Promoting Harmony Through Handsprings

By Julia Bollman on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 9:38am

Since the beginning of time, children have threatened to run away and join the circus. In 2007, 11 St. Louis teenagers did just that. And filmmaker Alexandra Lipsitzwas there to catch all their triumphs and tribulations in her film Circus Kids.

Accompanied by an entourage of a dad, clown, mentor, social circus director and Lipsitz, the kids of Circus Harmony’s St. Louis Arches traveled to Israel to work with the Jewish and Arab children of the Galilee Circus. For many of the performers, this is their first time abroad. Despite the Arches’ struggles with cultural differences and language barriers, enduring friendships with their Middle Eastern counterparts and an entertaining show develops.

You can catch the St. Louis premier of Circus Kids during the St.Louis International Film Festival. The screening is happening on Sunday, November 21 at 1:30 p.m. at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. Directly following the screening, a benefit gala will be held at the Regional Arts Commission. The cost for a combined film and gala ticket is $15 for children and students, $35 for adults, and $95 for patrons. Order your tickets today!

If you like Circus Kids, check out the Circus Harmony performers in person. They make regular appearances at the Youth City Showcase at the City Museum and are a highlight of Circus Flora. For more information on the Arches or for a schedule of where they will be performing, visit Circus Harmony’s website.

By Andrea Wilson, Events Blogger for SmartParenting

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by Julia Bollman, publisher of STL Parent

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Things to Do

Weekend Play Time by Reservation at Play Street Museum

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Grab a spot for Weekend Play Time by Reservation at Play Street Museum in St. Charles. Kids and families can explore the museum during these special weekend hours. Playtime will be by reservation only to limit the number of occupants in the building at one time. Play is offered in 90 minute sessions and occupancy will be limited during each session.

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Private Playtime at The Magic House and The Magic House MADE for Kids

The Magic House is offering the opportunity to enjoy private playtime in a special exhibit area of The Magic House or MADE for Kids before opening to the public! You choose the location and up to 10 family members or friends to enjoy your private morning. Stay and play after in the rest of the museum. Reservations must be made in advance.

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Science Storytime at the Saint Louis Science Center

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Young visitors and their families are invited to the Energy Stage to enjoy interactive read-alouds of science-themed picture books. Story times are followed by a short demonstration or discussion connected to the book's main concepts.

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Snow Town at The Magic House

Plan your visit to Snow Town, an outdoor adventure at The Magic House complete with a Snowball Carnival, featuring whimsical winter outdoor games, a variety of snowball-themed carnival booths, snowball putt putt and lots more! This completely outdoor experience is SNOW much fun!

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Springtime Magic at The Magic House

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Get a jump on springtime fun at Springtime Magic at The Magic House! Springtime Magic includes Bunny Town, the museum's newest outdoor experience featuring spring-inspired art, bunny games & trike rides through floral fun, visits the bunny, egg hunts, and more!

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It's Jack and the Beanstalk with a modern-day twist! Metro Theater Company, St. Louis's premiere professional theater for youth and families, continues its refreshed 20-21 season with the virtual production of Jacked! Written by award-winning playwright Idris Goodwin (And In This Corner: Cassius Clay) and inspired by the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk, this colorful, imaginative, and fully virtual experience combines hand-drawn animation, spoken word poetry, and behind-the-scenes studio footage with a fresh, energetic and original hip-hop score and break-beat music, featuring vocals and rap by popular St. Louis punk pop duo The Knuckles. Jacked! is created and developed for children ages 5-11 and is a 40-minute production. Tickets start at $16 for virtual streaming performances now through March 31, 2021. Reserve your tickets at metroplays.org

Make your child's summer magical with a one-of-a-kind summer camp experience at The Magic House! Camps at The Magic House feature all new activities for 2021 with exploration at The Magic House, and MADE for Kids. Weeklong, half-day camp is available for ages 5-6 and 6-8 with daily snacks and hands-on fun. Full day camps are for ages 8-11. Themes include Amazing Artists, Super Scientists, Tiny Tinkerers and more! Summer Camp at The Magic House is sure to spark your child's imagination. Register online at magichouse.org

The Saint Louis Chess Club's Digital Classroom offers chess instruction for grades K-12 in an exciting and fun virtual learning space! The virtual classroom portal provides students, teachers, parents, and school administrators with the resources they need to develop or improve their scholastic chess endeavors online. Through the Digital Classroom space, students will be able to engage with scholastic certified chess instructors, connect with other students, build chess skills using Saint Louis Chess Club's curriculum, choose from multiple learning styles and classroom experiences, play in online tournaments with peers and have fun learning chess while increasing critical thinking, cognitive development, and memory. Professional instruction ranges from beginner, intermediate, and advanced play. Visit saintlouischessclub.org to learn more!

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