My family has been attending Circus Juventas’ summer show in St. Paul, Minn., for more than a decade. Circus Juventas is a youth circus school, offering evening, weekend, and summer classes. It’s been the largest school of its kind in North America since 2008. This summer, you can see it not only in St. Paul but also in Washington, D.C.
The summer show is a contemporary circus in the style of Cirque du Soleil. It can include juggling, silks, the Russian bar, clowning, the high wire, dance, the wall trampoline, the German wheel, contortion, the flying trapeze, and many other acts. Each show tells a story; this summer’s show, Nordrsaga, is based on Norse mythology.
The kids in these shows are really good. They’ve been trained by outstanding teachers, many of whom have performed with circuses around the world. And while some of the acts could make you a little nervous, the performers are probably safer than high-school football players. There are plenty of nets, mats, and spotters. The show is one of the highlights of our family’s summer.
This year, Circus Juventas will perform at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. If you will be in D.C. between June 29 and July 9, I highly recommend you make the time to see Circus Juventas at the festival. (Note that there are no festival events scheduled on July 5.) The kids will perform last year’s show, Wonderland.
The summer show is always held for a couple of weeks between late July and mid-August. Tickets go on sale about a month beforehand, and the shows tend to sell out.
If you can’t be in Minneapolis-St. Paul or Washington, D.C. for this summer’s shows and are now itching to see them, DVDs are available. See the menu in the left column of their summer show page for more information.