I bought a new Van!

My new van! Thanks to Stirling from Northwest Honda, and with soooo many thanks to my sweet friend Richard Klemm, and his John Moore Good Deed Fund, that went to pay for half of this new beauty. I paid the other half and "exchanged" sweet ol' Vincent Van Go for this new honey, Vanita Klemmentine.

Even though it's quite an upgrade (nothing leaks, heater works, all doors open, gas gage works, cigarette adapter works all the lights work, etc), it wasn't easy saying goodbye to my good ol' buddy Vince.

 We had nearly 5 years together. Bought him for $150 and put a lot of work and miles into him. He was a great purchase value, and of great value to me... living in him, traveling with him, and relying on him.

And as the thoughtful trade-in guy said, "We will take him now where he will be valued for his weight." Thanks for the memories Vince!

Louis Ledford at Anelia's

Louis Ledford had a show at Anelia's Kitchen... he and the food were both great, and I got to visit with Julia and her niece Lilly. We enjoyed watching Louis nearly knock over his beer with his guitar head repeatedly. It was all quite entertaining.

RFS gets a bookie: Esther

Real Food Show has a new member... our booking agent, Esther!

And we are off to a meeting to get her started. Yay!

Mylee's in town

Mylee was in town for a few days and I had the pleasure to have her in my class. She's a brilliantly hilarious, and outrageously talented woman.  I'm so lucky to know her!

(Chipps and Mylee... perfect comedy duo)

Something Wonderful coming

Something Wonderful, a new Bellingham Circus Guild show is coming in May!

And it's gunna look a little something like this...

Most of the show is water themed, with aerial seaweed and lady bugs, tight-rope walking octopus, acro balancing rocks, hula-hooping firefly, jellyfish...these are just some of the pirates for now. Aarrr!

Chipps' Bday Party

 Chipps n Katie shared their disco-themed birthday celebration at the roller rink.

 There was a speed race (River, Chipp, me, and Katie), and even juggling!

 Super Man (Matea) was there.

 Along with his super dad (Orion).

 And Charlie, skatin' for the first time.

Wren and I came decked out for the celebration.

Happy birthday to Chipps and Katie!

Western Front reports on My Circus Valentine 2016

The Western Fronts article about My Circus Valentine. Notable quotes about Wren and I... " The other team juggled pins with each other simultaneously. They rarely missed a beat or comedic moment." And one for me, "...an alluring piggy that was easy to love." Pretty neat-o.

My night with the circus

by Lauren Brigolin

Terril Teran Mire, circus aerialist, suspends herself in midair during Valentine’s Day performance put on by the Bellingham Circus Guild in Bellingham, WA, Feb. 13. // Photo by Daniel Liddicoet

Just outside the heart of historic Fairhaven stands an unassuming building. Inside this modern, metal building, live a talented group of dedicated performers. These performers make up the Bellingham Circus Guild.
This Valentine’s Day, the group hosted a themed event called My Circus Valentine, complete with an array of acts to entertain and awe the audience.
It was the eve of Valentine’s Day and my boyfriend and I didn’t know what to do. We’d exchanged presents and went out to dinner, but what about an experience? It’s only once a year where everyone is encouraged to observe love in all its forms.  That’s when we decided to see the show. As we followed the painted signs that said, “Circus Show” we knew we had picked a unique way to celebrate this year.
“I have never really liked Valentine’s Day,” said Anneka Deacon, the artistic director, stage manager and producer of the show. “I don’t like the clichés of it and that everyone should be having a sweetie and all of this heterocentric stuff around it.”
Deacon has been a performer for 10 years and decided she wanted something different for Valentine ’s Day that supported circus performers. She started the show seven years ago. This year is the first time she hasn’t performed.
“This is a really good opportunity for circus artists to perform in a way that is really special to them. [It] allows them to share open-heartedly and get paid for what they do,” Deacon said.
At this point in my life, I’ve seen Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers and my small town’s yearly carnival, but nothing had prepared me for the intimacy and closeness of the Bellingham Circus Guild’s stage.
As I entered I was greeted by the smell of fresh popcorn. The giggles of children and an aura of excitement illuminated the room; Spinning above my head was an artist wrapped in blue silk welcoming guests and surprising young kids when she’d compliment them on their circus-like outfits of tutus and tights.
As showtime grew closer the audience chose their seats and in the front row on a mat was a group of kids excitedly gazing up at a performer on stilts who towered over them. The lights dimmed and the sixth My Circus Valentine began.

