the Downside-Up Circus » Circus

From pedaling to paddling!

Victoria — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:05:08 +0000

For those of you who have been keeping tabs on our flickr, you may have noticed several boat-centric photographs. “But circus friends!” you might exclaim, “I thought the INTERROBANG tour was exclusively by bicycle!”
Well, dear readers, we’ve decided to…rock the boat, as it were. The tandem has apparently been sightseeing all over the U.S. (and is therefore taking its time getting to us), so Tara and I have decided to forgo biking and will instead be making a splash by boating!

But seriously, let’s leave the nautical puns in our wake. Today was a beautiful day, so Corvus generously showed off his watery digs and took us for a ride. We’ve also been planning, routing, scheduling, stretching, and practicing! Things have been changing a bit, but we’re nothing if not flexible. In addition to touring and performing, our group will also be: working on a farm, taking care of the farm children, making rent for post-tour, doing a theater internship, getting jobs on the east coast, and moving out of homes into new ones. Proof that circus folk CAN do everything!

Currently we’re camping out at Corvus’ house and having fun going into Port Townsend. We’ll be playing around at farmer’s markets and putting show ideas together in his backyard. Next week look for us in Bellingham! Speaking of which, if you happen to have a couch or yard that could house us in Bellingham or halfway to Bellingham, we’d be much obliged.

Look forward to seeing ya’ll up north!

First Night Boston

Tara — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:39 +0000

The Downside Up Circus will be performing as part of the FedEx Family Festival at First Night Boston 2010! We just confirmed that we’ll be doing two sets at the Hynes Convention Center in room 302 from 2:15-2:45pm and 3:45-4:15pm. First Night is a huge, well-extablished community arts event that showcases performers, visual artists, musicians, ice sculptures, a parade, and fireworks to ring in the New Year. We’re really excited to be a part of the celebration, though some of the troupe will be on the West Coast. Buttons (festival passes) are just $18 – get yours soon!

Get your button!

HONK! activist street bands & circus

Tara — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:10:54 +0000

Taking back the streets for horns, bikes, and feet! Molly & I had a wonderful time at HONKfest in Boston, MA this weekend. We arrived Saturday afternoon and wandered the streets around Davis Square, stopping every few blocks to tap our toes and nod our heads and dance our hearts out to a different band.

Each motley crew of magnificent musicians had their own sound and their own aesthetic, from the Pinettes, the all-women’s Second Line band from New Orleans to the all-percussion Lloyd Family Players. With goggles and bunny ears, boas and fake mustaches, the bands all poked fun at the usual regimented marching band style, playing popular hits, original compositions, klezmer, swing, punk, gospel and everything in between. From plaza to park to stoop, it was as if music had taken over the streets – which it did, during the huge parade on Sunday!

Molly juggles in the parade

The parade was a honktastic lineup of bands and groups, including the Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble from Montreal, Canada (with a marching cello!), our friends Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band from Somerville, MA, Orkestar Zirkonium from Seattle, the Rude Mechanical Orchestra from NYC, and my new favorites, Environmental Encroachment from Chicago, IL. There was at least one coordinated dance team, a group of jugglers (who we fell in with for a time), several contingents of Bread and Puppet characters and puppets, and a silent clown-band with noiseless papier-mache instruments (who are actually our new friends The Royal Frog Ballet Theatre Company from Amherst, MA). It was incredible to feel the nearly tangible spirit of camaraderie, walking down the street with a veritable army of community support. I didn’t know it was possible for that many people to have that much fun at the same time without the universe imploding!

The parade emptied into Oktoberfest at Harvard Square, with the usual food and crafts vendors, marching bands continuing to perform in alleys and on corners during the afternoon. The weekend wrapped up with a floor-shaking five-hour marathon stage show in the Somerville Theatre, as each of the thirty-two bands played in succession for a full house of people who did not want to stay in their seats, but wanted to dance in the aisles and occasionally join the musicians onstage. We cheered and sang along, showing hearty appreciation for the wonderful folks onstage who traveled from far and wide to bring us HONK!

environmental encroachment really knows how to pump up a crowd

For those who couldn’t make it out to HONK! we’ve brought a dose of it back to the valley with us: TONIGHT in Northampton Downside-Up is performing alongside the Pink Puffers from Rome, the Yellow Hat Band from Seattle, and local favorites Rusty Belle. TOMORROW there is a parade around Hampshire at noon, followed by a performance and a workshop about the brass underground.

For more info on both the Northampton and Hampshire events go here!

life under the big top, it’s about freedom

Tara — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:56:20 +0000

Victoria on the catcher's trapeze

It’s been a long, lovely summer of working 23ft in the air. I want to always be able to do what I love (thus, The Downside Up Circus)!

Although September is looming, there’s still much to be milked from August, especially in circus terms. Next week, after the conclusion of our summer camp flying trapeze job, Victoria & I are attending the American Youth Circus Organization Festival, a biennial event that brings together youth circus performers, teachers, organizers, and fans. This year they’re actually reaching out to college-age students (an odd post-juvenile, pre-professional demographic in the circus world…), and so we’ll be getting discounted festival passes in exchange for volunteering at the Festival. Victoria will be teaching a workshop, Bodies in Motion: Creative Movement for Circus Folk.

I will be busy idolizing the many festival attendees who run social circus and kid’s circus programs, picking their brains and talking up the Downside Up Circus. There will be showcases of youth circus acts, and workshops like ‘Peace through Pyramids,’ ‘Circus Yoga,’ and ‘Circus for Social Change’. Also, I’m sure, a lot of motivated, talented, and excited youth to make friends with! We’ll be sure to blog all about it, so stay tuned…

we get a little creative with bananagram tiles

(post title: lyrics from Freakshow by Ani DiFranco)