The Circus Barn, Inc.

Our experience with Rick and Circus Smirkus was outstanding. Rick was able work with a multi-age group and keep all the students invested in the circus experience. All of the students thoroughly enjoyed the program and the teachers were able incorporate the circus theme in all subject areas. It was a individual confidence builder, developed the students large and fine motor skills as well as team cooperation. I highly recommend Rick and the Circus Smirkus program. Coleen Healy Director Southshire Community School

I first went with my daughter, thinking it would be a cute kids' show. I was blown away by the professional-quality talent, staging, lighting, music. There were plenty of kids in the audience, but even more adults. What makes Smirkus different from other shows is the joyous spirit of the teenaged performers. They just lift you up, make you happy, make you laugh, make you hold your breath. They're doing this for love, and they do it so well it changes your whole outlook on the world. My daughter's in college now, but I never miss Smirkus when it comes to town.

Circus Smirkus is a reason to restore anyone's faith in humanity. Their Big Top Tour comes to Merriconeag Waldorf School in Freeport, Maine and provides inspiration and beautiful entertainment to the greater Portland community. We welcome children--in-need from organizations like Make-a-Wish and take Smirkus Troupers to the local children's hospital, thus taking the joy of the Circus far beyond the ring. Smirkus is a fantastic organization and we absolutely love working with them to bring such amazing talent and good will into our community.

My son went to Smirkus Camp twice and then became a performer with the Smirkus Summer Tour for 2 years. In that short time he grew from being quiet, reticent, and a bit insecure to someone who radiated on stage with full confidence and strength of character, and his skills improved 300%. I had no ambitions for my son to be a performer, but I will say that I could not have chosen a better place for him in his teen years. He was surrounded by caring, creative and loving human beings in the troupe and the staff. He found a family that encouraged him and gave him numerous opportunities to grow, succeed and participate fully and responsibly in all areas- performing, creating, and all the behind-the-scenes work. He went from a single parent family to having numerous supportive "parents," mentors and peers. I never had any experience with the circus or any interest either, but that quickly changed as I became an eager, enthusiastic circus mom, thanks to the people who make up this organization and the excitement that was generated the minute I entered the scene.

Two years ago I went to Smirkus Summer Camp just for fun. Within the first few minutes I already felt like I was surrounded by a family. The campers and the staff were so supportive, and they helped me build the confidence that led me to audition for the Big Top Tour last year. I had no idea what to expect when I was accepted as a 2009 trouper, but I was amazed by the experience I had. Not only did I learn new skills, I learned to work as a team and work through challenging conditions. The best part was sharing our show with the public and seeing them walk away from our big top with huge smiles on their faces. I came away from this summer a stronger, harder working person. The people I travelled with are my second family, they picked me up when I was down and brought out the best in me.

I have been invovled with Circus Smirkus as a parent of a camper who then became a trouper and stayed with it for some ten years. I then joined the board and have been with the board for almost eight years. So from 1993 to the present, I have been involved in some way or another. I have had the great pleasure to see many troupers grow in oh so many ways and watch Smirkus emerge as a real leader in the youth circus field.

I went to Smirkus Camp for two summers, and then auditioned for, and was accepted to the Big Top Tour. I toured for four summers. Circus has been my dream and passion since I was three years old, and Smirkus has not only provided me with the opportunity and resources to pursue circus as a career, but, as for so many others, gave me life skills applicable to anything I would want to achieve. Smirkus creates an adventure that is life changing and life enhancing, and is quite indescribable to those who haven't experienced it, but undeniable to those who have. I have gone on to work as a professional clown and continue to work with Circus Smirkus, in many roles, including counselor and production manager, mentoring the current troupe, supporting the artistic integrity of the show, and proudly helping to continue to provide magical entertainment for audiences of all ages.

Circus Smirkus is rollicking good fun. Here, talented teenage performers safely push the boundaries of their own potential to the delight of audiences who are swept along with the foot-stomping exhilaration of simply watching them. It’s zany, hilarious and absurd; a brightly colored dream where anything and everything can come true.