The stage burst to life. The opening act was a singer and dancers who set the tone of the show by singing a Bellingham version of “Let’s do it (Let’s fall in love)” by Cole Porter. Each act was an expression of the hard work the artist put in and it showed on the stage.
The jugglers in the show weren’t just juggling balls, one was juggling round discs. He would spin and catch with one disc while the thrown disc would land still spinning in the other. The other team juggled pins with each other simultaneously. They rarely missed a beat or comedic moment.

Performers from the Bellingham Circus Guild conclude a song and dance routine during a special Valentine’s Day performance in Bellingham, Feb. 13. // Photo by Daniel Liddicoet

The space between the audience and the stage was nearly non-existent. The acts invited you into their space and you were given a front row seat to the experience. The room had a sense of togetherness with its excitement.
One of the acts involved a large rope that was strung to the ceiling. The artist climbed to the middle of the rope and began to perform. Wrapping the rope around a leg and an arm, she’d let go. The rope would hold her weight suspended in the air. Then she would tie herself into another form and unravel once more. It appeared as easy as untying a silk ribbon from a present.
Another act, which caused my heart to skip a beat, was a pair of trapeze artists. The two told a story of a young woman picking apples before she snags the hat of a man who was raking leaves. The woman climbs onto the trapeze and the pair mischievously work together to tell the tale. During the performance the man would hang upside down and she would hold onto his arms spinning and then ascend back to the top of the trapeze. The two worked together to perform the stunts until the end when she politely returns his hat and steal his rake.
The atmosphere was a collective one that uniformly morphed from one act to another. Between each act was a storyteller that discussed themes of love and pain that created a narrative woven through each performance. The audiences’ cathartic response was different for each person, but it’d be hard to say that someone walked out of My Circus Valentine without experiencing anything.
“My favorite act was the trapeze,” my boyfriend, Nathan Moore said. “It was amazing to just watch them on one trapeze being able to do so many stunts. You could see how athletic [they were] and how much training they put into it because it was so precise. It was amazing to watch.”  
There was a tidal wave of emotions from the heightened stakes of the trapeze pair that caused us all sweat. To an alluring piggy that was easy to love. To the display of aerial silks that morphed the artist from one entity to another. The artist looked like a flame to a waxless candle. The red silk transformed her. I heard one child call out, “Look, it’s a butterfly!” as the artist danced above our heads.
One of the last acts was an aerial hoop act, also known as lyra, performed by Dream Frohe. The hoop hung from the ceiling and Frohe used the hoop to suspend herself and create images for the audience’s imagination to shape. At the end of her act the rest of the company slowly joined her and they swayed slowly back and forth like a pendulum keeping time.

Jules McEvoy, circus juggler, juggles five discs in the air during a Valentine’s Day performance put on by the Bellingham Circus Guild in Bellingham, Feb. 13. // Photo by Daniel Liddicoet

“After my act, we all come onstage a few at a time. It felt very powerful and sweet,” Frohe said. “Just standing there with everybody at the end of the last show and the audience was so stoked and receptive it felt really awesome.”
Frohe is an aerialist who uses many apparatuses. She has been an aerialist for nine years and is specializing most recently in the aerial hoop.
“I wouldn’t have had the guts to perform as much I have or in the way that I do without this community,”  Frohe said.
Frohe said when she initially started her performance career, she thought the Bellingham community was supportive.
“My friend Anneka started [My Circus Valentine] with my input. [My Circus Valentine] is a show that encompasses love in all of its facets. The painful and the joyous and the tender parts,” Frohe said. “We hope it’s a show that people in any relationship with love can feel connected to people and feel a sense of belonging and being moved.”
This Valentine’s Day will be something I’ll forever hold close to my heart. Maybe next year you’ll get to see the pigs fly too. However, between now and next Valentine’s day, the Bellingham Circus Guild presents Vaudevillingham on the 15th of every month. If you’re up for it, you and your significant other can run away with the circus for a night too. Here is the link to online.
*Lauren R. Brigolin used her boyfriend, Nathan Moore, in her first person story as a source to describe their Valentine’s Day date.

Foster, our Circus intern

Foster came down from Arlington, Massachusets for 6 weeks to intern with the Bellingham Circus Guild, and boy what a help he was.

He worked 180 hours for us on various things...

Vaudevillingham: ran sound, set up/clean up, played live music

Created: signs, members packet, performer contract, playlists, facebook and web events

Organized: waivers, a list of applicable grants for the guild

Participated in: juggle club, physical theater classes

And was helpful on many other various random projects and events.

