or

. If you like

, show it by

at the end.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTS EDGE, a program of the Kennedy Center Education Department. ARTS EDGE is a part of Verizon Thinkfinity, a consortium of free educational Web sites for K-12 teaching and learning.

For more about the performing arts and arts education, visit the Kennedy Center’s Education Department online at www.kennedy-center.org/education.

The U.S. Department of Education supports approximately one-third of the budget for the Kennedy Center Education Department. The contents of this Cuesheet do not represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Running Away to Join the Circus For those kids whose aptitude and interest go beyond at-home tricks, there are other options: ◗ Because both floor and aerial tricks are best done with supervision, gymnastics classes offer a safe and fun way to learn acrobatic skills.

performers

movie

watch

audience

sad

Coming to you all the way from the far-away continent of Australia, it’s the talented cast of Circa — ready to perform 46 acts of tumbling, juggling, bending, balancing, spinning, grinning, and flipping in just 45 minutes. Can they do it?

Only time will tell!

© 2011 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

TV

funny

clapping

happy

performance

◗ If you find the right school—or even the right summer camp—it’s also possible for your child to join trapeze classes or specialized circus training.

5

Ladies and gentlemen…Boys and girls…

listen

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Hello teachers and parents!

Please see page 5 for information and activities.

6

Big

top talk

Want to talk “circus”?

Here are some words you should know: Acrobat

Meet the Stars of the Show Meet the

Attention everyone! performers in your show.

Darcy Grant is an acrobat, tumbler, unicycle rider, hand balancer, and circus trainer. He’s also a skilled juggler who can move a spool using two sticks connected by a string.

To make sure you know when acts start and end, the performers will name and number them as they perform. They may also give you a physical signal— do they wink? Smile? Bow? Say “Ta-da!”?

Scott Grove does knockabout acrobatics, tumbling, pitching, handstands, flying trapeze, and Russian swing (a swinging metal platform from which performers can jump).

Circa’s Circus Tricks

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

What do you think of when you hear the word “circus”? Trained elephants and tigers? A tiny car full of clowns wearing big, red noses?

Flowers that squirt water?

Here are three ways Circa keeps your eyes glued to the stage: 1. TIME Circa gives itself less than one minute to complete each act. The big clock on the stage helps add to the excitement.

That’s one kind of circus. The show you’re about to see is another kind. It doesn’t use animals, or cars, or shoot people out of cannons.

Instead, it takes the acrobats from the circus, adds in some silly humor, and combines them into an action-packed show.

2. ACTIONS Watch the performers’ faces when they do difficult tricks. Sometimes, they try to look scared or act as if they’re not ready yet.

You’ll see 46 acts in 45 minutes. An act is a single trick or a short collection of related movements, sometimes using an object. Circa’s acts focus on hula hoops, jump ropes, juggling, tumbling, clowning, bending bodies, magic, and even costumes, jokes, and all-around silliness!

3. MUSIC High-energy music adds to the show’s excitement.

Listen for familiar themes from classic movies, popular songs, and the Olympics. Which pieces of music do the best job of making your heart race?

2

An athlete with strong gymnastic skills, such as flipping and tumbling.

Base The performer on the bottom of a multi-person trick; he or she lifts, catches, and assists the flyer.

Circles Another way to describe hula hoops.

Clown A performer who dresses up and makes jokes to entertain the audience.

Contortion In acrobatics, twisting or squeezing the body into unusual positions (for example, into a barrel).

The Life of Circa To be a strong team, Circa’s performers need to commu nicate like one. Whether they’re catching juggling pins, balancing upside down on another performer’s back, or watching for a cue (a sign to enter an act), each person must be very familiar with the other performers’ movements. This requires concentration, hard work, and a whole lot of practice. During the performance, watch the performers give each other signals. See how they know when to catch a juggling pin or to start jumping rope.

