Pick a dilly of a circus

"Just join the circus like you wanted to, when you were a kid.
Climb aboard before it moves on and you’ll thank your lucky stars you did." - "Join the Circus" from Barnum by Cy Coleman

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If your kids are indifferent to cheerleading, band, sports or whatever other extracurricular activities are offered at your local school, try pitching them the idea of something that combines the best aspects of all of them and adds just that little hint of the exotic.  Consider, in short, inviting them to run away and join the circus with Circus Harmony's fall / winter circus arts classes, which start this coming Monday, August 19th.

For $175 and up (more advanced skills cost more) for a 15-week session, the non-profit Circus Harmony offers kids ages 5 to 17 classes in tumbling, clowning, juggling, aerial artistry, contortion, balancing, and basic circus arts.  Classes are available for adults ages 18 and up as well, although I suspect once you get "up" high enough, you might want to think carefully about "Beginning Contortion."  On the other hand, Circus Harmony says their oldest "Trapeze" student is 86, so maybe you're never too old to run away and join the circus.  Check out their on-line brochure for details.

The classes take place on the third floor of City Museum, 701 N. 15th Street (a fact which, all by itself, should appeal to kids of all ages) and culminate in public shows December 7 through 9.

If you've ever seen a Circus Flora show, of course, you've seen some of Circus Harmony's students at work as The St. Louis Arches (pictured), but the organization's reach and mission go far beyond that. "Circus Harmony," according to their web site, "teaches the art of life through circus education. We work to build character and expand community for youth of all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds. Through teaching and performance of circus skills, we help people defy gravity, soar with confidence, and leap over social barriers, all at the same time."  Since their 2001 Circus Salaam Shalom, which brought Jewish and Muslim kids in St. Louis together, Circus Harmony has been advancing its philosophy of "peace through pyramids, harmony through handspirngs" to "inspire individuals and connect communities."

Looks like a worthy goal to me.  If you agree, consider voting for Circus Harmony's flying trapeze center at Rally St. Louis.  You can vote once per say so, to paraphrase Walt Kelly's Pogo, "vote early and often."