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A SARASOTA TREASURE The 2008 Sailor Circus  Submitted by Samantha McVety on   4/24/2008 Last Modified   Photos by Rene McVety (Samantha's mom)  &  Jim Cole Lights, Music, “Places all Sailor Circus Performers”, the rings glow at Pal Sailor Circus in Sarasota. Everyone is getting ready to sail on the pirate adventure with the cast of “Sarasota Treasure.” An all volunteer band provides the music that carries you away in the voyage. Pirates sail the seas in the first act including Web, Cargo Net and Giant Whirl. Pirates adventured out to sea when four kids come upon a treasure map that the pirates had lost. This starts an amazing treasure hunting adventure. The story carries the characters through difficulties expressed in many acts, unicycle, bike for five, juggling, teeterboard, circle trap, quad trapeze, multiple trapeze, tissue, hand balancing and flying.  The adventure at Sailor Circus never stops. There were shows March 26th through April 5th at 7:00 and a matinee on Saturdays at 11:00.   We also did a special show for the Circus Fans of America on April 16th. Sailor Circus Band, under the direction of Mr. John Roseboom.    Left: Clown Max Labrunie.             Right: Miss Calliope Desenberg. Opening aerial Production, Pirates on the Cargo Nets.    Spanish Web,  Left:  Miss Nina Danese.                  Right: Peter Bohn.    Left: Aerial Cloud Swing, Mary Catherine Hudgins. Right:  Hand Balencing,  Leah Barnett and  Charley Leonard.    Left:  top: Kelsey Jordan, Brianna Adams,  lower: Julie Shoults,  Khera Smith. Right: 4 unidentified young ladies perform in Advanced Trapeze              Triple Trapeze, L-R:  Andrea Chu, Morgan Riendeau, and me, Samantha McVety. Every one of the approximately 125 performers under the age of 18 puts all of their effort all season long into these shows practicing daily after school, while juggling school and circus. Though balance is kept because if you start getting bad grades in school you will be warned then kicked out of the program until your grades are better.   "Our Jungle Juggling Fantasy" 7 girl aerial silk routine In the beginning it starts with sign ups,  the acts that interest you are the ones you sign up for. There is a month of practicing all leading up to 1st cuts when the coaches decide who goes and begin making the fabulous routine you see out on the floor. Then 2nd cuts come up behind and bite you. If you make those your in the show. This starts the real work leading into 1st half, 2nd half practices, dress rehearsals, and full show practices. The amount of work going into these shows is remarkable.     Adagio and Advanced Tumbling,  Ian Laidlow on the right in a handstand / back bend    High Wire, Left: Brittany Billinsley steps over Kaylyn Campbell. Right: Austin Roush dances on the high wire. Meanwhile the costume ladies are back in there rooms sewing away beautiful costumes that fit the theme like Velcro. As amazing as the performers are so are the costumes. Each year new costumes are purchased and old costumes are reused to make even more magnificent masterpieces.     Aerial Hoops,  Keleigh Kaliher, and Mackenzie Deets.    "Tribal Rhythm" Left: Fire Juggler, Rocky Flood Right: Tetterboard performers "Tribal Rhythm Tetterboard",  somersault to the high chair    Roman Rings, Left:  Morgan Wyatt.       Right: Kaylyn Campbell.    Even before shows a ton of work is put in especially by volunteers who run concessions, make people’s hair beautiful, put together costumes, do makeup, and supervise dressing rooms. It’ s unbelievable how many hours they put in. The average performer has two costume changes, an awesome hair do, two times the get make up. Now times that by 125 performers and eight shows. After each show everyone picks a ring and cleans until it shines like the rest of the show. Someone vacuums, cleans chairs, sweeps sections, empties trash, and mops each section. Teamwork is everything before, during, and after shows. Our Pirate Crew and the almost Human launching Cannon. "The Sarasota Treasure", our Flying Trapeze act.  Miss Julia Backlund prepares for a trick off the riser bar.  Leah Barnett, to Catcher Andrew Pratt.  Didn't quite make this one! A good trip to the net.  They caught the trick the rest of the shows. Catcher Andrew Pratt flys to Emily Rose Wyatt, who is normally a flyer. At the end of the show , flying begins and Sailor Circus is proud to announce a historic first. For the first time in Sailor Circus’ nearly 60 year history Ms. Emily Rose  Wyatt trades places with Andrew Pratt and becomes the first ever female catcher.  Sailor Circus is an opportunity not to be missed.     Email This Resource   Copyright © 1999-2010 Circus Fans Association of America and Authors. For more information view our  Copyright Policy & Privacy Policy .

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