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What to expect - Generation Youth Circus

First of all...the Warm up!
We always start with 10-15 mins of fun games and challenges to warm up the body and mind. These are the sort of games circus people love, and all circus artists play! They introduce you to performance skills and working as a team / troupe. They increase confidence and focus and start to give you an awareness about what amazing things the human body can do.  

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Skills Skills Skills

We will teach aerial every week, but sometimes have a little play with ground-based skills like juggling, hula-hoop and acrobatics.
There'll be a mix of aerial - rotating through the following pieces of equipment so you get confident on all three.

Josh on silks.jpg

Static trapeze 

Static trapeze is a fixed bar between two ropes. It’s not flying trapeze - you will swing slightly as you get on the bar, but that’s all. When you start learning trapeze, you will be able to reach the bar from the floor. You will learn how to move around the trapeze (getting onto the bar, sitting, standing etc) and as you gain confidence, balances, poses and dynamic movements. Once you are more confident you can try doubles trapeze (if you want to), where there are 2 people on the bar at the same time.
Rope
If you have tried (and failed) to climb a rope, we will change all that for you!! Our ropes are thick and soft and we will teach you proper technique, breaking everything down for you, and working at your own pace. You will be able to climb easily in no time. But climbing is just one aspect of rope - we will learn all sorts of balances, wraps and drops as well. You work low to the ground at first. None of it is easy but you will be amazed at how quickly you improve.

Silks
Silks are two pieces of fabric and have some elasticity to them. There are all sorts of wraps, balances and when you are more confident - drops - to learn. And as with everything, this will be all at your own pace. It’s similar to rope, but you can split the silks and do moves in between them.

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Other things to know

  • You will always have mats underneath you as you work

  • You will be going upside-down often in class!

  • We want our classes to be fun, friendly and non-competitive and we encourage a spirit of cooperation, kindness and respect amongst members.

  • Each individual will progress at a different rate, so abilities in one class will be varied.

  • We go over the basics often and practise everything, aiming for a large vocabulary of moves.

  • At the end of each term, you will get to perform for friends and family (if you want to)!

  • At the moment we don’t have elite groups or classes based on ability but we have plans to establish a performance company for skilled 13 to 18 yrs who aspire to a career in circus and/or are passionate about training at an advanced level.

  • We encourage each young person to be patient and have fun in class - it can take a long time to get really confident on the aerial equipment. 

  • Occasionally students will have opportunities to see the work of contemporary circus companies or attend special workshops and events.

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