THE BALLOON MAN

Circus Smirkus Brings Big Top Tour to Williamstown

Putting up the big top for Circus Smirkus at Mount Greylock Regional High School.

By Tammy Danielsi

Berkshires Staff

Friday, July 15, 2011

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The big top raised at Mount Greylock Regional High School on Friday was the sure sign that Circus Smirkus has returned to the Berkshires.
Some 27 youth from across the nation (and one from overseas) will perform daring feats, juggle and clown around this weekend to benefit North Adams Regional Hospital's Reach for Community Health programs for a second year.
"You'll see everthing here you'll see in a professional show — minus the big animals," said big top tour artistic director Troy Wunderle. "We don't have the large animals and we don't really have a tent large enough to shoot human cannonballs, but you'll see jugglers, tightrope walkers, aerialists of all different kinds, clowns, stiltwalkers ... ."

Professionals raise the circus tent for this weekend. The youth performers were to arrive in the area at 5 and be treated to dinner next door at Sweetwood, where they would also give a brief performance for the residents.Polly MacPherson, interim director for North Adams Regional Hospital's Reach program, said the youth circus fits well with the goals of community gardens and smoking-cessation programs that will benefit from the four performances.
"For the community gardens, one of the focuses is to get fit and, of course, these kids are tremendously fit and they're great role models for kids to look at what happens if you exercise and eat right," she said. "And they're smoke free. These are kids who have decided not to smoke, haven't tried and aren't going to experiment with it ... again a good role model." READ MORE AT:http://www.iberkshires.com/new/story.php?story_id=38998