Where: The Mazomanie Movement Arts Center, 2 Brodhead St., Mazomanie, WI (approx. 35 min. west of downtown Madison & 20 min. east of Spring Green off Hwy 14)

Cost: $195 for one-week camps, $395 for two-week camp.

To Register: click here for a .pdf file of our registration form. Just print the form, and mail it along with your fee to Mazomanie Movement Arts Center, PO Box 471, Mazomanie, WI 53560. Or call (608) 795-0014 or e-mail marcianitaus@yahoo.com, with your address and we'll mail you a form.

What to expect: A morning warm-up will stretch and strengthen body, mind and imagination through new games, improv and more. We'll discover the basics of stiltwalking, juggling and low-flying trapeze, and explore the world of physical comedy including pantomime, clowning, costuming, and character development. A library of books and videos on circus and performance lore will be at our disposal when it's time for quieter activities. Camp will close on Friday with a special performance! Parents, families and friends are cordially invited.

Our Core Curriculum:

Introduction to Low-Flying Trapeze with Marcia Miquelon & Anita Laabs

Experience the joy of swinging, hanging, floating, spinning, climbing and circling on the low-flying, single point trapeze. Students will learn the basic techniques of swinging big and changing directions in midair, flying in circles, and hanging upside down, right side up and sideways. They will also have opportunities for play, exploration and self expression in a safe, supportive environment.

Marcia Miquelon has been dancing in the air since 1995. She is the director of the Mazomanie Movement Arts Center, where she teaches low-flying trapeze, yoga and improvisational movement to adults and children, and produces workshops, festivals, performances and other special events throughout the year. She is also a member of Cycropia Aerial Dance, a Madison-based, collectively run dance company. Her movement background ranges from ballet to yoga, and her teaching experience ranges from the ski slopes of Utah to the classrooms of southern Africa.

for more info about aerial dance, see www.cycropia.org

Stiltwalking with Rob Summerbell, AnnaJo Doerr and Marcia Miquelon

Throughout history stilts have been used for many high jobs like harvesting peaches, walking in soggy areas, washing windows, or in construction and painting. They have also been used in ceremonies, celebrations and rituals; not to mention the circus, throughout the world.

Stiltwalking is great fun, confidence boosting, and not so hard to learn . It's quite like riding a bike, once you've succesfully found the balance point you're on your way. In stilt class students will learn to get up on stilts, walk, dance, stand still, and fall safely. 

Rob Summerbell spent his youth doing upside down loopdy-loops on a skateboard. He has taught trapeze and stiltwalking for 8 years, and currently walks the parade circuit in his giant acrobatic wheel, or on tall stilts. He looks forward to teaching and inspiring the next generation of tall walkers.

for more info on the Jolly Giants see www.jollygiants.com

By the Seat of your Baggy Pants with Jacob Mills.

A fun theatrical experience exploring masks, movement, mime, juggling and other cool stuff. Capture the comic vitality of the circus, Vaudeville, and physical comedians such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Robin Williams. Students will study the value of physical expression and a variety of mime forms. Fun solo and group improvisational exercises will be explored using masks from Switzerland and the Italian Theatre. The Clown Character and Circus Skills will also be an integral part of this action-filled workshop. Students will also learn basic 3-ball juggling techniques, and the art of balancing objects on the nose.

Jacob is one-half of the performing team, Cheney & Mills, from Mt. Horeb. For the past 20 years he and his wife have been busy juggling the various aspects of their lives: performing, teaching, and raising their daughter Callie, who at age 16 is quite a juggler herself. In this class, Jacob hopes to continue to create a generation of comic performers.

for more info on Cheney and Mills see www.cheneyandmills.com