Fern Street Circus' Circus Skills Program552

Fern Street Circus, named in 2000 as Local Heroes and Heroines by the San Diego Union-Tribune, operates this afterschool recreation program at the Golden Hill Recreation Center. The program provides free-of-charge instruction in acrobatics, balancing, clowning, contortion, juggling, trampoline, trapeze, and tightwire. Students range from eight-year-olds to teens to young adults. Instruction is offered first-hand from working circus artists.

In this drop-in class, students move from one station to another, trying all the different tools. Most kids come just to try it out; some become enthusiasts who crave a deeper level of instruction. To serve them, more advanced, focused instruction is offered one additional day per week. Each summer, After-School Circus Skills Program students produce the Fern Street Junior Circus, a recital of over fifty kids performing in front of the Golden Hill Recreation Center.

Golden Hill Summer Camp, offered in collaboration with Golden Hill Recreation Center and several YMCAs, offers a one-week introduction to circus skills culminating in a circus show. Call Fern Street Circus for details.