In a way, each acrobat also has a “team” effort going on inside. The body, the mind, and the voice all need to work together. Watch how much control Circa’s performers have over their movements and facial expressions — even when they’re performing difficult and dangerous tricks.

Flyer Someone who performs in the air while being supported, suspended, thrown, or caught by another flyer or a base.

Juggling James Kingsford-Smith has performed as an actor, stuntman, high diver, acrobat, and aerialist. He started his gymnastics training at age five.

It takes teamwork

Keeping several objects in motion by tossing and catching them.

Skipping Another term for jumping rope.

Spotter

Visitors from “ Down Under” Circa has toured 18 countries on 5 continents. Their home base and training center are in Brisbane, Australia.

Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s summer there now (in February). Sometimes people in the Northern Hemisphere (like us) say Australians are “down under”— meaning they’re “under” the equator when compared with the United States.

A person whose job it is to protect the performer in case he or she falls.

Jess Love specializes in hula hoops, tumbling, acrobatics, skipping, double trapeze, and hoop diving. In 2009, Jess broke the world record for the most number of hula hoops spun at one time: 115 in total!

3

Tightrope Walking The act of walking along a wire or rope (“tightrope”) high in the air.

Trapeze A horizontal bar that hangs in the air and can be used by acrobats.

Tumbling Doing gymnastics, such as somersaults, with just one’s own body (no outside equipment).

Unicycle A bicycle with only one wheel.

4

Circa’s performers have an average of 12 years of training. That’s just as much practice — or even more — than many other professional sports require.

Big

top talk

Want to talk “circus”?

Here are some words you should know: Acrobat

Meet the Stars of the Show Meet the

Attention everyone! performers in your show.

Darcy Grant is an acrobat, tumbler, unicycle rider, hand balancer, and circus trainer. He’s also a skilled juggler who can move a spool using two sticks connected by a string.

To make sure you know when acts start and end, the performers will name and number them as they perform. They may also give you a physical signal— do they wink? Smile? Bow? Say “Ta-da!”?

Scott Grove does knockabout acrobatics, tumbling, pitching, handstands, flying trapeze, and Russian swing (a swinging metal platform from which performers can jump).

Circa’s Circus Tricks

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

What do you think of when you hear the word “circus”? Trained elephants and tigers? A tiny car full of clowns wearing big, red noses?

Flowers that squirt water?

Here are three ways Circa keeps your eyes glued to the stage: 1. TIME Circa gives itself less than one minute to complete each act. The big clock on the stage helps add to the excitement.

That’s one kind of circus. The show you’re about to see is another kind. It doesn’t use animals, or cars, or shoot people out of cannons.

Instead, it takes the acrobats from the circus, adds in some silly humor, and combines them into an action-packed show.

2. ACTIONS Watch the performers’ faces when they do difficult tricks. Sometimes, they try to look scared or act as if they’re not ready yet.

You’ll see 46 acts in 45 minutes. An act is a single trick or a short collection of related movements, sometimes using an object. Circa’s acts focus on hula hoops, jump ropes, juggling, tumbling, clowning, bending bodies, magic, and even costumes, jokes, and all-around silliness!

3. MUSIC High-energy music adds to the show’s excitement.

Listen for familiar themes from classic movies, popular songs, and the Olympics. Which pieces of music do the best job of making your heart race?

2

An athlete with strong gymnastic skills, such as flipping and tumbling.

Base The performer on the bottom of a multi-person trick; he or she lifts, catches, and assists the flyer.

Circles Another way to describe hula hoops.

Clown A performer who dresses up and makes jokes to entertain the audience.

Contortion In acrobatics, twisting or squeezing the body into unusual positions (for example, into a barrel).

The Life of Circa To be a strong team, Circa’s performers need to commu nicate like one. Whether they’re catching juggling pins, balancing upside down on another performer’s back, or watching for a cue (a sign to enter an act), each person must be very familiar with the other performers’ movements. This requires concentration, hard work, and a whole lot of practice. During the performance, watch the performers give each other signals. See how they know when to catch a juggling pin or to start jumping rope.

