Dispatches from Urban Acrobatics NYC: Day 4- Preparation

Flutterby the Magnificent viewed from the Jumel Parlor. Photo Credit: Caitlin Bruce

What a beautiful day. In the sparkling weather Goons, Polly, Chriselle, Leslie, Christy, and Autumn worked on preparations for the final performance. After assembling the rig, Flutterby the Magnificent, Goons arrived, and worked on a large scale Goons figure with India Ink, and "The Circus" in block letters.

Circus Goons. Photo Credit: Caitlin Bruce

At the same time, large and small groups flowed in and out of the historic Jumel mansion which provided a stately background to the proceedings. Several conversations were happening about modern dance, circus history, and Aaron Burr, all within the same space.

"The Circus The Circus." Photo Credit: Caitlin Bruce

Part of this project is research based, using interview and observation, starting to piece together "aha" moments of connection, illumination, and recognition.

View of the Mansion with the rig. Photo Credit: Caitlin Bruce

I interviewed Polly Solomon, Chriselle Tidrick, and Leslie Robin over the past two days. All three are circus artists. Chriselle does aerial acrobatics, dance, and walks on stilts, and uses modern dance techniques in her circus work, that "carries through some idea or concept to the audience." For her circus is "about techniques...rather than it being in a tent...or some location." Instead, it is about taking skills to wherever they can take place. Learning about graffiti for her was more about learning about a subculture, and "figuring out how much overlap there is between circus artists and graffiti artists." The "idea of being outsiders," she elaborated, is shared, and that "both things are considered low art," a phenomenon she has "confronted often in the dance world...where people say that [circus] is a gimmick...or not real art...and I think graffiti artists thing something similar from the established art world."

Leslie works on Lyra, as well as other elements of circus, and began her journey into circus at the age of six, where at summer camp after some counselors found her climbing on a jungle gym, and asked her mother if Leslie would be interested in gymnastics classes. She defined circus as something that is "athletic" but also "artistic means of expressing yourself" but is "hard to define" because a lot of things "can be circus...if you put it in an environment that can be circus." In terms of aesthetic lineages Leslie was trained in a "more traditional" circus background, but what keeps her practicing is "more artistic and modern...about conveying emotion..." Leslie participated in all of the workshops this week, and has a unique perspective on the process. She noted that she was struck by the similarities in the intense color of graffiti and circus, and that both are art forms that "society does not want to acknowledge as art forms."

Leslie practicing as troupe members stand by. Photo Credit: Caitlin Bruce

Polly speaks of circus as wonder inducing, narrative, and expressive, "like watching the Olympics, where a part of your brain imagines that you could do it [the sport] but another part thinks that you never could."

It is with great anticipation that I await the performance at the Jumel Mansion tomorrow, at 3:00 pm. Come one, come all.

Rig at the Ready. Photo Credit: Caitlin Bruce