Local band of merrymakers shares secrets of the Big Top

Sophia Isadora Academy of Circus Arts

4241 Park Blvd., 92103
(619) 301-1207
sdcircus.com

Held weekly through Aug. 22-26
Some weeks are intermediate and advanced camps; check the website.
Full day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $220 per week
Half day, 9 a.m. to noon, $110 per week
Healthy snacks provided. Bring lunch.

By Linda Pescatore | Reportero SDUN

Tucked in the corner of a funky little strip mall where Hillcrest, University Heights and North Park intersect, something magical is happening.

There, in a long, skylit space, once-ordinary young people transform into jugglers, clowns and acrobats at the Sophia Isadora Academy of Circus Arts.

For five years, co-founder Cheryl Lindley and her band of merrymakers have been sharing secrets of the Big Top, with a focus on traditional Italian circus arts and commedia dell’arte, and in summer, they shake up their schedule of classes with weeklong day camps for children as young as 4.

During a recent aerial arts class (separate from the camp), a mix of kids and young adults worked with trainer Brandon Hinojosa on various apparatus suspended from the high ceiling. It looks like great fun, but it does take commitment to overcome initial frustration. Tricks take time to master, and conditioning exercises are strenuous and repetitive.

Lindley said the frustration is minimal, however, and camps are focused on having fun. “We set it up so their frustration is much less. They find success quickly,” she said.

She’s not kidding. In five days, campers can go from utter novices to able performers. In between, they’re introduced to a variety of skills.

“They all learn to use the mini-tramp (trampoline), they all learn to walk on a ball, they all learn to walk on tight wires, they all learn a little juggling, they all learn a little clowning, they all learn a little aerial,” Lindley said.

“Camp is a good leeway into the classes,” said Sadie Lindley, a trainer who’s also Cheryl’s daughter. “This (aerial) class has more conditioning, and it’s hard work. You have to build up to that.

“In camp, they sample everything. You find out what you like, and then you can take a class or go home and do it.”

One student who routinely brings her lessons home is 7-1/2 year old Lucy Osborne. According to her father, Gardner Osborne, she’s forever doing splits, pull-ups and handstands against the wall. She’s even gotten him into the act.

“She has me doing sit-ups and stretching with her around the house,” he said. “She uses me as her support and prop while designing her own routines.”

Osborne credits the staff for keeping Lucy engaged.

“We love the energy that’s here, with the people who are really motivated and excited about the class, which in turn gets our daughter excited about it,” he said.

Lucy’s favorite trick is called a bird’s nest. It’s done upside down on the long chiffons that hang from the ceiling.

“It’s hard to explain, but it’s really fun,” she said. “I did it on the first day and Brandon said I was perfect.” The trainers help the kids push through fears without forcing them to do things they’re uncomfortable with, Sadie Lindley said.

“The kid in the corner who doesn’t want to try anything, who just sits there—within a few days, they’re at the front of the line, wanting to do everything,” she said.

Circus offers something for every energy level and body type, according to Cheryl Lindley.

“If you’re one of those quiet kids who may be good at math, science, or music, you might be a great juggler. That tends to happen,” she said. “If you’re an extrovert, do some clowning, some physical comedy.”

Flexing impressive biceps, 7-year-old Vika Larsen explained why she likes her aerial class: “Because you get stronger muscles. … Brandon makes us work hard.”

The activities build more than physical strength, according to her mother, Donna Larsen.

“It’s wonderful to see her energies channeled into something so creative and beautiful, as well as physical,” Donna Larsen said. And circus actually may help them when they’re back in school.

“There’s been an academic study (showing) that juggling increases gray matter,” Cheryl Lindley said. “People who juggle—their math scores go up.”

They’re actually learning basic principles of physics while having fun, she said. Later, when the concepts are presented in school, their understanding deepens.

The school’s main goal is safety, so everyone learns to be aware of their own body and its relationship to space and others. Some fear is natural, and that’s not bad, according to Cheryl Lindley.

“Fear is good,” she said. “With fear, training happens and then they become courageous.”

Campers get involved in the creative process, too, designing their own characters and routines for a show attended by family and friends on the last day of camp. They even emcee it.

For any kid who might wonder whether circus camp is for them, Lucy offers this advice: “You just have to stand up and say, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’”