Young performers show this isn’t just any circus
ONE of Cape Town’s most underrated attractions is its Zip Zap Circus School. You have probably seen its huge, permanent Big Top tent on the Foreshore, between the Artscape Theatre and the elevated freeway. I paid my second visit to the circus last weekend and was once again amazed and enchanted by the polished circus acts of the young performers. Acrobats, jugglers, trapeze artists and clowns kept a tent full of fans on the edges of their seats and calling for more.
I would never have believed, if I hadn’t seen for myself, that two unicyclists could navigate their odd little vehicles up and down a flight of stairs (to music), or that a young girl could balance upside down on one hand, on top of a pole, and then perform acrobatic moves without a single wobble.
The circus school has been producing skilled circus artistes for many years and Zip Zap graduates now perform professionally in circuses across the world.
The school was founded in 1992 to promote a “culture of peaceful coexistence among the people of a South Africa”, and it’s easy to see how successful it is at doing exactly that.
Kids come from all sections of the community, all races, some wealthy and some poor, all learning to trust each other completely.
Consider this: if you’ve been thrown high into the air by a team of clowns, you need to be very sure there will be a competent pair of hands to catch you before you hit the floor. If you suddenly perform a heart-stopping backward fall from a trapeze, you need to know your team partner will be in exactly the right place to link feet with you and swing you back up again.
Although the performers are all youngsters, this is by no means a “children’s show”.
The level of professionalism is incredible and the show moves quickly and smoothly from act to act. I attended the last show of the present season and I think the school now goes into its winter training session, but I shall certainly be watching for news of next season’s performances.
Keep an eye open for an announcement and do yourself a favour and go to one of their shows. Better still, get in touch with Zip Zap (it’s on the internet) and find out how to support the school financially.
I can’t think of a better way to promote trust among our future citizens. I believe they do a far, far better job of creating trust among our people than our ridiculous politicians seem able to do.
Last Laugh
Because of the shortage of good maths teachers, the Education Department commissioned a computer program to teach basic maths concepts to Grade 1 pupils.
The program designer was told to make it as child-friendly as possible. When one teacher tested it, she deliberately entered an incorrect answer to see what would happen.
The computer immediately flashed a message on the screen: “Incorrect. But just because you got the answer wrong doesn’t mean I don’t still love you.”