Arts & Events

Circus club presents Halloween performance

The fourth annual fall Circus Club performance will be held this Halloween at 7 p.m. in the library parking lot, weather permitting. However, in case of rain the performance will be postponed.

Puget Sound’s Circus Club brings all the fun of Cirque du Soleil to campus without the exorbitant cost. For no charge you get to witness around 10 different types of circus acts, ranging from acrobatics and contortion to staged combat and juggling, all performed by at least 20 of your fellow students.

This year’s show theme, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, promises to play with the tradition of life and death present in the celebration of the dead, giving it a fun and engaging atmosphere.

“We have historically done an annual Halloween show, where we channel a creepy and dark aesthetic. Since our theme this year is Día de los Muertos, we are creating a show that is more carnivalesque and celebratory while still pulling in a bit of creepy,” Circus Club president Jacki Ward said.

Giving Día de los Muertos a Halloween twist, the members of the Circus Club hope to befuddle and amaze their audience in costumes of dancing skeletons in which they will show off their skills in a couple of long dance numbers. The performance will be as close to a traditional circus show as possible, with costumes, fire and a ringmaster.

If you enjoyed the impressive fire dancers at Log Jam, wait until you see the Circus Club performers’ feats of fire juggling, fire poi spinning and fire contortion.

The Circus Club is a relatively new club on campus, having started only five years ago. However, it is very inclusive and welcoming to new members.

“The atmosphere of the club is really laid back and accepting. It’s based on a come-no-matter-what -your-skill-level-is sort of principle,” co-vice president Joanna Lamstein said. “Even if you don’t have any circus skills or knowledge, you can just come and learn something new. It is a great place to be foolish and do ridiculously fun things because everyone is being ridiculous, so you don’t feel awkward.”

Circus Club is open to learning and playing with all sorts of activities. A typical club meeting consists of warm-ups, playing games and learning a new skill. In this relaxed environment you can learn juggling, tumbling, partner acrobatics and much more.

“If  someone  has a skill and is willing to teach it, they can,” Lamstein said.

Interested in joining Circus Club? Stop by their Halloween performance and get a taste of the fun you can have in the club. Or stop by their weekly meetings on Fridays in the Field House dance room from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. There will also be a spring variety show next semester.