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 Circus 101 September 4, 2005 by Ruth Davenport - The Daily News Circus school opens doors at new location Standing on the ground, Leigh Sadler looks like just about any other 16-year-old. But then she seizes the thick rope dangling from the ceiling and clambers up it as nimbly as Spiderman, pausing to twist the rope about her body and hand, horizontally, about six metres off the floor. “It’s not that hard,” she said, swinging gently in the air. Sadler and her consort in contortions, Jocelyn Stairs, started dabbling in circus arts with the Cirque Atlantique circus school at the age of 12. Four years later, they help teach programs at the school, which opened its doors in a new, permanent location for the first time yesterday. Owner-operator Anais Guimond — a former progeny of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil — said the new facility in Burnside brings stability and diversity to the circus school, which attracted about 100 students to its 12-week courses at the Shambhala school in Halifax. “We can do corporate events, birthday parties, stagettes, in-service days, summer camps and March break camps,” she recited excitedly. “People can drop by now, they can come and see us.” The Cirque Atlantique offers three sessions each year for ages three and older. Guimond said she typically gets interest from people in every age group. “Adults come here when they get bored with the gym,” she said. “And I have a lot of parents who see their kids doing classes and then they come to the adult classes, saying, ‘I want to try, too.’” The circus school offers classes in everything from noon-hour drop-in yoga to classes on the bungee trapeze. Guimond promised there’s no clown training and no pressure to do flying backflips, unless a participant specifically asks for such instruction. That said, she and her two star pupils say it’s funny how quickly circus can get under your skin. “It’s something that gets you,” said Guimond. “You get one thing, and then you’re off. It just goes.” “It’s totally addictive,” chimed in Stairs. “It’s like doing 10 sports at once." Information about the school and classes are available at www.atlanticcirque.com.
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