As our students ascend in our little ring and out in the world, we all watch in awe. From our littlest aerialist to an alumna walking the high wire with The Flying Wallendas, these young people inspire us not just with their abilities but with their confidence and faith. They trust that we have trained them correctly and they believe they can do what they have been trained to do. The audience is supposed to be amazed. But I have to tell you that I am, too.
Yes, we train them and are careful about progressions and spotting. We work on their strength, flexibility, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. Circus, all accomplishments really, are about more than the technical aspect of what you are doing. Circus is about strength of will. It is about making a mental commitment and following through.
When these young people fly through the air with the greatest of ease, or juggle five balls like they are just playing catch or stand under the weight of two other people with a smile on their face…know that what they are doing takes more than just the ability to do it. It takes knowing that you can and then deciding that you will. That is why our children are so inspirational.
They take what we gave them and go out on their own to do it. They make these actions, these acts their own. In fact, when they can consistently do a trick, we tell them that they “own it.” Our latest, graduate, Kellin Quinn, is currently attending Ecole Nationale de Cirque. The National Circus School of Montreal. He was flown back to St. Louis to perform at the St. Louis JuggleFestl with his partners, Willem McGowan and Nathan Biggs-Penton. Together they form Company McQuiggs. This was a professional booking for them. They were marvelous. They ‘owned’ the stage, their act, and JuggleFest.
Kellin came home excited about his first months at circus school and eager to share with our current students. He taught classes and showed them moves he is learning. In addition to the McQuiggs show at JuggleFest, he did several solo shows in our home ring at City Museum. Kellin is a juggler. What he does isn’t necessarily dangerous. But the audience and I watched him with a sense of wonder as he juggled and performed in a way that made us all laugh and gasp and want to cheer. Isn’t that what it is all about? To see the world with a sense of wonder. If you watch our flying children, I think you will.