Newsletter - March, 2009

American Youth Circus Festival 2009 
Island Lake Camp, Starrucca PA - August 19-23

The 2009 AYCO Festival will be the fifth biennial national conference for the ever growing world-wide movement of youth circus.

The festival will include:

Pre-Festival Intensives.

4 days of Workshops!

Performances by youth troupes from around the continent

Discussion groups

Dozens of presenters!

 Fun filled hob-nobbing!

Save these dates!!   August 19-23
More info will be available soon on AYCO's website: http://www.americanyouthcircus.org/.
Registration opens April 1.


About Island Lake Camp...

Nestled on 550 acres in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, Island Lake Camp provides a rich recreational and learning environment for festival participants of all circus skill and experience levels.  The festival facilities include the circus pavilion; indoor & outdoor gymnasiums; gymnastics pavilion; two dance studios; arts & crafts pavilion; indoor & outdoor flying trapeze rigs; cafeteria-style, air-conditioned dining hall; non-heated dormitory-style cabins; and -- oh yes! --  an outdoor heated swimming pool.

For the first time in festival history all programming, accommodations, and meals are located on-site with one all-inclusive festival price.

Recommended airports: Greater Binghamton Airport, Binghamton, NY or Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, NJ.

More info at www.islandlake.com

Driving distance to Island Lake Camp from...
New York City  156 miles
Binghamton NY,  45 miles
Syracuse, NY  106 miles
Albany, NY 139 miles
Philadelphia, PA 136 miles

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Looking for Work?

Check out the AYCO Bulletin Board -  www.amercianyouthcircus.org/bb.htm.  

Currently on this bulletin board are job postings for: Executive Director for Prescott Circus Theatre (Oakland, CA); Circus Camp Director for Long Lake Camp (NY); Circus Director for Oddfellows Playhouse's Children's Circus (Middletown CT), Circus Coach for Camp Lindenmere (NY),  Manager for  the Academy of Circus Arts  (UK)  Flying Trapeze Instructor for Trapeze Arts (Oakland, CA); and Circus Coaches for Circus Smirkus Camp (VT).

 

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Get Member Discounts at the AYCO Store

   If you are a member of AYCO, you can now get a 10% discount at our  online store. The online AYCO store offers quality circus equipment including: devil sticks, diabolos, juggling balls, spinning plates....with a snazzy new shopping cart with secure online payment options.   See http://www.aycostore.com/.

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JUGGLE THIS!  NYC's 8th Annual Juggling Festival.  Juggling, workshops, games, shows, prizes, special guests. April 3-5, 2009. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn Campus (200 Willoughby, Brooklyn). More info: http://jugglenyc.com/fest_09.html

Jessica Hentoff is back from her  trip to the Monte Carlo Circus Festival where she made a presentation on Social Circus to 60 members at a joint symposium of the World Circus Federation and European Circus Association.   See more.

Read about the incredible art, peace, healing, and cross-cultural journeys of Bond Street Theatre Coalition (NYC) to Afghanistan and India at www.bondst.org

Big Apple Circus has launched CIRCOPEDIA,  its online encyclopedia of circus information, on the web at www.circopedia.org

Jackie Davis, former AYCO Board Secretary currently studying for a Masters in Education at Harvard University, made a presentation on Developmental Circus Arts to students and faculty at Harvard University.  The focus was on the physical, social, and cognitive benefits to youth development through circus arts.  Jackie will also be presenting her findings from her recent national survey of public school physical education teachers regarding the degree to which they teach (or don't teach) circus skills and produce circus performances.

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To submit news for next newsletter, contact

rick@americanyouthcircus.org .