In a way, each acrobat also has a “team” effort going on inside. The body, the mind, and the voice all need to work together. Watch how much control Circa’s performers have over their movements and facial expressions — even when they’re performing difficult and dangerous tricks.

Flyer Someone who performs in the air while being supported, suspended, thrown, or caught by another flyer or a base.

Juggling James Kingsford-Smith has performed as an actor, stuntman, high diver, acrobat, and aerialist. He started his gymnastics training at age five.

It takes teamwork

Keeping several objects in motion by tossing and catching them.

Skipping Another term for jumping rope.

Spotter

Visitors from “ Down Under” Circa has toured 18 countries on 5 continents. Their home base and training center are in Brisbane, Australia.

Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s summer there now (in February). Sometimes people in the Northern Hemisphere (like us) say Australians are “down under”— meaning they’re “under” the equator when compared with the United States.

A person whose job it is to protect the performer in case he or she falls.

Jess Love specializes in hula hoops, tumbling, acrobatics, skipping, double trapeze, and hoop diving. In 2009, Jess broke the world record for the most number of hula hoops spun at one time: 115 in total!

3

Tightrope Walking The act of walking along a wire or rope (“tightrope”) high in the air.

Trapeze A horizontal bar that hangs in the air and can be used by acrobats.

Tumbling Doing gymnastics, such as somersaults, with just one’s own body (no outside equipment).

Unicycle A bicycle with only one wheel.

4

Circa’s performers have an average of 12 years of training. That’s just as much practice — or even more — than many other professional sports require.

Big

top talk

Want to talk “circus”?

Here are some words you should know: Acrobat

Meet the Stars of the Show Meet the

Attention everyone! performers in your show.

Darcy Grant is an acrobat, tumbler, unicycle rider, hand balancer, and circus trainer. He’s also a skilled juggler who can move a spool using two sticks connected by a string.

To make sure you know when acts start and end, the performers will name and number them as they perform. They may also give you a physical signal— do they wink? Smile? Bow? Say “Ta-da!”?

Scott Grove does knockabout acrobatics, tumbling, pitching, handstands, flying trapeze, and Russian swing (a swinging metal platform from which performers can jump).

Circa’s Circus Tricks

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

What do you think of when you hear the word “circus”? Trained elephants and tigers? A tiny car full of clowns wearing big, red noses?

Flowers that squirt water?

Here are three ways Circa keeps your eyes glued to the stage: 1. TIME Circa gives itself less than one minute to complete each act. The big clock on the stage helps add to the excitement.

That’s one kind of circus. The show you’re about to see is another kind. It doesn’t use animals, or cars, or shoot people out of cannons.

Instead, it takes the acrobats from the circus, adds in some silly humor, and combines them into an action-packed show.

2. ACTIONS Watch the performers’ faces when they do difficult tricks. Sometimes, they try to look scared or act as if they’re not ready yet.

You’ll see 46 acts in 45 minutes. An act is a single trick or a short collection of related movements, sometimes using an object. Circa’s acts focus on hula hoops, jump ropes, juggling, tumbling, clowning, bending bodies, magic, and even costumes, jokes, and all-around silliness!

3. MUSIC High-energy music adds to the show’s excitement.

Listen for familiar themes from classic movies, popular songs, and the Olympics. Which pieces of music do the best job of making your heart race?

2

An athlete with strong gymnastic skills, such as flipping and tumbling.

Base The performer on the bottom of a multi-person trick; he or she lifts, catches, and assists the flyer.

Circles Another way to describe hula hoops.

Clown A performer who dresses up and makes jokes to entertain the audience.

Contortion In acrobatics, twisting or squeezing the body into unusual positions (for example, into a barrel).

