Elsie Smith, artistic director and instructor at New England Center for Circus Arts, said she was “super excited” to host a news conference Monday morning at their new studio in the Cotton Mill building owned by the BDCC.
Design and construction of a circus school and performing arts facility off Putney Road was ranked number five on a list of 14 vital projects. The center hopes to develop property it owns on Town Crier Drive.
BRATTLEBORO – Economic development meetings typically don’t include talk of trapeze artists.
But the New England Center for Circus Arts’ high-flying expansion plan was a big part of the buzz here Monday morning at the announcement of 14 high-priority economic projects for Windham County.
The ‘vital projects’ announcement comes with no funding attached; rather, it’s part of an update of the region’s federally approved comprehensive economic development strategy. Nevertheless, officials place a lot of emphasis on this year’s list, in part because it shows the variety of projects happening in a county that is losing one of its biggest employers, Vermont Yankee.
The circus center’s expansion into a new, centralized headquarters is just one example of that growth. And administrators brought good news: A ground-breaking for the $2.5 million project could happen this spring.
“We are creating something that is going to be unique in the United States, and we hope to be the national center for circus arts,” said Elsie Smith, the center’s artistic director and co-founder.
The area’s comprehensive economic development strategy, also known as the CEDS, is a project of Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies, also known as SeVEDS. While it’s easy to get lost in the acronyms, officials say the strategic plan bestows eligibility for some federal funding programs.
https://necenterforcircusarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/necca-vt-digger-january-2016-FEAT.jpg480640Erika Radcliffehttps://necenterforcircusarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NECCA-Black_Logo.pngErika Radcliffe2016-01-11 09:39:092022-03-31 18:02:35Windham County Promotes ‘Vital’ Development Projects
Balance is a core value at a school whose curriculum boasts Trapeze, Teeterboard, and Acrobatics, and whose students are often found 10 feet off the ground, swinging from bars, beams, and fabrics.
But for Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion, identical twins and co-founders of the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, commitment to balance is as important to business plans as it is to circus acts. And that, as a famous New Englander once said, has made all the difference.
No strangers to the limelight, Elsie and Serenity spent four years touring with Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco and also performed with Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus, Circus of the Kids, the New Pickle Circus, Pilobolus, and more, winning awards in China and Spain for their spinning duo trapeze act and winning fans and accolades everywhere else.
And they have also earned respect and admiration for their business savvy. Quite frankly, it’s a hard choice as to which type of praise means more.
“I think it depends on the day and the person,” says Elsie, who serves as artistic director of NECCA, which she and her sister established in 2007 and which has grown, appropriately enough, by leaps and bounds. Blossoming since the days of that initial class, NECCA this year will educate 6,000 students aged 18 months to more than 80 years. Their experience ranges from raw beginner to seasoned circus professional revealing a world of wonder in between.
Circus Smirkus and the New England Center for Circus Arts have so much in common that they teamed up on the Austine Campus on Jan. 16 and 17 to host auditions for Circus Smirkus’ 2016 season.
According to a press release from Circus Smirkus, the reason it held auditions in Brattleboro was because of the “crumbling infrastructure” of its venue, Memorial Auditorium, in Burlington.
Elsie Smith, who founded NECCA with her sister, Serenity Smith Forchion, said this is the second year in a row that auditions have been held in Brattleboro. “We have a gym on the Austine Campus that is already decked out as a circus facility,” she said, so minimal setup is required. “Instead of having to prepare and do rigging, it only took us about three hours to get ready.”
Smith said Circus Smirkus and NECCA consider themselves “sister” organizations. “Cirus Smirkus has summer touring programs and overnight summer camps and we have day camps in the summer. While we don’t have a touring company, we train many of their participants during the year.”
Walier is heading to Latvia to perform her fixed trapeze act in a competition and if the ground is hard enough, she’ll be able to show off her bottle walking skills. She said she has never been that far east.
“I’m almost going to Russia. It’s going to be so cold,” Walier laughed. “I’m super excited and open to whatever happens. I’m ready for the adventure.”
https://necenterforcircusarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/necca-brattleboro-reformer-chloe-january-2016-FEAT.jpg14132000Erika Radcliffehttps://necenterforcircusarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NECCA-Black_Logo.pngErika Radcliffe2016-01-01 09:43:382022-03-31 18:02:36Brattleboro to Latvia: Performer and NECCA Teacher Chloe Walier to Compete
https://necenterforcircusarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/necca-circus-now-april-2015.jpg13332000Erika Radcliffehttps://necenterforcircusarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NECCA-Black_Logo.pngErika Radcliffe2015-04-20 05:17:122022-03-31 18:02:36Entrepreneurs of Circus: Elsie Smith & Serenity Smith Forchion
“The circus is a place where marginalized individuals were valued for their uniqueness and that outsider culture proves to be powerful for cancer survivors. At times cancer can make one feel like an outsider—even after treatment ends, the survivor may be disease-free but not free of disease. Being incorporated into that role of a circus person, even if just for the afternoon, can be transformative. Through Circus for Survivors, the participants experience a reprieve from cancer, a reconnection to the body, a space to play and develop self-efficacy.”
https://necenterforcircusarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/necca-vermont-arts-council-march-2015-FEAT.jpg382473Erika Radcliffehttps://necenterforcircusarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NECCA-Black_Logo.pngErika Radcliffe2015-03-31 05:22:422022-03-31 18:02:36Two Free Hours: A featured story on the Vermont Arts Council blog regarding the Circus for Survivors workshops
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – Home-schooled students will often partake in extracurricular activities through local organizations. But thanks to a Brattleboro-based home schooling program, families can now access art classes for less.
https://necenterforcircusarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/necca-brattleboro-reformer-january-2015-FEAT.jpg13312000Erika Radcliffehttps://necenterforcircusarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NECCA-Black_Logo.pngErika Radcliffe2015-01-05 05:28:562022-03-31 18:02:36Graduates from NECCA Under Really Big Tent
For years, a bursting-at-the-seams creativity has made Brattleboro and Windham County an exciting place to live and work. And, finally, all indications are pointing to a true creative economy growing here.
