Newsletter - October, 2006

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In this issue:
1. AYCO's Social Circus Educator's Conference, Nov. 3-5. Chicago.
2. Social Circus Teacher Training
3. Dr. Reg Bolton, 1945-2006
4. Circus Fans of America Creates New Youth Circus Website
5. Spotlight on members -- Circus Day Foundation, St. Louis
6. DVD of Festival 2005
7. AYCO Store
8. Member News

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AYCO Social Circus Educators Conference - Youth Development through Circus Education
Still Time to Register!!
Hosted by CircEsteem
November 3-5; Chicago, IL
This is THE conference for any circus educators involved with helping youth-at-risk. Social Circus holds very different meanings for different programs worldwide.  AYCO presents Social Circus as circus education applied towards youth development. 
 
Conference workshops and discussions will address such topics as how we teach, conflict/resolution strategies, community partnerships, and curriculum development.  Topics will also include administrative programming, fund raising, and the legalities of working with youth.  We also intend for this conference to act as a springboard for new networks throughout our youth circus community, to initiate an Assessment Project for youth circus programs, and establish a national network to provide Social Circus internships for future educators.
For more info, and to register, go to http://www.americanyouthcircus.org/SSC/index.html
 
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Social Circus Teacher Training
October 30 - November 3, 2006 - Chicago, IL
Prior to the Educator's Conference, AYCO, in cooperation and support from Cirque du Soleil, is conducting a 4 1/2 day teacher training for 25 youth circus educators from around the United States.  The training will be provided by professionals from Cirque du Soleil's Social Circus Teaching Program which conducts circus workshops in cooperation with community organizations to serve at-risk youth around the world.  The 25 participants, from approximately 18 different organizations, will return to their programs with new tools and perspectives to improve the ways in which they work with their students and within their communities. 
 
On behalf of these participants and the youth circus community, we say "thank-you" to Cirque for providing us with this unique and valuable opportunity!
 
For more information about Cirque du Soleil's Social Circus Programs: www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/company/socialaction/sevenpgrms/cirquedumonde.htm
 
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It is with profound sadness and deepest respect that we mourn the passing of a great spirit, a man totally dedicated to improving the lives of young people through circus arts -- Dr. Reg Bolton, 1945-2006

See tributes to Reg at www.regbolton.org
See video tributes at http://www.americanyouthcircus.org/RegBolton_stories.html
Reg's website is www.circusshop.net
 
The AYCO Educator's Conference is dedicated to Reg.
 
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Circus Fans of America Creates New Youth Circus Website
 
The Circus Fans of America has created a great new website for youth in circus. See http://www.circus4youth.com for news, photos, and information of interest to all young performers.
 To join CFA, or to find more information, visit http://www.circusfans.org/
 
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Spotlight on Members - Circus Day Foundation

Circus Day Foundation’s youth circus performers have been very busy! In May, their advanced troupe, the St. Louis Arches performed with Circus Flora as part of the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.

 

The summer was spent working 5 – 6 days a week giving shows at City Museum while developing new acts with the help of guest coaches Warren Bacon, Lynn Polke, Carlo Gentile and Carrie Heller.

 

In September, the new acts were set to music and on Oct, 6,7 and 8, Circus Day Foundation presented their annual full-length production, Circus Harmony: Glissando. This creative confluence of music and circus arts featured children from different neighborhoods performing to music from different countries.

 

Then Cirque Du Soleil came to town with Quidam! Cirque named Circus Day as a Benefit Partner. Circus Day’s Benefit Night at Cirque Du Soleil raised $18,600! The Circus Harmony performers were honored by being asked to perform outside at the Quidam premier and then were asked back to do a private show for Cirque’s cast and crew on the Cirque stage! In addition, three Quidam performers came and did workshops with the aspiring circus stars.

 

See video of CIRCUS HARMONY'S recent show in St. Louis:  http://circusday.org/MovieClip/index.html

 

For more about Circus Day Foundation, see http://www.circusday.org

 

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DVD of Festival 2005
The DVD is here!!  Relive both glorious gala performances from the 2005 festival in San Francisco, and enjoy 147 photos from all 4 days.
The  DVD and photo CD set is now available. For more details, and to order online, go to
 
 
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Get Member Discounts at the New AYCO Store
If you are a member of AYCO, you can now get a 10% discount at our new 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 www.aycostore.com.
 
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Member News
Congratulations to AYCO president Orlene Gentile and husband Carlo on the birth of their first child, a brand new circus boy!
CIRCESTEEM's annual Gala will open Nov 30th at the Chicago Cultural Center. See www.circesteem.org
 
CIRCUS JUVENTAS (St. Paul) is bringing back their successful summer show, Pazzanni, to the 2006 St. Paul Winter Carnival.
See  http://www.circusjuventas.org/performances.html
The MYSTIC PIXIES (San Francisco) will soon be moving to Montreal to join Cirque du Soleil's new 2007 Touring Show. See http://mysticpixies.net/index2.html

ODDFELLOWS PLAYHOUSE (Middleton, CT) has a new traveling circus show, "seven Suitcases, a Trunk, and an Egg", which premieres October 27. This forty-five minute show, directed by Dic Wheeler and assistant director Amy Richmond Prchal, is the fourth touring show to be mounted by the Traveling Circus since its inception in 2003. See http://www.oddfellows.org/

Circus Center’s 2006 Holiday Show features ‘7Fingers’ circus troupe with the U.S. Premiere of TRACES. Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco December 13, 2006 – January 1, 2007. Montreal-based new circus troupe has deep roots in San Francisco.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/10/prweb451555.htm.
 
Warren Bacon (Which Way Is Up?, Consultants) has moved to Alabama to care for his ailing father.  His email stays the same (rig2@aol.com) , but his new phone number is 334-287-3039.
 
Big Apple Circus has a new online newsletter with news of their new show, and the 20th anniversary of the Clown Care Unit. See http://www.bigapplecircus.org/About/RingsideReport/
 
Circus Minimus - The Circus Kids Create used a Wizard of Oz theme this summer in two locations - Brattleboro, VT. and Binghamton, NY. Ringmaster Kevin O'Keefe said,” The Wizard of Oz is a timeless story. One discovery we made is that our story is a lot like the characters in Oz. Like them we’ve run away, had adventures, overcome obstacles and found that everything we need (heart, courage, and creativity) we already possess. We imagined a circus in Oz- the Emerald City Circus. We also did a lot of talking about home - what it is, when we feel it and who is there. www.circusminimus.com
 
Jackie Davis, AYCO founding member, will be presenting a workshop entitled "The ABC’s of Circus Education: Teaching Achievable Basic Competency™ in Five Circus Skills" at a national convention for physical education teachers next spring.  The convention, sponsored by the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) will be held from March 13-17, 2007, in Baltimore, MD.  Details will be posted at a later date at www.aahperd.org
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(If you don't want this newsletter in the future, reply with the word "unsubmit")
For questions, or to submit your news, write rick@americanyouthcircus.org