THE CASE FOR LIVE STUDENT PERFORMANCES

10/4/2025 |

Category: circus, thrive movement studio, performance, lifestyle, movement, health, fitness, wellness

We have spent the past month at Thrive preparing for our next live performance - The Harwinton Fair. We’re running rehearsals, packing up rig equipment, hauling mats, making our costumes, planning our cues - all the fun that goes along with a live circus performance. Every once in a while a friend or loved one will say, “isn’t this a lot of work”? The short answer is yes, but the question I ask myself is, is it worth it. YES. The obvious reason - the glory and excitement of a great performance. Beyond that? Well, it's about creating a platform for budding artists to grow- and for us, that is what it is all about. 

As a circus educational center, we provide a safe space for students to learn and create, all while building self-confidence, strength and flexibility. Thrive is a professionally rigged studio with regular safety inspections and circus appropriate mats and equipment. Our instructors provide safe progressions aimed at specific student needs, offering spotting, supportive exercises and space for creative exploration and improvisation. While this is a positive training space for expanding circus knowledge and skills, as a performance space it’s quite neutral.

When you add in an audience - everything changes! In addition to unpredictable weather, unfamiliar rigs and the potential of costuming mishaps, live performance teaches a budding performer how to think on their feet and adapt to the conditions of the moment. Maybe the audience didn’t think that joke was so funny or they are still clapping during your next trick. There are also outside elements to deal with - perhaps your trusted aerial silks are being blown away from you the entire performance. Perhaps the diabolo you just tossed landed not in your strings, but side stage, or worse, in the audience! All of these situations give a performer more information; how to craft a performance that allows audience participation, how to engage the audience when something goes off course, how to build emotion within your piece. Part of being a great performer is learning how to cover mistakes - because there will be mistakes (despite all of our careful rehearsing)!

A performance on a stage with a warm, receptive audience is a great gift for a performer. A student can take risks and make choices without the pressure of a hostile crowd or an uptight booking agent. Thrive coaches are on hand to provide student performers with encouragement and advice when necessary. Students can lean on coaches for safety instructions and build their working knowledge with real time decisions (how rainy is too rainy to perform in? should the rig sway a little?). Most importantly, live performances build confidence. Confidence in their artistry, confidence in their ability to make the safest choices during live performances, confidence in creating art and believing that it should be seen. If and when students do go out on their own, they will have real life experience to take with them.

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