Page 20 - The Connection Bridgewater Somerville Edition, September 2012

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Back 2 School

NEW JERSEY’S HOME FOR

CIRCUS ARTS EDUCATION & TRAINING

Balance, Coordination & Fitness

Trapeze and Aerial Silks

Unicycle/Stilts

Adaptive Circus

Birthday Parties

Learn more and register online at:

www.thecircusplace.com

3 Jill Court • Hillsborough, NJ • 908-829-3784

Adult Aerial Classes

First Class Complimentary

OFF-SITE PROGRAMMING

FOR SCHOOLS, CAMPS &

SCOUTING COUNCILS AVAILABLE

Training Locally!

Located on Jill Court

Sharyn Brandman





Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all

ages! There’s an exciting new way to build

balance, coordination and fitness and it’s an

activity the whole family can enjoy.

in Hillsborough offers classes with a

twist – programs in circus arts that encour-

age physical activity combined with artistic

performance for all age and skill levels.

At any time, within the walls of

you will find students balancing on a

tight wire, learning trapeze, climbing an

aerial silk, juggling, stilt walking or unicycle

riding. “Because we are new to the area,

people are not quite sure what ‘circus arts’

is all about,” says Sharyn Brandman, one of

the school’s directors. “We are starting to

educate people about the many benefits of

youth circus. Our students have the chance

to be athletic and creative in a completely

non-competitive environment.” She further

explains that by working together, the

students build self-esteem, self-assurance

and the confidence to go out and try some-

Sharyn and Ed Brandman, a local

Bridgewater family, met Craig Quat, pro-

gram director of the BANDofJUGGLERS,

during a juggling event at Princeton Uni-

versity. With a shared passion for the circus

arts, they created

Circus Place,

sey’s Home for Circus Arts Education and

Training and opened their doors in October

2011. They are commited to providing a

top quality education in circus skills while

building a sense of community, collabora-

tion and acceptance.

Circus Place

is an inclusive circus arts

and training school geared to children, teens

and adults. All classes are led by profession-

al instructors and teach all aspects of tradi-

Circus Arts,

to the newly popular

Aerial Arts, including trapeze, rope and aer-

ial silks. They also offer adult fitness classes,

youth performance troupes, homeschool cir-

cus and adaptive circus arts programming.

“Once people come in, they understand

why we are different,” says director Craig

Quat. “We offer something new, unexpect-

ed, and enjoyable. We take things that

seem unattainable, like walking on 3 foot

stilts or riding a unicycle and teach our stu-

dents how to master it, step by step.”

There’s a sense of community as students

work together to accomplish goals. “Our

students learn they don’t have to be better

than anyone else – just better than they

were yesterday,” adds Mr. Quat. “Success

is based on individual progress, and we

make sure everyone is successful.”

One of the most unique programs

offered at the Circus School is the Adaptive

Circus program geared toward students

with special needs. These classes, headed

up by Mr. Quat, enable students with phys-

ical, cognitive or developmental challenges

to experience the excitement of Circus

Skills. Through the use of specialized equip-

ment and innovative instruction,

encourages hand eye coordination,

sequencing, balancing and strengthens

both fine and gross motor skills in a fun

environment. Classes are small to insure

proper attention to each student, and pri-

vate lessons are available. “There are alter-

native mediums to develop coordination,”

says Mr. Quat, “the experience is the same

for these students; it’s just at a different

Adults looking for an alternative to a

traditional gym environment find they can

get a good, solid workout and have fun at

the same time. For example, adults in the

aerial program, build upper and lower body

strength, increase muscle mass and flexibil-

ity, while climbing the silks, and learning

Looking for a unique way to celebrate a

Circus Place

provides a great

alternative to the usual birthday party

options. The party starts with professional

jugglers and then everyone gets a chance

to be part of the show. All partygoers will

have an opportunity to juggle, balance,

learn the trapeze and play on the aerial

Circus Place

also packs up their equip-

ment and becomes a traveling circus taking

their show and workshops on the road to

bring Circus Skills to larger groups like

schools, libraries, camps and scouting

Circus Place

is located on Jill Court,

Hillsborough. For more information, to

enroll in Fall classes, or to schedule a party

visit www.thecircusplace.com. Find them

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PAGE 20

The Connections NJ