Kahilu Theatre presents its very own circus showcase, “The Gravity of Gratitude,” next weekend in Waimea.
Producer Graham Ellis describes the free 5 p.m. July 29 show as “a collaboration of super talented professional artists and talented young students providing family entertainment for the whole community, with a guaranteed fun time and lots of wows!”
Professional performers in the show include aerialists Victoria Roos, of Germany, and Monnya Silver, of Colorado, stuntman Aaron Crippen, of Chicago, singing acrobat Kat Reuss, of Kansas, and Hawaii’s very own clown of mayhem, Ari Luce.
Supporting acts include the talented youth stars from Waimea’s “Cirque ‘Ohana” with their unique unicycle and juggling routines.
“I’m now ready to show Waimea that juggling while riding a 6-foot unicycle can be done by a kid, any kid with dedication, and I’ll show you how,” said 13-year-old Bailey Givens, a seasoned community circus veteran who just returned from a month with Cirque San Jose.
The showcase will also feature 40 students from the theater’s Circus Arts program with acts they created during the two-week summer camp. Watch out for flying aerialists, falling clowns, flipping acrobats and fighting ninjas plus a few surprises that Ellis says the kids will create themselves.
Ellis speaks from over 25 years experience helping children on the Big Island soar to new heights — whether on stilts, aerials, unicycles, or with juggling clubs — through the “HICCUP” Circus based in Puna. He has recently relocated with his family to Waimea and is now offering a new generation of circus arts programs through Kahilu Theatre and at several local schools.
The “Gravity of Gratitude” is directed by Silver, who tours worldwide with the popular band Devochka. She said, “it is a privilege to return to the Big Island and to be able to help inspire and educate local kids in the excitement of the circus.”
Info: www.kahilutheatre.org or 885-6868.