The Life of Circa To be a strong team, Circa’s performers need to commu nicate like one. Whether they’re catching juggling pins, balancing upside down on another performer’s back, or watching for a cue (a sign to enter an act), each person must be very familiar with the other performers’ movements. This requires concentration, hard work, and a whole lot of practice. During the performance, watch the performers give each other signals. See how they know when to catch a juggling pin or to start jumping rope.

In a way, each acrobat also has a “team” effort going on inside. The body, the mind, and the voice all need to work together. Watch how much control Circa’s performers have over their movements and facial expressions — even when they’re performing difficult and dangerous tricks.

Flyer Someone who performs in the air while being supported, suspended, thrown, or caught by another flyer or a base.

Juggling James Kingsford-Smith has performed as an actor, stuntman, high diver, acrobat, and aerialist. He started his gymnastics training at age five.

It takes teamwork

Keeping several objects in motion by tossing and catching them.

Skipping Another term for jumping rope.

Spotter

Visitors from “ Down Under” Circa has toured 18 countries on 5 continents. Their home base and training center are in Brisbane, Australia.

Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s summer there now (in February). Sometimes people in the Northern Hemisphere (like us) say Australians are “down under”— meaning they’re “under” the equator when compared with the United States.

A person whose job it is to protect the performer in case he or she falls.

Jess Love specializes in hula hoops, tumbling, acrobatics, skipping, double trapeze, and hoop diving. In 2009, Jess broke the world record for the most number of hula hoops spun at one time: 115 in total!

3

Tightrope Walking The act of walking along a wire or rope (“tightrope”) high in the air.

Trapeze A horizontal bar that hangs in the air and can be used by acrobats.

Tumbling Doing gymnastics, such as somersaults, with just one’s own body (no outside equipment).

Unicycle A bicycle with only one wheel.

4

Circa’s performers have an average of 12 years of training. That’s just as much practice — or even more — than many other professional sports require.

for teachers and parents:

A Good Audience

Dear Grownups: The information on this page is designed to help you further the adventure of Circa with children.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

At the

, you are the

.

Coming Full Circa While some of Circa’s tricks may be too dangerous for children, others will provides hours of at-home fun for children. As your own budding circus stars try these tricks described below, be sure they have plenty of space, soft surroundings (if juggling with breakables or if tumbling), and adult supervision: Juggle with beanbags or soft balls. Start with just two and try to arc them gently from hand to hand. Then try to add a third ball. Or have someone stand nearby and serve as a second juggler. See how long the two of you can keep several items in the air if you’re throwing them back and forth.

This is different from

a

Create your own circus show. Acts can include hula hooping, jumping rope, clowning, and magic tricks. Come up with nicknames for each of the performers. How many acts can you perform in ten minutes? How will your audience members know when one act ends and another begins?

the

carefully.

Darrell M. Ayers Vice President , Education This tour of CIRCA is made possible by a grant from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Performed by Featuring Darcy Grant, Scott Grove, James Kingsford-Smith, and Jess Love

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by The U.S. Department of Education, The President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, and The Clark Charitable Foundation.

. They do best when you

and the

or

. You are in the same room with

the

Balance on one leg. Are you better on the right or left leg?

Can you keep the other leg raised in the air while you balance?

Then place an object on your hand or head and see how long you can keep it there. Try using rulers or old toothbrushes on your palm and plastic cups, tennis balls, or pillows on your head. What happens when you move faster?

ing

Michael M. Kaiser President

like it when

reacts to parts of the story

Cuesheets are made possible by the U.S. Department of Education, AT&T, the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust, James V. Kimsey, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, and Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. Stolwijk, and the Verizon Foundation.

www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org

that are

,

, or

. If you like

, show it by

at the end.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTS EDGE, a program of the Kennedy Center Education Department. ARTS EDGE is a part of Verizon Thinkfinity, a consortium of free educational Web sites for K-12 teaching and learning.

For more about the performing arts and arts education, visit the Kennedy Center’s Education Department online at www.kennedy-center.org/education.

