A circus arts school recently formed in Biddeford will bring classes to the coast this summer.
The Sellam Circus School, founded by Sellam El Ouahabi and Amity Stoddard, will offer its first-ever summer circus arts day camp on Vinalhaven Island in July and in Bar Harbor in August, part of its Maine Coast Summer Circus Arts program.
The circus school, which plans to offer both recreational, after-school classes in circus arts, as well as a semester-based, competitive-entry professional circus arts training program, is founded on the belief that “circus belongs to everyone,” organizers say.
Founders El Ouahabi and Stoddard hope to open the doors to the school’s permanent location in Biddeford in September. As a lead-in, the school will offer day camp programs, starting with a 2-week circus arts day camp hosted by the Vinalhaven School and College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, with more locations in the works.
The Vinalhaven camp, open to students from ages 8 to 18, will run July 17 through July 28. The Bar Harbor camp will operate July 31 through Aug. 11. Structured as a day camp, each week session will run Monday through Friday; camp days will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.
Students in the day camps will have the chance to learn juggling, partner acrobatics, trapeze, aerial silks and much more.
For those who don’t live on the island, the Sellam Circus School will chaperone students to and from the ferry terminal as part of its commitment to ensuring that every child has a chance to experience the circus. The school is also offering an instant discount to island residents—including Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Islesboro—who would like to attend the camp.
To learn more about The Sellam Circus School’s summer circus arts day camp at the Vinalhaven School, visit www.thesellamcircus.com.
For more information: info@thesellamcircus.com
