The first production of Cirque at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School appeared on the stage in 2002 developing out of the Gap Players’ interest in the Toronto-based production of Cirque du Soleil. There were ten cast members in the original Rabun Gap Cirque. Over the past nine years, the students’ ambitions have developed into a much larger production than they could have imagined. The Cirque program is guided by members of the Cirque Planning Committee which is comprised of a group of students and adults from former Cirque productions. Based on Alice in Wonderland, the most recent Cirque production, Maravia, involves over eighty performing artists and technicians. Each year’s production is original in concept with student members directly involved in the creative process. Past production themes have included the seven ages of man, theatre history, exploring the imagination of a blind child, and a journey to another planet. Introduction of new apparatus, skills, and training are offered with each new production. Student artists have become proficient in static trapeze, swinging trapeze, triple trapeze, aerial silks, lyra, aerial straps, German wheel, Chinese poles, walking globe, trampoline, tumbling, Banquine, clowning, body balancing, dance, hand-balancing, juggling, contortion, and other circus arts skills. See Pillars Magazine spring 2007 to view Cirque feature article | 
|