Generation C(ircus)

Adventures in Circus Education|Circus Performer and Educator, Marisa Diamond

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That's a wrap! Today was the day! The performance went very well! The kids had fun and the audience gave all positive reviews! Stills and video to come 😊

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Research

Just before Thanksgiving break, I went to see Cuisine and Confessions with the cast of the dance thesis that I am a part of. It is a show by (my favorite company) Les 7 Doigts de la Main. Although I have seen the show before, watching it with non-circus people was eye opening. Dance is a similar medium, but it is not the same. The dancers I was with were so impressed by both simple and incredibly difficult maneuvers, while they criticized aspects of the show that did not faze me.

Watching the show amidst the whirlwind of midterms and non-stop weeks, reminded me why I do what I do. It is to tell the truths you cannot tell otherwise. I say that broadly, but art is about truths - not necessarily yours, but a truth.

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Training and experimenting. HANDSTAND NATION

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I miss flying...

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MOOSIC

I am curating the show, musically. I have been looking for lots of instrumentals and acoustic versions of songs, but am very open about music, as long as it “fits”. Additionally, I got permission from ‘The Aquadolls’ to use any of their music for the April show! Hooray!

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Posted this on the wrong blog. Oops...

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We have an act list, ladies and gents! 

Rescue plane - all except Li, slammock

Airport/luggage - all, acro/dance

Turkish paintings - Li, lyra

Small world - Sa, P, Lu; clowning

Gone wrong - Sy, silks

Beach party transition - all except Li (interrupts the end of Sy), juggling

Mermaids - Li and O, duo trap

Awaken transition - all, partner acro and tumbling

Stranded - P, cloudswing

Rescue plane - all except Li, slammock

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Rollin, rollin, rollin

Site visit 10/22

A collection of photos and videos from work I did this past Saturday with the youth class that will be performing in December!

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I’m finally teaching the kids in person! Class planning for Saturday. We’ll be working mostly on trapeze and partner acrobatics in the recreation classes. For the advanced youth performance troupe, we’ll be working on acrobatics, partner/group acrobatics, and show writing. 

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More movement exploration. Experimenting with storytelling through movement and music. Improvised.

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(pw: circus) Movement Exploration||Marisa + Paula This short piece was developed through two different “two-count” exercises, in which each person involved can only move in two counts at a time, the other partner(s) copy that, and then they add their two counts, and so on. One exercise was non-contact based and the other involved non-constant contact. These exercises will be used in the development of one, if not both, youth shows for group numbers. The MA students will try these exercises either 10/15 or 10/22.

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In addition to IP, I am in a BFA dance thesis. In rehearsal this week, we did some partnering work that was extremely useful to IP. I have been trying to think of ways to make the my students more “dancy”. They already have a fairly high skill level but are lacking fluidity and ability to transition, as well as ensemble work. This is where dance comes in. With dance, you can make your transitions smoother, more intentional, and an actual part of the show. 

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This past weekend, I asked the adv. youth students that I am working with to try two exercises that I’ve never used before. 

1. Tell a story.

2. Superheroes.

I know these sound relatively simple, and they are but there is more to each of them than just those words. For the first exercise, I asked each student to pick an aerial apparatus of their choosing, and hop on it. They were then to tell a story while maintaining constant movement. Their stories could be made up or real, autobiographical or otherwise. I chose this exercise to get the students acquainted with narrative and narrative through movement. The second exercise was used to expose them to character based on self. They were each instructed to develop a superhero character to be while performing on an apparatus. These superheroes were to either be based on exaggerating an existing quality a student has, or creating an alter ego (something the student does not posses).  Both exercises resulted in tremendous success. The two shyest students in the class both broke through their shells in both exercises, while the other students also excelled.

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BIG NEWS!

Circus is no cheap venture, especially when safety is a main priority (it is!). Proper circus equipment starts to add up extremely quickly, and when you’re starting from ground zero, those numbers can be monstrous. My goal is an aerial rig, two “grovers” (mats), a minimum of 30 good juggling balls, an aerial/ground cube, and other assorted manipulation equipment. (My personal trapeze can also be lent to the project.) All of these “apparatari” are fairly simple to learn and a basic performance level is attainable if students are willing to put in work to get there. BUT -- again, these things do not come cheap...

...soooo, I am thrilled to announce that I have been awarded an arts@Michigan grant to help cover the costs of my project! It won’t cover everything, but it will be a huge help! I am also planning on  applying for a number of other grants, but it’s still September, and I’ve already got one locked down! Hooray :)

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Welcome to Generation C(ircus)

My name is Marisa Diamond, and this is the blog for documenting the development of my Integrative Project (IP). I have been involved in circus arts since I was 6 years old, and have been performing and coaching for almost 8 years now. This project will center around circus arts education and youth empowerment/leadership.  My plan is to work with two different youth communities, teaching circus arts and developing and performing a show with both communities. I am also writing a curriculum for teaching youth circus arts throughout the year, while I am teaching. I hope to foster a sense of support, respect, responsibility, balance, and overall human decency through circus arts. As my mentor Jessica Hentoff says, we “teach the art of life through circus.”