THE REALITY
So we did that for a two year cycle . As coaches and mentors and people who understand the rigors and doldrums of training for a circus career , we loved the format . However , between the first and second year , we lost four students , most of whom were the teens enrolled in the program . At that young age , it ’ s hard to know what ’ s the right path for you , and it can become apparent over 9 months of such intense training , that a program might not be the right fit . We found two new students to join in at the second year level and they integrated fairly well , but were definitely behind the group in some of the ensemble skill areas like juggling and physical theater .
When audition time came around for the next cycle , we had a real wake up call . People had forgotten about us ! We hadn ’ t been out there promoting an audition cycle since 2016 ! We hadn ’ t put out a graduation show the year before the audition so that potential students could see the quality of the work we were creating . And , we realized wanted to have a chance to reevaluate our students ’ goals and desires between the first and second year . It was pretty clear that , regardless of what we thought on principle , a better way forward would be to separate the two years .
There were some amazingly talented artists out there who wanted to do the Lab Year , to get the exposure to the lab coaches and work intensively on the show , and further develop their acts , and those people weren ’ t willing to go through a foundation year . Conversely , there were people who weren ’ t sure about committing to two years and we didn ’ t want to scare them off from potentially moving forward with their circus dreams . And , as we saw the previous year , sometimes a student ended up being not a great fit for our program and we didn ’ t want to trap anyone into a second year , or have to keep a student that we weren ’ t feeling was a good team member .
Beginning in 2019 , our current Foundations and Research ( Year One ) students will need to re-audition for the Lab Year ( Year Two ). New auditioners will be placed into the year most appropriate for their skill and experience level and goals . Though it wasn ' t our original ideal , beginning in 2019 the first and second year students will train concurrently . The classes will be smaller ( eight to nine students each ) to accommodate each student ' s individual needs and goals and to logistically fit everyone in our space . We want the program to be competitive to get into , and we want to be sure that we can select students not just with the right skill set , but with the right attitude .
The Lab Year should be considered a graduate program for students who have completed a nine-month foundations program at Aloft or elsewhere . You won ’ t get into it if you ’ re just really good at silks . You ’ ll need to be able to juggle , pop into a two high , and make the audience laugh or cry on demand !
THE FUTURE
In February of this year , a chance run-in with Blaze Birge at Viva Fest in Las Vegas changed the course of the program ( and Aloft Circus Arts in general ) yet again . Almost immediately after setting foot onto the festival grounds , Blaze asked if I wanted to take on Flynn Creek ’ s old circus tent . “ Nope , sure don ’ t ”, I quickly replied , as adrenaline shot through my body . “ NO NO NO NO ” I repeated in my head over and over . Really , a circus tent was the LAST thing I needed . A massage , a vacation , more full-time admin staff , those were things I needed . Not a tent .
But , then she made me an offer I couldn ’ t refuse — let ’ s just say it was a good deal for a tent ! My jaw dropped , my heart pounded and the words “ uh ... well ... maybe ” slipped out of my mouth . Walking away , the ideas started galloping around my brain like horses in a ring . I sat on a Q & A panel about different circus school options in the USA and I realized that I
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