Circus Summer Camp lets kids enter the big-top spotlight

When 17-year-old Emma Wilson Weber began attending Circus Summer Camp at the Circus Arts Conservatory, she wasn’t the performer she is today.

“I couldn’t point my toes. I couldn't touch my toes. And now, not only can I do all those things, but I can help other people learn to do those things,” she said. 

She now serves as a counselor, helping kids learn circus skills. 

As she led part of the camp's act practice on Aug. 3, the sights to be seen throughout the tent included performances involving the trapeze, the rolling globe, the rolla bolla, wire walking, juggling and more.

“The experience of doing circus is not like any other experience you can have,” said 9-year-old Lena Chesnoff, explaining that the entertainment form blends gymnastics with many other skills. 

“I love circus camp,” said 7-year-old Hudson Nesmith.

Many kids, Weber said, do not come from a circus background or play any sports, yet she finds herself impressed with the skills they acquire.

“They're always so talented and so able to achieve such powerful and great things in a short amount of time,” she said.

On the final Friday of each weeklong session of camp, kids close out the learning experience by offering a show, featuring limited admission, for their families.