THE BALLOON MAN

Monday, February 10, 2014

Circus love

Lizzy Harvey shares her love for circus arts to instill confidence and self-trust in youths

Kati Wolcott, bottom left, Emily Larson, bottom right, and Katie Harvey perform a pyramid during the intermediate kids circus skills training at Carnegie in Walla Walla. Photo by Michael Lopez

From: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

By Sheila Hagar

February 8, 2014

WALLA WALLA — Evelyn Sisk, or “Evi,” could not be more clear why she’s enrolled in Walla Walla Parks and Recreation’s “Circus Arts” class.

#“I was really interested in the circus,” the 9 year-old explained. “I wanted to be interactive with people older than me … and I really wanted to learn to do flips.”

#She was on her way in a recent session of the intermediate class at the Carnegie building, where Evi was joined by four other — and older — girls doing “egg rolls” on gym mats to limber up. Grasping ankles and laying on their backs, the youngsters rolled from side-to-side like happy sow bugs, bumping into each other with apologies and giggles.

The success of the first go-round last autumn showed organizers that circus class is pretty special, Potts said. “When someone tells you they want to ‘run away with the circus,’ you envision them in a playful and magical world and that’s what we want to create for children in the Walla Walla Valley.”

#When kids push themselves through the physical work of tumbling, acrobatics, juggling and clowning, it helps overcome fears, Potts said. “And not just fears inside circus class, but fears of everyday life. Through Circus Arts, children find confidence in who they are as a unique individual.”

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Want to join a circus? Walla Walla Parks and Recreation offers a class on circus arts.

#It’s the second time in the circus ring for the city department, noted recreation coordinator Angela Potts. Her department offers a number of classes for children and adults, such as painting, ukulele and guitar, yoga, sports of many flavors and parent-child events.