If you love the circus, and many children do, there is a place in Queens where they can go to join the performers. NY1’s Ruschell Boone filed the following report.
Jumping jacks and sits ups are good exercises, but how's this for a weekly routine? The Circus Warehouse in Long Island City is where these children hang on the weekend. It's also where many circus stars and performers go to work out and teach.
"I went to one class and after that I thought it was really fun. Waited a couple months, came back, and after that I just kept coming,” said one young attendee.
This is a performance group, but there are classes for children ages 7 to 15, or even as young as 6 for the flying trapeze classes.
Those are offered through the Trapeze School New York and they are not clowning around. Some students are hoping to become professionals.
"I want to be in the circus,” said another young participant.
"I'm not great at soccer, basketball or any of the traditional sports so coming to Circus Warehouse is really fun,” said another.
Suzi Winson started the Warehouse with a group of performers in 2010.
"We started out making a professional training facility for people who are coming in to learn new acts and people who are gymnasts and dancers who want to be in the circus and we also at the same time thought we should have a kids program,” said Winson.
About 60 regular students get a full body workout.
"I do flying trapeze, the aerials, but I mostlike juggling,” said.a young juggler.
"Every part of the circus uses your whole body. Your arms, your abs, your legs,” said youth instructor Sonja Harpstead
"It gives me a lot of confidence especially being a teenager and a girl. It gives me a lot of confidence when I'm around other people knowing that I can play with the boys and I can do things that a lot of other girls and sometimes boys my age can’t do,” said a participant.
And the children are not the only ones getting into the act. Get it, getting into the act. This has also become a family affair for many.
NY1 asked parent Liese Kambour how she heard about the class. She said her children came first.
“They came with their nanny and took one class first and she told me about it and I thought wow I gotta try that too,” said Kambour.
And if you want to join the circus or at least practice your moves, go to circuswarehouse.com or trapezeschool.com.
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