The Cirque De’sordre used a library setting for its annual performance on June 10, but the performers were anything but sedate. The circus showcased the many talents of students from the Department of Education’s integrated arts course, Circus Dreams.
Ron LaBrusciano, core faculty member in the Department of Education, teaches the course, which, he said, shows the value of the circus theme in teaching. “The benefits for kids are the opportunities for self-expression, building confidence, and collaboration,” he said. “So it’s a wonderful thing to do.”
“De’sordre”-a take-off on Cirque du Soleil- means disorder and chaos. During the class, students spent about five hours working on their circus skills: kazoo playing, plate spinning, stilt walking, hula hooping, juggling underwear and devil sticks, and telling jokes. The performance was their chance to show off those new skills.
LaBrusciano has taught the class and staged the circus every summer since 2004. He had presented circuses as a classroom teacher, participated in circus workshops with KidsPLAYce in Brattleboro, Vermont, and helped KidsPLAYce present Circus Smirkus, the traveling youth circus in the Brattleboro area, for the last nine years.
