Troy Circus offers diverse programs, artists in Prospect Park

TROY, N.Y. — The Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center (CCIAC) is presenting 10 days of circus events under a big top tent this August in Troy’s Prospect Park.

“You would have to travel to Montreal or Europe to experience the breadth, diversity, and quality of programming we are offering in Troy this August,” CCIAC executive director, Aaron Marquise said in a recent news release. “We are proud to be showcasing artists from many different backgrounds to reflect the makeup of our audiences.”

The schedule includes three performances by a professional touring company, a summer camp for kids, a family picnic day with workshops for all ages, the premiere of an original circus show, and an immersive dining experience — all exploring different facets of the contemporary circus. None of the events feature performing animals, but instead put the focus on the incredible capabilities of the human body demonstrated through acrobatics, juggling, and more.

All activities happen under a 34-foot-tall, 4,000-square-foot tent that holds 250 people.

Opening night cabaret and fundraiser:

For Adults, Friday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m.- 10 p.m.

An exclusive cabaret evening event featuring high-flying aerialists and jaw-dropping skills with professional circus artists from the Capital Region and around the country. This is a fundraiser to support the 2023 Circus in the Park season.

“Circus is all about community. It’s important that all members of our community can share in the Circus in the Park experience, which is why CCIAC provides free admission to our headline act and family day programming,” Marquise remarked. “The money raised at our cabaret is critical to that mission.”

Tickets are $75. https://cciac.ticketleap.com/cabaret/

Professional touring show: The RAINBOW is Enuf

All ages, Sat. Aug. 18 -20, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Headlining this year’s programming is “The RAINBOW is Enuf,” commissioned by Zaccho Dance Theatre and performed in the 2022 SF Aerial Arts Festival.

Expressed through the lens of the modern circus, “RAINBOW” is a re-imagining of legendary playwright Ntozake Shange’s 1976 choreopoem “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf.”

Using aerial arts, dance, and original text, RAINBOW peers into the lives of seven people of African descent as they share intimate stories of existing in a world shaped by patriarchy, sexism, racism, and the community that grows from these shared experiences.

The RAINBOW is Enuf will be performed by:

Veronica Blair, aerialist/acrobatics, began her career as one of the youngest professional African-American trapeze artists in the United States. She has performed around the globe with UniverSoul Circus (USA), “AFRIKA! AFRIKA!” (Germany) Universal Studios Japan (Osaka, Japan), and Warner Bros. Music.

Summer Lacy, who was featured in America’s Got Talent and the internationally-renowned La Soirée Cabaret and Circus Abyssinia

Copper Santiago, a graduate of the New England Center for Circus Arts.

Darielle Williams, is a veteran artist whose credits include Le Rêve – the Dream at the Las Vegas Wynn Hotel, Beyoncé’s Formation Tour, and The Little Mermaid Live on ABC and Disney Plus.

Toni Cannon, a company member of San Francisco’s Circus Bella and the Ground-breaking Topsy Turvy Queer Circus.

Ori Quesada, Trans Nicaraguan American acrobat specializing in Traditional Chinese Rola Bola with Kick Bowls. Quesada has performed with Troupe Vertigo and the Santa Rosa Symphony.

Choreography by Veronica Blair. Acrobatic design is by Chloé Farah. Show website: https://www.therainbowisenuf.show/

Schedule: Friday, Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m

Each performance will have a total of 225 seats available, including 75 paid seats and 150 free seats. Preferred seating costs $25 per ticket (children under the age of two may be admitted free to the preferred seating area if they sit on the ticketholder’s lap). There are 75 free seats that can be reserved in advance via the CCIAC website and there are 75 seats available for free to walkups, no reservation necessary.

Free reserved seats are only guaranteed up to five minutes before the start of the show and then they will be given to walkups on line. Premium tickets can be purchased online or at the circus tent. Tickets and reservations are available online at https://www.cciac.us. The house opens 30 mins. before showtime. No dogs except trained service animals will be allowed under the big top. Artist First Premiere: Helix Age 10+, Aug. 12 – 13.

Caroline Wright and Rachel Barringer, who perform together as “DuoShadow,” lead a cast of six circus artists through an evening-length performance featuring multiple apparatus and skills, following their 12-month Artist First Residency period with CCIAC.

This playful, tongue-in-cheek show will highlight interconnectedness and spin new perspectives on how emotions are perceived, evoked, and interpreted. Using the architecture of circles as a metaphor for the cycles of relationships, the storyline invites viewers to connect both within ourselves and how we relate to our culture and each other.

With undertones of closeted love, queer coming of age, and thinking outside the box, the audience will leave feeling inspired, having witnessed uniquely conceived interactions with classic circus apparatus, including; aerial rope, German Wheel, Cyr Wheel, Braided Loops, Pas de Deux Straps, Duo Hoop, Duo Straps, Synchronized Aerial Hoop, as well as contortion, acrobatics, tumbling and dance.

Under the direction of Sophia Herscu, this show is being produced in collaboration with Circus 617 of Boston, Mass. Performers include Rachel Barringer, Caroline Wright, Caitlin Quinn, Ernesto Lea Place, Alex Oliva, and Jen Ender.

Recommended for age 10+. Schedule: Sat. Aug. 12, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Sun. Aug. 13, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Family Day:

All ages, Sun. Aug. 13, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Pack a blanket and a picnic basket and join the circus in Prospect Park for family-friendly workshops and a circus performance from Riplium Menagerie at noon.

Workshops are appropriate for ages 5-18. They are free but space is limited.

Schedule: 9:15 a.m. – 10 a.m. 10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m. 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m., noon – performance. Reserve: https://cciac.ticketleap.com/family-day/

Circus camp for kids:

Ages seven to 17, Aug. 14 – 18

CCIAC is offering a one-week full-day circus camp for kids, ages 7-17, featuring aerial and ground-based circus skills including aerial silks, tumbling, and juggling — all under the big top in the park. There will be a showcase for family and friends at the end of the week.

Full-Day Camp runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mon. Aug. 14 to Fri. Aug. 18, and costs $250. Before care, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., costs $50. Aftercare, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., costs $50. Combined before and after care are offered for $75.

Camp schedule: Aug. 14-18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. After/before care is available. Appropriate for students ages 7-17. Reserve: https://cciac.ticketleap.com/circus-camp-for-kids/details. Tickets and reservations to all the shows and workshops can be obtained at https://www.cciac.us

Follow Us