Philadelphia School of Circus Arts: How kids can perform under the big top this summer

There’s a unique way to cool down with the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts this summer, and it gives kids the chance to shine on their own under the big top.

The venue’s award-winning seasonal camps have kicked back up, with dates running until the end of August (Aug. 23 to be exact.) Options for classes span for kids ages 4 -5 (Kinder), 6 -7 (junior), 8 – 12 (youth) and 13 – 16 (teen) and campers are divided into groups within each camp by age and experience level (though no prior experience is needed.)

The week-long sessions then culminate into circus shows at the end of the training for friends and family of participants to view, and it will all take place at the PSCA’s campus at 6452 Greene Street.

“We are thrilled to offer a full summer of circus camp for kids of all ages,” said Executive Director Kitsie O’Neill in a statement.

“Summer is the perfect time to challenge your children with the right balance of creativity, skill building and connecting with new friends. Summer Circus Camp is a one-of-a-kind experience that incorporates elements of play, mental concentration, trust, and literally turning yourself upside-down. Participants will create new friendships, learn new skills, become more receptive to new ideas, build self-esteem, learn team-work, and simply experience pure fun.”

That creativity, skill building, and trust O’Neill mentioned comes through campers learning the trapeze, aerial rope, silks, feather-balancing, scarf-juggling, plate spinning, tightwire, rolling globe and acrobatics under the guidance of trainers and on real circus equipment used by professional artists.

The Kinder/Junior day camps feature the different circus activities, water and snack breaks outside, arts and crafts activities, and more. The typical youth/teen camp schedule, on the other hand, hones skills down through specialty workshops (like clown, hula hoop, theatre and more), and the extended camp (3 – 5 p.m.) is available for Junior, Youth and Teen campers as well for an extra price. The weeks, as noted before, will then end with the final performance.

As a release notes, Summer Circus Camp runs weekly from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., drop-off begins at 8:45 a.m. each morning. Camp enrollment is limited to allow for individual attention with PSCA’s trained staff of professional performers and teachers and the camp will be broken down by age groups and by skill level.

“Circus Camp is a unique and fun option for families looking to try something new and to unlock new talents to show off at the next family gathering,” added O’Neill. “There’s really nothing else like it in the entire tri-state region. We love seeing new faces and also so many repeat campers.”

Full-day (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) Kinder, junior, youth and teen camps cost $475 for each one-week session. Extended camp (3 – 5 p.m.) costs an additional $25 per day (not available for Kinder). For registration and additional camp information, visit phillycircus.com/camp or call 215-849-1991 (note, preregistration and a deposit is required for all camp programs.)