Circus Smirkus provides an environment for young people to become better at both team work and leadership, responsibility -for both oneself and others- creativity and self expression. It fosters empathy, passion, commitment and self discipline. This is done through the circus arts- from juggling to acrobatics, clowning to trapeze, aerials to tightrope walking. It is not difficult to understand how the lessons learned by working in a tight-knit group towards a common goal over a period of ten weeks stand the participants in good stead as they evolve through their teenage years and become young adults. As a parent I feel immensely proud of my child's achievements-both physical and developmental- thanks to Circus Smirkus, as well as grateful that he found this gem of an experience. Don't be deceived by the title 'youth' circus. It is incredibly professional and of an exceptionally high standard. Guests from all over the World have echoed this as well as numerous newspaper articles and television reports. Although running away to the circus is an affordable affair, running the circus is not. That the kids sleep in ancient, but clean trailers is part of the charm. That families can afford the ticket price is paramount. However transportation and putting on shows with the safety of both participants and the audience IS expensive.

I first experienced Circus Smirkus 11 years ago as a prent taking my young daughter to a Big Top tour show. The whole family was blown away! The kids who were performing showed such incredible energy and joy! My daughter said then and there, "Dad, I want to do that!" Soon after, she began attending Circus Smirkus summer camps. My wife and I were very pleased and impressed by the high standards for fitness and nutrition at the camps as well as the great pleasure and satisfaction our daughter derived from attending them. A few years ago, she decided to try out to become a Big Top Tour Trouper. Her experience on tour for the last two summers has been just plain wonderful and I have continued to be impressed by the fact that the joy and exuberance I noted 11 years ago is still a feature of each performance. I volunteered at just about every show I could manage to attend. I witnessed the wide-eyed wonder of the kids in the audience, the smiling parents, and the hard work by everyone associated with the show. I was impressed to learn that, not only does the Tour act as a fund-raiser for a variety of local non-profit sponsors, but the Troupers even give short impromptu shows at various locations their route - for example Paul Newman's "Hole in the Wall Gang" camp for kids with cancer and other serious illnesses. Last summer, I was asked to join the Board of Directors, and although I realized it would be a serious time commitment on my part, I did not hesitate to say yes. As a Board member, my view of the organization broadened and I could see the other ways Circus Smirkus touches people's lives. One of the programs visits schools throughout the northeast for short "residencies," where the kids are taught some simple circus skills as a way of encouraging fitness. The more I have seen of Circus Smirkus, the more imprssed I have become. It is a jewel of an organization!

Circus Smirkus is absolutely amazing. Before seeing it, many people think it is just a kids' show. They are incredibly surprised withing minutes of the show starting. All the performers are professional caliber, but they have the enthusiasm and enjoyment that many professionals lack. If a performer does not have a smile on their face, it is because they are a clown who just got a pie in the face. Often after a show audience members will tell say "Oh, that was just as good as Cirque du Soleil" Many others say that Smirkus is better.

I am the parent of a child who went to Circus Smirkus summer camp for three years and then was encouraged to audition for the tour. She was accepted and what had been a fun pursuit for her turned into a passion. She toured for 2 years until she became too old. It happened that for her, this led to a professional circus career, though what she gained from the experience would be useful in any profession. What I saw as a parent was this: my child was stretched and challenged to work really hard to pursue her dream of making it to auditions and to be accepted to the tour. She developed a confidence I did not know she had. I witnessed her relating to the audience as a whole, interacting with individual fans young and old, and working hard with her fellow troupers, who became like family to her. I saw a sense of responsibility and teamwork in her and in the entire troupe that I did not think was possible in a group of young people. During the teenage years, human beings tend to be extremely self-centered and can be pretty inconsiderate of others. But I saw a group of young people who worked as hard on the show as a whole as they did to develop their own skills. It requires sometimes putting aside one's own desires for the good of the show. Those accepted to tour are all talented. They have incredible discipline in their individual training, but there are also many group acts and ensemble pieces, requiring endless rehearsal within the larger context of the troupe. Every day they have to work together not only in the ring, but behind the scenes. This includes many daily chores such as meal clean-up, picking up trash in the bleachers, etc, and also working with the ring crew. They have to keep themselves and each other safe and they have to help each other. Sometimes they literally hold each other's lives in their hands. This requires a degree of trust and honesty that most people do not have to face in the workplace. The directors and coaches are extraordinary. Although they bring out the personal best in each young person's skills, they set a high standard for professionalism and maturity for the troupe as a whole. They demand the best in character, behavior and attitude from each trouper. They treat the troupers with respect and are respected in return. My child spent her summers in this wholesome, challenging environment learning important life lessons and growing confident and mature. Oh, and they put on a heck of a great show!