It's the first week of Summer Circus Camp at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts in Germantown, but you wouldn't be able to tell at first glance. Many are returning campers or take circus classes during the year.
Spinning plates, unicycles, the sky, not the ceiling is the limit for what the kids can learn to do.
"There's never any ceiling to what you can learn in circus," says camp director Treacy Gallagher.
The sight might look intimidating at first, but the students get your sea—rather stilt legs back.
But step by step, with a little help, confidence grows and so does their skill. Some even find their calling.
"That would be really awesome. I mean I've seen a lot of circuses, I think it's really inspiring. I love this place," said Ella Pokrifka.
They do have a rule that students can't say the word "can't". Saying you can't do something will earn you five pushups.
Instead, kids are encouraged to make small goals and then work their way up, and from one look around the room, it appears to be working.
"Learning to juggle, kids see three balls and say 'I could never do that'. Start with one ball. We have success charts where they get stickers each time they make a small incremental goal," said Treacy Gallagher.
10 year old Max Cohen said that he was afraid to fall a year ago when he climbed the silks.
"Now I'm going to set a goal to touch the ceiling with the fabric," said Max.
The Summer Circus Camp is so successful with the campers they may soon need a taller ceiling.
Link:http://phillycircus.com/
