Middle School Circus Interim
Who hasn’t dreamed of joining the circus?
Since 2006, the Sharon Academy has brought this dream alive for its middle school students; and they don’t even have to run away to join!
Each year, Troy Wunderle, a trained circus performer and ringmaster, comes to TSA and transforms our school into a circus. Under Wunderle’s careful tutelage, the middle school devotes the better part of a two-week Interim to learning and practicing circus skills including clowning, juggling, unicycle riding, gymnastics, stilt walking, and much, much more. All the while the students are learning about the levels of teamwork, collaboration, and responsibility that are inherent in the creative process.
|
Watch this documentary produced by TSA 2017 alumnus Tray Fisk |
Students also help to write the script for the clowning acts, arrange and perform live music, coordinate the advertising for the show, set up the staging and seating, build the props and scenery and invent pre-circus carnival games for younger children. The culminating show is an exuberantly funny carnival and circus, which consistently draws huge crowds.
Why do we take time away from traditional classes to create a circus?
One benefit of the TSA circus is that every student is given the opportunity to take on a large theatrical role. Even our most reserved students build confidence, overcome stage fright, and experience the self-discipline required to perform in front of an audience. In addition, students design routines and clowning acts, which require mutual trust, cooperation, creativity, and teamwork. Click here to learn about the Middle School Curriculum.
Developing physical skills is another important aspect of the circus experience. Many students begin practicing a skill long before the circus interim begins. Even less athletic students participate wholeheartedly in this non-competitive circus atmosphere. Students learn that they have an obligation to the audience and to each other to show up with a well-honed routine. The importance of “practice, practice practice” is a theme throughout the two weeks. Read about one student’s transformational experience in the Circus.
The Circus is heaps of fun and it is an ideal medium for developing physical, emotional, and social competence in our students.
|
From an interview with Troy Wunderle in 2016: “It is a pleasure being back here in the TSA gym with another group of TSA Middle Schoolers…it is always a wonderful surprise to see what this year’s group of kids has in store. No other school with which I work empowers their students as much to shape their circus performance. I appreciate this opportunity. I continue to do residencies with elementary schools because through this format, I am able to teach incredibly important lessons to children who are in a transitional period in their lives. It is probably easy to see that in order to pull off a creative, collaborative performance such as this, everyone involved must be willing to work hard. Additionally, each student must understand that the stepping stones to success are often failure and hard work. The only way to move past a failure and into success is to acknowledge the failure, accept it without shame or fear, and learn from it. The ground-rules I lay down when we begin rehearsals include, “If you are going to fail, FAIL BIG! That’s the only way to fail successfully.”Once students can grasp this concept, they can overcome many obstacles throughout their lives – be they physical, emotional, or academic obstacles. Best of all, though, these students walk away with memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. memories of the pride they felt when mastering a hard stunt, of being included in a community working towards a common goal, and of how much can be accomplished when a group is committed to supporting each other. The audience walks away with memories, too: memories of the power and creativity of adolescents.” Troy Wunderle |
About Troy Wunderle
We are extremely fortunate to have the beloved Troy Wunderle return every year to lead the TSA Circus. It is a great privilege for our students to be able to spend two weeks learning from this highly talented artist and educator.
Troy Wunderle is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. Troy is Big Top Tour Artistic Director of Circus Smirkus, former Director of Clowning for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and founder of Wunderle’s Big Top Adventures, LLC. He is also a former international performer with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and has toured throughout the United States as a freelance performer and employee of Vermont’s own Circus Smirkus.
A fiercely proud Vermonter, Troy’s slogan is “Spread Joy-Create Memories-Inspire Dreams.” We have the joy of seeing Troy live this slogan every year.
Read this November 2019 feature article about Troy from Spectacle Magazine