The U.S. Department of Education supports approximately one-third of the budget for the Kennedy Center Education Department. The contents of this Cuesheet do not represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Running Away to Join the Circus For those kids whose aptitude and interest go beyond at-home tricks, there are other options: ◗ Because both floor and aerial tricks are best done with supervision, gymnastics classes offer a safe and fun way to learn acrobatic skills.

performers

movie

watch

audience

sad

Coming to you all the way from the far-away continent of Australia, it’s the talented cast of Circa — ready to perform 46 acts of tumbling, juggling, bending, balancing, spinning, grinning, and flipping in just 45 minutes. Can they do it?

Only time will tell!

© 2011 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

TV

funny

clapping

happy

performance

◗ If you find the right school—or even the right summer camp—it’s also possible for your child to join trapeze classes or specialized circus training.

5

Ladies and gentlemen…Boys and girls…

listen

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Hello teachers and parents!

Please see page 5 for information and activities.

6

for teachers and parents:

A Good Audience

Dear Grownups: The information on this page is designed to help you further the adventure of Circa with children.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

At the

, you are the

.

Coming Full Circa While some of Circa’s tricks may be too dangerous for children, others will provides hours of at-home fun for children. As your own budding circus stars try these tricks described below, be sure they have plenty of space, soft surroundings (if juggling with breakables or if tumbling), and adult supervision: Juggle with beanbags or soft balls. Start with just two and try to arc them gently from hand to hand. Then try to add a third ball. Or have someone stand nearby and serve as a second juggler. See how long the two of you can keep several items in the air if you’re throwing them back and forth.

This is different from

a

Create your own circus show. Acts can include hula hooping, jumping rope, clowning, and magic tricks. Come up with nicknames for each of the performers. How many acts can you perform in ten minutes? How will your audience members know when one act ends and another begins?

the

carefully.

Darrell M. Ayers Vice President , Education This tour of CIRCA is made possible by a grant from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Performed by Featuring Darcy Grant, Scott Grove, James Kingsford-Smith, and Jess Love

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by The U.S. Department of Education, The President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, and The Clark Charitable Foundation.

. They do best when you

and the

or

. You are in the same room with

the

Balance on one leg. Are you better on the right or left leg?

Can you keep the other leg raised in the air while you balance?

Then place an object on your hand or head and see how long you can keep it there. Try using rulers or old toothbrushes on your palm and plastic cups, tennis balls, or pillows on your head. What happens when you move faster?

ing

Michael M. Kaiser President

like it when

reacts to parts of the story

Cuesheets are made possible by the U.S. Department of Education, AT&T, the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust, James V. Kimsey, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, and Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. Stolwijk, and the Verizon Foundation.

www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org

that are

,

, or

. If you like

, show it by

at the end.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTS EDGE, a program of the Kennedy Center Education Department. ARTS EDGE is a part of Verizon Thinkfinity, a consortium of free educational Web sites for K-12 teaching and learning.

For more about the performing arts and arts education, visit the Kennedy Center’s Education Department online at www.kennedy-center.org/education.

The U.S. Department of Education supports approximately one-third of the budget for the Kennedy Center Education Department. The contents of this Cuesheet do not represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Running Away to Join the Circus For those kids whose aptitude and interest go beyond at-home tricks, there are other options: ◗ Because both floor and aerial tricks are best done with supervision, gymnastics classes offer a safe and fun way to learn acrobatic skills.

performers

movie

watch

audience

sad

Coming to you all the way from the far-away continent of Australia, it’s the talented cast of Circa — ready to perform 46 acts of tumbling, juggling, bending, balancing, spinning, grinning, and flipping in just 45 minutes. Can they do it?

Only time will tell!

© 2011 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

TV

funny

clapping

happy

performance

◗ If you find the right school—or even the right summer camp—it’s also possible for your child to join trapeze classes or specialized circus training.

5

Ladies and gentlemen…Boys and girls…

listen

Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Hello teachers and parents!

Please see page 5 for information and activities.

6