A while ago I wrote about my kids circus taking classes at Trapeze Arts in Oakland. They’ve just completed the first 8-week cycle, and they had a blast. We’ve signed them up for the next cycle and I’m hoping they’ll stick with it.
Today they had their “show” and I went to see them for the first time. I loved it! I don’t think we could have chosen a better activity for them to do.
What my kids themselves did was not particularly complex, some head rolls mostly, some simple pyramid building and that was about that. Some other kids did very complex routines on the curtains, trapeze and ropes – but I’m sure they’ve been doing it for much longer. But what I really enjoyed was the sense of fun that accompanied the whole show – in particular the parts for the younger kids. The teachers use their shyness and inexperience for unadulterated comic relief, and the kids love it. Indeed, because it’s a circus class, rather than gymnastics, you can celebrate and laugh at mistakes – and really, not necessarily know if they are mistakes or part of the show.
Anyway, if you are looking for an activity for your kids, and you don’t want them to get into competitive, life-consuming crap, you should definitely consider this.