‘Up in the Air’

Photo courtesy of SANCA

YOUTHFUL ENTERTAINERS WILL WOW AUDIENCES AT COLUMBIA JUNIOR HIGH’S PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WITH A SHOW CALLED “UP IN THE AIR,” ON FEB. 13.

The circus is coming to town, but you’ll see no lion tamers or bearded ladies in this outfit. This circus – the Youth Performance Company from the Seattle-based non-profit School of Acrobatics and New Circus Acts (SANCA) – is all about feats of balance, juggling and aerial arts performed by young SANCA students

ages 11-18.

On Feb. 13 at 2 p.m., the youthful entertainers will ‘wow’ audiences at Columbia Junior High’s Performing Arts Center with a show called “Up in the Air.” Built around a tale of circus and invention, “Up in the Air” is about a young juggler who moves to a small town only to find it divided by rivalry. Incorporating a combination of theatre and circus arts, the story tells how the juggler brings the town back together again for a “happily ever after” kind of ending to delight the whole family.

Crystal Campbell is a freelance, professional aerialist, teaches classes at SANCA, and manages the SANCA Youth Performance Company. She founded the company in 2006 to allow students to showcase their skills. Campbell said the young performers are excited to visit Fife, on the heels of their sold out Seattle show.

“This year is unique for us because the kids wrote the story themselves. They use juggling, unicycles, tumbling, acrobalance, tightwire, aerial hoop and employ acting skills to tell the story through characters the students developed themselves,” Campbell explained.

The show is about an hour long, perfect for keeping the littlest audience members’ attention.

In addition to entertainment, “Up in the Air” provides an opportunity for communities to see what SANCA is all about and for parents in particular to explore the idea of enrolling their children in the school.

Jo Montgomery, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (a satellite of Seattle Children’s Hospital), found-

ed SANCA in 2003. Having noticed an alarming increase in the rates of childhood obesity, Montgomery contemplated creative and practical ways to address the problem. By enlisting the help of gymnastics instructor Chuck Johnson (now SANCA’s co-founder and program director) and tapping into the burgeoning circus arts scene in Seattle, SANCA was born.

Today, with an enrollment of more than 700 students, SANCA represents the fusion of Montgomery’s strong desire to improve the health and well-being of as many children as possible with first hand knowledge of the fun of acrobatics and circus arts. Montgomery’s commitment to provide all children the opportunity to participate in the program, regardless of their ability to pay, inspired her to open the school as a non-profit organization. SANCA is located in a large, fully equipped warehouse in the Georgetown

neighborhood of Seattle.

SANCA grants all scholarship requests with funds generated from private donations and proceeds from fundraising events. SANCA welcomes students of all ages, and offers the Youth Performance Company for the youngest members to get out and show off their skills.

“Kids in the youth company perform all over the community during the summer, and at the end of the year they do a big show,” Campbell said. The youth company meets Tuesdays from 5-7 p.m. and Fridays from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Tickets for “Up in the Air” are $9 each and available at http://www.sancaseattle.org where you can learn more about the show and see a very amusing video introduction to the story.

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