A Bag of Circus Tricks!
It’s time for an Arts Break! During their careers, circus artists cultivate an enormous set of skills—a spectacular bag of tricks—and learn to perform in all kinds of acts. Follow along with New Victory Teaching Artist Hassiem Muhammad as he shares three tricks from his bag that you can add to yours.
Object Balancing
- Locate an object in your home that is long and narrow in size, like a broom!
- Place the object in the center of your hand and immediately start moving your hand to steady the object.
- Lock your eyes on the top of the object and follow wherever the object leans. If it leans back, move your hand back, or take a step back! Remember to keep your eyes locked on the object.
Challenge! Can you balance your object on your other hand? Your foot? Your elbow?
Tumbling
- Find an area in your home that is safe and clear of furniture.
- Let’s try out the cartwheel from Hassiem’s video! Start with one foot in front of the other with your arms up overhead.
- If you have your right foot in front, swing your right arm onto the ground first. Then hop onto your left foot while bringing your left arm onto the ground.
- With both your arms planted, swing yourself up onto the other side. With each swing, try to send your legs higher and higher overhead.
Challenge! Can you do your cartwheel in a new way? To music? While dancing? In slow motion?
Disappearing
- Locate a sheet and a doorway, or a hallway with a doorway to one side!
- Hold up your sheet so it completely covers you.
- Give your sheet a toss into the air and quickly slip to the side (behind or through the doorway) so that, by the time the sheet falls, you’ll have disappeared from behind it.
Challenge! Invite your family or friends to stand on the other side of the doorway and watch your magical illusion! Can they figure out how it’s done? Can they give it a try themselves?
You’ve done an awesome job building a bag of three circus tricks! What other tricks can you add to your bag?
New Victory Arts Break videos are designed for kids, families and educators to engage with the arts in any space—including at home or in the classroom! This video's instructions can be modified to meet the needs of you and your kids.