BRATTLEBORO — The New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) will present its Circus Spectacular 2014 for two performances on Saturday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m in the Latchis Theatre.
Featuring 15 NECCA professionals and special guests from top circuses from around the world, Circus Spectacular 2014 will highlight flying trapeze, aerial silks, partner balancing, juggling, comedy, and more.
All proceeds from this annual fundraiser goes to support the school's community outreach programs.
Performing circus artists will include mime Mario Diamond, aerialist and gymnast Pamela Donohoo, clown Bill Forchion (also the master of ceremonies), acrobats Molly Graves, Fe Fox, and Daniel Obey; gymnast Meredith “Tommy” Tomlins; and juggler Thom Wall, who two years after graduating from NECCA became International Juggling Association Champion.
Alissa Feller will perform on trapeze, Elsa Hall with straps, Alyssa Morar with aerial fabric, trapeze, and spinning cube, and Morgan Oldham with hand balancing and aerial hoop.
Rounding out the show will be Troy Wunderle, the director of clowning for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and NECCA cofounders Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion, who specialize in aerial acrobatics.
NECCA, located in the Cotton Mill, offers people of all ages and abilities “a unique opportunity to experience the magical and captivating world of circus arts.”
As described on the its Facebook page, NECCA's mission is “to create a school, facility, and community where circus arts are available to the general public and to inspire students of all skill levels, ages, abilities, and aspirations.”
“This is our fourth annual Circus Spectacular,” says Serenity Smith Forchion. “We are happy to rent out the Latchis Theatre for this large-scaled event and are especially looking forward to it this year, since the Latchis has been recently renovated with new seats and the ceiling restored. The theater is a gem, and we are always excited about putting on a show there.”
She believes that this show is unique for the area because people get to see a high-level circus show performed completely by processional artists.
“Each year, NECCA's Circus Spectacular is different,” she says. “You may see some faces you remember from other years, but they will be doing new work. Me and my twin sister Elsie will be doing a duo act that has never been seen before.
Among the new performers, Forchion is “particularly excited about having Pamela Donohoo, who is now appearing in Las Vegas's La Reve.”
The Circus Spectacular greatly depends on the people who work backstage to put on the show.
“It is a tremendous effort from many people to put on our Circus Spectacular,” says Forchion. “Remember that every person connecting will the show is volunteering; no one is paid,” she said, emphasizing that every cent that Circus Spectacular raises goes toward outreach programming.
“The school essentially pays for itself, but it is our community work that needs additional resources,” she says. Last year, the show raised $26,000.
As NECCA explains on its website, donations allow the school “to continue our work with at-risk youth, classes for physically and mentally challenged children and adults, scholarships for foster children, esteem programs for teenagers, and much more.”
The Circus in the Neighborhood program brings the circus arts to students at Brattleboro Boys & Girls Club, Austine School for the Deaf, North American Family Institute, the Brattleboro Retreat, Youth Services, and Brattleboro area public schools.
“We also have programs that work specifically with homeless teens, and another in which we give private lessons for children who have problems with obesity,” Forchion says.
NECCA's outreach programs also provide programs for cancer survivors of all ages, originally in collaboration with the now-defunct nonprofit Forest Moon.
“We offer free workshops open to anyone living with a cancer diagnosis at any stage,” Forchion says. “One [workshop] is a workshop for the family of someone with cancer. This is essentially to offer a fun time for them.
“Another workshop is directed specifically to the concerns of those with cancer, as we use circus arts to develop an internal spiritual awareness of the crisis they are experiencing.”
NECCA offers such outreach programs for women in October to coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness month. “And on the following month, we focus on men with cancer,” Forchion says.
With so much energy needed just to run the school, why does NECCA feel such a need to do community outreach?
“We believe that working with people in our community is at the heart of what we do,” Forchion explains. “My mother was a doctor, and growing up, both Elsie and I were taught the importance of service. Early on, when I was merely performing I felt what I did was frivolous.
“Of course, I was doing work I loved, and I suppose I felt that I was making people happy who watched it. But Elsie and I always believed that we should do more. We wanted to help others by stressing the joy in life through circus arts.
“For instance, we could use circus arts to help American youth, which is less and less fit. Circus is where art and fitness can happily interact. Instead of lecturing kids to go get fit or do sports, we can present an option that for many is much more appealing.
“Unlike a lot of sports, circus is suitable for all body types. And for all personalities. People who in other places are called weird - here can do amazing things.
“We have kids here we affectionately call 'juggling nerds,' who can spend hours a day focusing on that art of juggling. Those who like to take risks? We have something for them, also. In fact, we are working with the Brattleboro Retreat on the issue of risk taking.
“Circus is a place where everyone can find something to do,” Forchion says.
New campus on the horizon
NECCA is beginning a new era as the school begin looking toward building its new campus.
“We are very exciting about this new prospect,” says Forchion. “We have been searching for the right place for five years. We wanted something that was walking distance from downtown Brattleboro.”
In January, the school purchased land on the site of the former ReNew Salvage on Putney Road.
“We are now figuring out how to launch our capital campaign,” Forchion says. “We are looking towards our very supportive community to help us raise the money.”
That community, she says, is much larger than it once was. “One of our biggest supporters lives in San Francisco,” she says.
“People have supported us in so many ways, thorough donations, through volunteering, through generous word-of-mouth,” Forchion adds. “And attending the Circus Spectacular has long been an important fashion [in which] the community has supported one vital aspect of what we do.”