{"id":244411,"date":"2011-07-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-07-11T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/circus-camp-builds-kids-unique-strengths\/"},"modified":"2011-07-11T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-07-11T07:00:00","slug":"circus-camp-builds-kids-unique-strengths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/circus-camp-builds-kids-unique-strengths\/","title":{"rendered":"Circus camp builds kids\u2019 unique strengths"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Circus<\/a>
A \u201csuspended\u201d student in the aerial arts class at the Sophia Isadora Academy of Circus Arts gets advice and encouragement from trainer Brandon Hinojosa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Local band of merrymakers shares secrets of the Big Top<\/p>\n

Sophia Isadora Academy of Circus Arts<\/p>\n

4241 Park Blvd., 92103
\n(619) 301-1207
\nsdcircus.com<\/p>\n

Held weekly through Aug. 22-26
\nSome weeks are intermediate and advanced camps; check the website.
\nFull day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $220 per week
\nHalf day, 9 a.m. to noon, $110 per week
\nHealthy snacks provided. Bring lunch.<\/p>\n

By Linda Pescatore |<\/strong> Reportero SDUN<\/p>\n

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

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

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\u2019arte, and in summer, they shake up their schedule of classes with weeklong day camps for children as young as 4.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Lindley said the frustration is minimal, however, and camps are focused on having fun. \u201cWe set it up so their frustration is much less. They find success quickly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s not kidding. In five days, campers can go from utter novices to able performers. In between, they\u2019re introduced to a variety of skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey 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,\u201d Lindley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCamp is a good leeway into the classes,\u201d said Sadie Lindley, a trainer who\u2019s also Cheryl\u2019s daughter. \u201cThis (aerial) class has more conditioning, and it\u2019s hard work. You have to build up to that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn camp, they sample everything. You find out what you like, and then you can take a class or go home and do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

One student who routinely brings her lessons home is 7-1\/2 year old Lucy Osborne. According to her father, Gardner Osborne, she\u2019s forever doing splits, pull-ups and handstands against the wall. She\u2019s even gotten him into the act.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has me doing sit-ups and stretching with her around the house,\u201d he said. \u201cShe uses me as her support and prop while designing her own routines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Osborne credits the staff for keeping Lucy engaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love the energy that\u2019s here, with the people who are really motivated and excited about the class, which in turn gets our daughter excited about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lucy\u2019s favorite trick is called a bird\u2019s nest. It\u2019s done upside down on the long chiffons that hang from the ceiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to explain, but it\u2019s really fun,\u201d she said. \u201cI did it on the first day and Brandon said I was perfect.\u201d The trainers help the kids push through fears without forcing them to do things they\u2019re uncomfortable with, Sadie Lindley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kid in the corner who doesn\u2019t want to try anything, who just sits there\u2014within a few days, they\u2019re at the front of the line, wanting to do everything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Circus offers something for every energy level and body type, according to Cheryl Lindley.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re one of those quiet kids who may be good at math, science, or music, you might be a great juggler. That tends to happen,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you\u2019re an extrovert, do some clowning, some physical comedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flexing impressive biceps, 7-year-old Vika Larsen explained why she likes her aerial class: \u201cBecause you get stronger muscles. \u2026 Brandon makes us work hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

The activities build more than physical strength, according to her mother, Donna Larsen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to see her energies channeled into something so creative and beautiful, as well as physical,\u201d Donna Larsen said. And circus actually may help them when they\u2019re back in school.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been an academic study (showing) that juggling increases gray matter,\u201d Cheryl Lindley said. \u201cPeople who juggle\u2014their math scores go up.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019re actually learning basic principles of physics while having fun, she said. Later, when the concepts are presented in school, their understanding deepens.<\/p>\n

The school\u2019s 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\u2019s not bad, according to Cheryl Lindley.<\/p>\n

\u201cFear is good,\u201d she said. \u201cWith fear, training happens and then they become courageous.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

For any kid who might wonder whether circus camp is for them, Lucy offers this advice: \u201cYou just have to stand up and say, \u2018Yeah, let\u2019s do it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":244412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"Circus camp builds kids\u2019 unique strengths","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11551,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-244411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}