Imagin-eering at the house of circus

It is Saturday morning and things are heating up in the house of the circus. Luke is visiting family across the ditch for a bit, so Sharon, Jerry and I are rushing around trying to complete the last few tasks before he gets back. We have less than two weeks now until the rest of our cast fly in from New Zealand and the final rehearsal stage begins. 

There is still so much to do, Sharon is designing a new and better web site, I am working on the sound track, and Jerry Is busy 'Imagin-eering' the ultimate tent-tetris trailer of glory.. Here is his challenge.. Fit one big top circus tent, King poles, side poles, pegs and all as well as foam matting, a ladder or two, 30 hula hoops, 3 pairs of stilts, a unicycle, 18m of carpet ring mat, 14 small ring boxes and our fence on ONE 6x4.. 

And I think he has done it folks! Photos coming soon!

 

Waltzing with sledgehammers

 

It is a delicate form of dance that one invents when a sledgehammer meets the gentle flesh of fingers.. It involves a complex series of steps, leaps, aggressive marching, and grabbing at ones hand.. It also has an expressive facial distortion and sometimes  even a vocal element. This, my friends, is the Sledgehammer waltz.

 

Jerry helps with laying out and lacing up the big top

 

Luke battles the rock hard ground to beat in our peg-line

I must admit, that like most of the gender stereotypes might suggest - I am somewhat more familiar with the stardust of the show than the sledgehammers. In the last two circus jobs, I was assigned to marketing and performance for the majority of the time, and although enjoyed pulling the big top down after the show, had done a very limited number of put-ups.
Needless to say, although it was super exciting to be putting up our own circus tent - I think my talents are a little more suited to sewing on fringing and sequins!

 

Lacing the top of the tent together

 

Jerry tensioning the ropes

 

 

Heaving tent skins into position

 

The day was highly successful, despite the brief 'sledgehammer dance' interludes. The big top went up ok, and it was a great feeling to see it standing. We only had the field for a day, and a storm was threatening overhead - so we didn't put up the blue and white striped walls which will really finish off the look of the tent, but you can imagine what it will look like from some of the photos here.

Five weeks until we launch!

Six weeks out!

The count down has really started now with only six weeks until we put up the tent for the development and preview show in Braidwood NSW.

Luke has been beavering away with the business plan, and I have been up to my elbows in thread and fabric, making our costumes.

This has been the busiest Christmas and New year period ever, but things are starting to come together.

Here is a sneak peak of the colours, stripes and laces that will be making our performers pretty this season :) I will be spending the next couple of weeks making a music box ballerina costume, a tin soldier costume and a Jack in the box - that's right folks, a circus toybox!

Adminis-Trivia!

It is a funny thing trying to organise something from the ground up. Especially to those of us who are used to flying. I had heard tale of adminis-trivia nightmares but never had I truly experienced it first hand.

Even the simplest thing seems to have to involve 10 different people, all of which greet me with that glazed eyed look at the mention of something as obscure as a circus. Then I promptly find myself forwarded on to some other member of their department!

I was greeted with a particularly amusing attempt at booking some grounds recently.. it went something like this…

Phone Shire Council
Shire council informs me that I have to send an email
Write detailed email about what is needed, including when, where, what and with all booking info.
Email is returned 2 days later with only one line.. "Who did you speak to on the phone?"
Email is answered by me

Email is returned saying "Please phone for this kind of thing"
Council is phoned again, this time quoting email
Phone call is passed around 5 people in the office before returning to the original callee.
Callee states that perhaps I should put all the info in an email!

..Honestly.. The hoops they make you jump through-  All of this is enough to make a girl run away to the circus!

Web site updates

The web site for the circus is gradually taking form. More photos are going up each day, and behind the site, the show is starting to progress too. We are two weeks into our residency and acts are really starting to come together.. No time to chat now though! Visit the site and see for yourself.. http://www.bitesizedcircus.com We'd love to link exchange with you too, so feel free to email me if you are interested. :)

Music at the Creek 2011

This week, I had the amazing pleasure of performing over two perfect days at Majors creek, Music at the creek folk festival, NSW. My fire troupe performed a duo and a trio show for the festival, pulling a huge circle of spectators, and winning an applause to remember.

The show marked the premiere performance of the sparkling new show "Flame Eccentric" - a piece that was developed mainly by Luke and I when we lived with Circus Avalon in Newcastle earlier in the year.

The show is based on new beginnings and uses the legend of the phoenix as inspiration. Our performers walk the audience through a journey told in fire with contact juggling, fire fans, flaming hoops, ladder balance, fire staff, and fire club manipulation.. Basically as far as fire shows go - this one has the works!

Jerry Everard took some wonderful photos from the show and I have posted most of them up on our troupe website for Will-o'-the-Wisp Flame Arts