OWASCO - Cirque du Soleil move over. Night at the Circus, Owasco Elementary School's 11th annual circus, had the gym at Auburn High School crackling with excitement Friday night.
Its '50s Circus theme, spotlighting the school's 50th anniversary, played well to the crowd that packed the gym to the rafters.
About 68 fifth-graders, sponsored by the Owasco Parent Teachers, took part in the event, with proceeds going to pay the professional performers for training.
“It's a big deal for the fifth-graders,” Alicia Duffy, a co-organizer of the circus said. “They've been waiting since kindergarten for their turn.” Duffy's son John had been fine tuning his plate spinner act for a while around the house, she said.
Many children buy props used from catalogues through their gym classes and work with them throughout the year.
“The kids love it,” Letizia Magats, fifth-grade teacher, said. “If you could see their faces when the performers come, they're just beaming.”
The circus began in 1997 with the National Circus Project, Magats said. Former members of that organization, “Incredible” Larry Rundle and “Sheano” Fagan, came this week to train the fifth-graders during gym.
All grades from kindergarten through fifth participated in gym classes with fifth-grade target groups meeting 35 minutes daily,
Rundle, performing since 1992, studied with Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown School instructors and Cirque du Soleil.
Fagan, circus performer and teaching artist, clowned around. He teaches Shakespeare Theatre Arts in elementary and middle schools and has performed with Ringling Brothers, Walt Disney, and Scholastic's “Magic School Bus Live!”
The Midway opened at 5:30 p.m. in part of the gym set aside for games.
Tickets were also available for various booths: face painting and food, hot dogs nachos, popcorn, pizza and cotton candy.
Monica Feeney, a third-grader, had Amy Bryan, her former kindergarten teacher, paint a pumpkin on her cheek.
Long lines formed for “Dunk Mr. Diehl,” set up just outside the high school entrance. Mike Diehl, a second grade teacher, got dunked a lot, and never gave up egging the crowd on.
Emily Serling, a fifth-grader, dunked Diehl on her second try while her dad Steve and brother Nathan, a second-grader, cheered her on.
Fifth-grade teachers manned a booth with an appealing array of '50s souvenirs. Nathaniel Lupo, a fourth-grader, bought a plastic American flag derby hat, giraffe mask and a clown nose. Smiley face yo-yos, star-shaped sunglasses, and glow necklaces were among the other trinkets for sale.
Inside the Midway, children tried their luck at winning small prizes donated by local organizations.
Pin the nose on the jack-o'-lantern and a bean bag toss into a blow-up “catcher” were popular. Nina Weslowski, a sixth-grader, won a whoopie cushion with three bulls-eye tosses. Hoop du Jour (a basketball toss), Lucky Ducks, and What's In the Box? also drew challengers. Elijah Lincoln, a fourth-grader, stuck his hand in the box, guessed “a headband” and won the last prize for that booth.
Rundle introduced the first '50s event, an Owasco drive-in, with “Creature Double Feature,” a space ship landing peopled by aliens dancing on stilts. Earthlings signs read: “Nice to meet you,” and “Welcome to Earth.” An Alien sign read, “Nice to eat you.”
The second feature, “Swamp Thing,” was a one-eyed Black Lagoon monster.
Fagan imitated Ed Sullivan for the Variety Hour, which followed: Devil Sticks (batons) spinners and Diabolo (giant yo-yo toss-ups on strings).
Silver Diner featured a pie-in-the face clown, “I'll Have the Blue Plate Special.”
“Great Balls of Fire,” juggling and balancing on balls; “Doo Woppers;” and “Greased Lightning,” acrobatics; wound up the evening. Final bows were taken by all to a cheering crowd.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
About 68 fifth-graders, sponsored by the Owasco Parent Teachers, took part in the event, with proceeds going to pay the professional performers for training.
“It's a big deal for the fifth-graders,” Alicia Duffy, a co-organizer of the circus said. “They've been waiting since kindergarten for their turn.” Duffy's son John had been fine tuning his plate spinner act for a while around the house, she said.
Many children buy props used from catalogues through their gym classes and work with them throughout the year.
“The kids love it,” Letizia Magats, fifth-grade teacher, said. “If you could see their faces when the performers come, they're just beaming.”
The circus began in 1997 with the National Circus Project, Magats said. Former members of that organization, “Incredible” Larry Rundle and “Sheano” Fagan, came this week to train the fifth-graders during gym.
All grades from kindergarten through fifth participated in gym classes with fifth-grade target groups meeting 35 minutes daily,
Rundle, performing since 1992, studied with Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown School instructors and Cirque du Soleil.
Fagan, circus performer and teaching artist, clowned around. He teaches Shakespeare Theatre Arts in elementary and middle schools and has performed with Ringling Brothers, Walt Disney, and Scholastic's “Magic School Bus Live!”
The Midway opened at 5:30 p.m. in part of the gym set aside for games.
Tickets were also available for various booths: face painting and food, hot dogs nachos, popcorn, pizza and cotton candy.
Monica Feeney, a third-grader, had Amy Bryan, her former kindergarten teacher, paint a pumpkin on her cheek.
Long lines formed for “Dunk Mr. Diehl,” set up just outside the high school entrance. Mike Diehl, a second grade teacher, got dunked a lot, and never gave up egging the crowd on.
Emily Serling, a fifth-grader, dunked Diehl on her second try while her dad Steve and brother Nathan, a second-grader, cheered her on.
Fifth-grade teachers manned a booth with an appealing array of '50s souvenirs. Nathaniel Lupo, a fourth-grader, bought a plastic American flag derby hat, giraffe mask and a clown nose. Smiley face yo-yos, star-shaped sunglasses, and glow necklaces were among the other trinkets for sale.
Inside the Midway, children tried their luck at winning small prizes donated by local organizations.
Pin the nose on the jack-o'-lantern and a bean bag toss into a blow-up “catcher” were popular. Nina Weslowski, a sixth-grader, won a whoopie cushion with three bulls-eye tosses. Hoop du Jour (a basketball toss), Lucky Ducks, and What's In the Box? also drew challengers. Elijah Lincoln, a fourth-grader, stuck his hand in the box, guessed “a headband” and won the last prize for that booth.
Rundle introduced the first '50s event, an Owasco drive-in, with “Creature Double Feature,” a space ship landing peopled by aliens dancing on stilts. Earthlings signs read: “Nice to meet you,” and “Welcome to Earth.” An Alien sign read, “Nice to eat you.”
The second feature, “Swamp Thing,” was a one-eyed Black Lagoon monster.
Fagan imitated Ed Sullivan for the Variety Hour, which followed: Devil Sticks (batons) spinners and Diabolo (giant yo-yo toss-ups on strings).
Silver Diner featured a pie-in-the face clown, “I'll Have the Blue Plate Special.”
“Great Balls of Fire,” juggling and balancing on balls; “Doo Woppers;” and “Greased Lightning,” acrobatics; wound up the evening. Final bows were taken by all to a cheering crowd.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