Then treated myself and Chipp to breakfast at the Colophon as a thank you for having him. What a guy! Thanks again Foster for all of your fun and help from all of us at the Bellingham Circus Guild!

Sarahs getting baby-ready!

 Sarah and Bob at their baby shower. They're ALL (including baby) wearing Dads Hats (yes, my awesome father knits!).

 The three of us!

 At home, still doing her daily tasks at 8.5 months pregnant.

 And feeding us delicious meals!

Gifted items from friends.

Such a beautiful belly.

What a mamma. I've never been truly excited for a pregnancy until now. They don't know if it's a girl or boy yet, but it will be Bob the 4th if it's a boy, and maybe Elenore for a girl. They're due February 29th-ish! So soon!

I'm in the Weekly!

Come to the Valentine's Day show! You won't see this act, but you will see me!

Happy Valenitne's day!

My Circus Valentine 2016

My Circus Valentine 2016
Wren and I did our juggling act and I did the pig.

 We love the photo booth.

My parents came to My Circus Valentine!

Wren and the Piggy.

The Cast: Daniel, Chipp, Wren, Jules, Terril, Laura, PJ, Esther, Sam, Keelia, Jessica, Dream, Anneka, Heidi, Don, Harmony, Noelle, Joe, Me, Jody, Provocateur gal.

Super show, and thanks Jeff Leff for the photos!
Follow this facebook link to more links to more pics!

BCG at Whatcom's Mardi Gras

Article on the Bellingham Circus Guild at Mardi Gras by The Horizon, the official student newspaper of Whatcom Community College. Wren and I juggled things, Terril did aerial things, and Heidi stilted.

 

Mardi Gras Madness

By Cailean Mcleod
Students curious about the tradition of Mardi Gras were entertained on Feb. 9 a Whatcom Community College’s Pavilion.
Acts included the Bellingham Circus Guild, and various traditions such as King Cake and prizes.
“It’s going to be pretty fun, you can could come with your friends and hang out” said Laura Albert, Programming and Diversity Board coordinator prior to the festivities.
Albert said that the event included traditional Mardi Gras king cake, a table to make your own mask and featured the Bellingham Circus Guild members to come and perform.
“I think it brings out kind of just what we are about, in a sense that we do things in a diverse sense; we try to include all kinds of activities for the students,” said Landan Campbell, another Programming and Diversity Board member.
The origins of Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday comes from Catholic medieval Europe as the day before Ash Wednesday, where towns celebrating would prepare and eat every piece of food in their house in preparation for Lent, which occurs for forty days between Ash Wednesday to Easter.
“There is a tradition where there’s little baby dolls made of plastic, and traditionally they bake it inside the cake,” Albert said, describing another tradition called the “king cake”. ”The way it works is whoever has the cake with the little baby in it is the winner”
Albert said that the prize for finding the doll inside their king cake was an Amazon gift card.
Eventually, this tradition carried over to the American continent via French settlers who were the first Europeans to populate what is now modern-day Louisiana, which is why when people think Mardi Gras, they think of New Orleans.

 

Heidi Sorgen prepares for the annual Mardi Gras festivities on her pair of stilts.

Photo by Alex George

According to New Orleans’s website for Mardi Gras, the holiday was not originally celebrated in Louisiana with big parades in the streets. Instead, it was celebrated in elegant ballrooms. It was not until the 1780s when the first Mardi Gras “Carnival” was announced that it would become similar to more modern Mardi Gras festivities.
“We are just doing ambient performance today but we’ll be club juggling, knot throwing, ball juggling, and hat juggling; and we’ll have a stilter and an aerialist,” said Della Moustachella, another Guild performer at the event.
Moustachella said the Circus Guild originally formed when its mother company, Dream Science Circus, rented a space on Cornwall Street which the regular talent acts frequently used as a hub for practice and get-togethers.
“We are performers because we love performing, and so typically any gigs that come in we are excited for and always try to make it work” Moustachella said, adding “It’s also fun to shape what we do to fit the event.”
Terril Mire, a Guild aerialist performer, said the Circus Guild was excited to be here.
Campbell said that the event went very well and that it was “cool” that the Circus Guild performers came.
“I am super proud to be a part of it,” said Moustachella, adding that the Guild helps advocate education and entertainment.
Campbell said that he would have liked to have seen more people at the event. A handful of people came and went but most seemed to be there for the food and Circus Guild performers. “I think it is something that could be attempted again at a different time of the day” he said.
Online article here.