Grand Finale Performance This Week!!!!!

They've been working on their acts for weeks, and they're ready to roll.



The 10th Annual Berkshire Children's Circus Camp will be performing this week, and this week only, at the Patterston Field House at Berkshire Community College.

Show-times are Friday, August 15th, at 7:00 pm and on Saturday, August 16th, at 1 pm.

The Greatest Show in Pittsfield is the greatest buy too. Tickets cost only $3.00 per person for anyone over the age of four. Those under four are invited to attend for free, providing they are accompanied by an adult.

Hot dogs, cotton candy and other festive circus victuals will be available for a small price at the concession stand.

The terrific line up of acts includes gravity defying aerial acts atop our new double trapeze; whizzing unicycles, including the six foot high giraffe; campers balancing perfectly atop rolling balls; gymnasts, jugglers and comic clowns. In addition to these, the Circus features its very old side-show that would be the envy of P. T. Barnum himself.

We are pleased to announce that once again, the full-sized Eagles Band will be performing all your favorite circus numbers live. Our show lasts about an hour and a half, and includes an intemission. Upon the conclusion of the performance the audience will be shown the egress.

So come one and come all to the Greatest Show in Pittsfield.

This is not the Egress

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Campers Preparing for Performance On September 13th for the National Circus Fans of America

Parents met with Dick Hamilton recently to discuss the upcoming Berkshire Circus Camp performance at the Annual Convention of the Circus Fans Association.

The CFA, with a national and international membership roster, invited our camp to their Convention, which will run in conjunction with the BigE this year. Dick Hamilton went over the specifics including a rehearsal slated for September 5th at the College.

The September 13th event itself will take place at 7pm at the Best Western Hotel and Conference Center on route 5 in West Springfield. Campers are invited to spend the earlier part of that day at the Big E and will be treated to a performance at the CocaCola Big E Circus. They'll get VIP treatment, and will have an opportunity to meet the Big E Circus performers.

After 3:30 pm, campers will head to the Best Western Hotel for their own rehearsal, afterwhich they'll perform the routines they know best in a one hour show. CFA attendees are looking forward to this event, and the Berkshire Children's Camp is featured on the CFA website, which can be reached by clicking here: Circus Fans of America.

Cycle of Life As Seen From One Wheel...............

Circus Camp Counselor, Patrick Connor, was a circus camper himself during the first year of the Camp, in 1994. "I started riding a unicycle at Circus Camp, when I was eleven. I came back in 1995 and continued working on the unicycle", said Patrick during a recent interview. "The skills I learned here I'll utilize throughout my live".

And Patrick certainly has been using his circus skills arts, as a BCC Theater major. Even in high school he found his talents in demand. During a performance of Carousel, Patrick's prowess at manipulation wowed his audience when he balanced a cane on his nose.

Appreciative for the confidence and opportunity to excel in the unique theatrical techniques learned at Circus Camp, Patrick decided to return this year as a Camp Counselor. After two weeks with our 2003 campers, Patrick is so excited with their enthusiastic progress, that he is eager to return as a Counselor during the 2004 season.

Patrick enjoys working with campers. "It's great to see them getting good at their acts. Kids develop their skills at different speeds. I try to help them get over their apprehension. The trick to success is to just keep trying."

Practice makes perfect, although from the number of tumbles and occasional black and blue marks, beginner cyclists certainly earn their success. "One camper will go about three feet and then falls off. But he just keeps trying and gets back on his unicycle and goes a little farther", observes Patrick. "I just tell them that getting on and falling off is what happens when you're beginning. It's how I started. The important thing is not to get discouraged; just get back on again."

Patrick's tireless efforts coaching unicyclists have paid off with three unicycle acts scheduled for the upcoming Grand Finale Performances on Friday evening, August 15 and Saturday afternoon, August 16. All levels of unicyclists will have an opportunity to perform, beginners, as well as advanced. This gives everyone the opportunity to showcase their hard earned skills.

Beginner unicyclist, Sarah Hubbard, is looking forward to the performance. She credits Patrick's patience and encouragement for her ability to cycle for a longer duration. "Patrick's really nice and he really helps a lot. When I got here, I couldn't turn very well, but now I can turn pretty well and I don't bump into people anymore."

As for Patrick, he expects unicycling to be in his life for sometime to come. "I would like to be a professional street performer on the side." As part of the one wheel wonder act he's currently rehearsing, Patrick rides his unicycle while playing a guitar and harmonica simultaneously. For those of us who can't walk and chew gum, it's truly amazing what practice, and few years at the Berkshire Children's Circus Camp can do for your future.

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Resources for Cyclists
Here's a number of links to websites of interest to unicyclists:

The Unicycle Page: A non-profit organization of unicycle enthusiasts. Techniques on riding, unicycle events and information from around the world. There's even an online digital film animation of a red unicycle, that's a parody of Pixar's, Red's Dream.

Unicycling Society of America -The website of the National Unicycle Organization America, this site features membership information. This organization also publishes, One Wheel magazine.

Unicycle.com. While this is a commercial site, there is certainly a lot of information thats helpful if you plan to buy one of these fun contraptions. There's even a dealer locator if you're looking for an area cycle shop selling unicyles. (Like the ones in Lenox and Springfield.)

Things not to do on a Unicycle. Scuba diving on a unicycle? Paragliding? Do not try this at home.

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It's Not Over Until It's Over

While we all hate to see Circus Camp end, that doesn't mean it's really over. Watch this site in the next month for another issue of the Berkshire Children's Circus Camp Online. Our Webfolks are hoping to put together a page all about the Camp, about you and your continued interests in the Circus Arts.