In 1974, I got off the train at Washington DC’s Union Station. I was met by Rev. Dr. L. David Harris, the director of The Circus Kingdom, a youth circus meant to show the brotherhood of man through circus. Rev. Dave collected college-aged circus performers from across the country. We toured the eastern half of the United States. In every town we performed, we also did a show for people who couldn’t come to us: senior citizens homes, homes for the mentally ill, prisons etc. The two years I toured with The Circus Kingdom were an incredible and formative experience.
Now, it is 2016, I am at Union Station meeting Warren Bacon, the man who had been my circus teacher in college. We are both in Washington DC to see Circus Harmony’s Chauncey Kroner perform with Zip Zap Circus at the Kennedy Center. Warren also coached Chauncey.
Zip Zap Circus has created a show called Circus of Life which features Chauncey, Canadian/American aerialist Sara Deull, one legged Break dancer from Australia named Roya the DestRoya and two performers from Zip Zap Circus in South Africa, the social circus most like Circus Harmony in all the world, Jacobus ‘Trompie’ Claassen and Jason Bernard. The show promo states: “They come from different places, with different experiences and perspectives. But for each of us – individually and especially together – anything is possible.”
The Circus of Life show is everything circus is about to Circus Harmony: bringing people together, finding their individual strengths and creating something amazing together. This show was created in four days! You can actually watch video of the show which was streamed live from the Kennedy Center HERE. And you can see photos HERE.
In addition to the opportunity to perform on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Chauncey also got to perform at the White House for Halloween! At the Kennedy Center there is this quote from John F. Kennedy: “I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft. I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all of our citizens. And i look forward to an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength but for its civilization as well.”
What an opportunity this has been for Chauncey! We are grateful to Zip Zap alum, Sabine Van Rensburg, for suggesting him, to producers Sheryl Sturges and Jonathan Deull for making it possible, to Zip Zap co-founder/co-director Brent Van Rensburg for making Chauncey try new food and letting him shine in the show and to all the cast who so warmly embraced and shared the experience with him.
In 1974, Warren Bacon and Rev Dave opened the world of circus to me. Warren by being my first circus teacher and sharing his love of circus and Rev Dave for giving me my first circus booking and showing me the power of circus. How perfect to meet Warren at the Union Station where I first met Rev. Dave to then go see Chauncey working with people from all over the world in a perfectly put together, inspirational circus show!
I went to DC to see Chauncey. But while I was there, I spent three hours meeting with folks from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Circus Harmony has been named a presenting sponsor for the the Smithsonian Folklife Circus Festival in July 2017. However, we need to raise the money to participate and are currently seeking corporate sponsorship. (Email me at circusday@circusharmony.org if you are interested in sponsoring us.) This Festival will be the biggest circus event in American history. The five person Zip Zap Circus of Life show at the Kennedy Center may have been a small show but it was a tremendous moment in the history of Circus Harmony! Rev. Dave, I know you are smiling and I hear your words: “Think of it as an adventure!” What an adventure it continues to be!
Jessica Hentoff
