I (recently) discovered Circus Arts isn’t a normal part of most public school curricula.
Me, to Husband, horrified: “But, but, but…how do kids learn how to juggle? or walk on wires? or stand up on a moving horse?”
Husband: “They don’t. That’s dangerous.”
Me, bereft: “That’s so sad!”
I have no idea why this hadn’t struck me as anomalous before now. Or why I consider it so tragically sad, considering I ran away from the circus myself and never looked back.
I also see that Sailor Circus was transferred from the Sarasota County School Board to the Police Athletic League in 2004 and Circus Sarasota in 2011. One of my readers works with Circus Sarasota, perhaps she can let me know if students still get school credit for Circus Arts.
This is a draft that escaped facebook and ran over here when I was cleaning house.
yes, they still get credit. And the Sailor Circus is alive and well. Did you know why Sarasota HS is called the Sailors?
When I was very small (maybe for the 25th anniversary of the circus, that would have been in 1974?) there was an effort to change the story around so that the school mascot was because of the circus, but my older relatives (and some neighbors) neighbors who graduated from SHS before WWII insist that they were the sailors before the circus. I think Aunt Eleanor had newspaper clippings but I can’t really recall. I’d have to ask my mom. What’s the official story?
The story I heard was that when Sarasota High School was first created, the football team had to cross the Manatee River in order to reach their opponent, so they sailed across. Don’t know if it’s true but it’s a fun story.