About me

Hello!  My name is Trevor Kafka.  This year ('10-'11), I'm attending the Professional Development Program at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA). I just graduated from my High School, turned 18 over the summer, and will be attending Brandeis University the following year. I created this blog so that everyone I will be missing oh so dearly will be able to keep track of all the stuff I do here! Of course, it can always be viewed and enjoyed by anyone else to whom this blog interests. I will try my best to keep the blog up to date with photos and videos of new stuff I do as well as text posts of how I'm doing in Brattleboro, VT. If enough people show interest (as in it doesn't feel like I'm posting stuff into a blank Internet void), I'll continue blogging hopefully for the entire year. The program starts in early September, which is when I'll likely start making posts. In the meantime, bookmark or follow the site with Google Reader, Google Friend Connect, etc. so you can find out when I make new posts. I hope you end up enjoying it! :-)

History of the Circus + Me

What inspired it all.

Back in my middle school days, I had always had a developing interest in Cirque du Soleil. I had seen a couple of their shows on DVD and once I finally got to see Alegría live in New York City, I totally fell in love with it. The important thing to note about circus companies like Cirque du Soleil is that they fall into a category of circuses called "contemporary circus." This differs greatly from our usual Ringling Brothers and Big Apple circuses, as these shows have different means of entertainment, different audiences, and different intentions. Contemporary circuses will almost never use animals, and alternatively will have a greater focus on the performance aspect of a work, rather than just being something entertaining for kids. The goal isn't always just to be able to execute the most advanced of tricks, it's also to be able to do it beautifully and gracefully. In contemporary circus, one makes art.

Olga Pikhienko

The three most influential circus performers, for me, when it came to inspiration for starting circus, were Olga Pikhienko, Chris Lashua, and Ulziibayar Chimed.  For those of you unfamiliar with these names, the links I've provided below should help you familiarize yourself with them.  All three are from Cirque du Soleil.  Their respective shows are listed in italics next to the links.  Basically, all of this, in sum, was enough for me to really want to go an try out some circus arts for myself.

• Olga Pikhienko - Handbalancing, Quidam - link 
• Chris Lashua - German Wheel, Quidam - link
• Ulziibayar Chimed - Contortion, Alegría - link

Chris Lashua

Olga had such a unique way of presentation.  She was serious and also very good at what she did.  She performed everything seamlessly and never ceased to amaze.  She had a really unique ability to make the little things amazing.

Chris Lashua also had a really great mastery over what he did.  He also had such an open way of presentation as well (always with a smile).  He was just as smooth as Olga and as well never ceased to amaze.

Ulziibayar Chimed

Ulziibayar Chimed's contortion performance was the first that I had seen to exemplify back flexibility.  Before then, most of what I had been familiar with was just people putting their legs behind their head and other such similar poses.  Her combination of strength, flexibility, balance, and grace captivated me.

My mom and I eventually came across a circus camp ran by Circus Smirkus in Craftsbury Commons, VT.  Originally I was looking for a place where I could learn to do the German Wheel, because it just seemed so fun.  Unfortunately, we couldn't find any place within reason.  While Circus Smirkus didn't have German Wheel during the times that I was there, they did offer other circus arts I was interested in.  At that point, I had started doing some diabolo (a type of juggling apparatus) as well as some contortion on my own, and some gymnastic experience.  I felt it'd be a good opportunity to expand my skill set and try some new things.

I attended their summer camp
for four consecutive years,
as well as auditioned for
their touring show twice.

Also, do take note that my primary circus influence originally did come from aerialists, or aerials in general.  My love for it was what I was about to find out.  I went to the camp for two weeks the summer before my freshman year in high school (summer of 2006) and absolutely fell in love with it.  I was also instantly drawn to aerials, which I always just found so fun.  It was the wonderful fun of monkey bars, but more! :P  It was also a wonderful way for me to gain better trust in myself, as well as suppress my great fear of heights.

I attended that camp for the following three summers, each for four weeks instead of the initial two, slowly progressing myself up from their beginner camps into their advanced camp.  After my second year of camp, I began to train aerials outside of camp at a couple training centers that they have in New York City.

2009 Tour Live Audition
(click to view video)

After camp in 2008 (also my first year at their advanced camp), I applied for the Circus Smirkus touring show, which travels around New England over the summer, performing 70 shows over a course of 7 weeks (in addition to a three week training and show development period).  Every year that I went to Smirkus camp before that, we got to see the current year's touring show (which was always composed of performers under 18) and as each year went by, my interest in it increased.  That year, I applied, and got into their live auditions held in Burlington, VT in January, but unfortunately I was rejected.

2010 Tour Live Audition
(click to view video)

The year after (also the last year of my going to Smirkus camp), I reapplied and again got invited to their live auditions.  Unfortunately, I was rejected again.  I was 17 at the time, to be turning 18 over the course of the touring show.  My age, they told me, was one of the bigger factors in my rejection.  I had then wondered why if I was older than what they were looking for, why they had bothered to invite me to live auditions in the first place.  I was explained that this year was just a very competitive year, and not all those qualified were able to be accepted, due to the limited troupe size.  Unfortunate and stupid.  It was my last opportunity that year, and now I'm trying to make a new successful way out with this hobby of mine.

Where I reside currently.

That's why I decided to do this circus program at the New England Center for Circus Arts for a year.  I really loved this as a hobby, but both rejections were extremely tough for me, each for different reasons.  My not being able to tour with Circus Smirkus over the summer also really messed up my mental plans for myself in terms of circus.  While, NECCA, of course, will not offer the same experience, I hope it'll offer a new one, and help me figure out how I can incorporate circus arts into my life in the future.  We shall see.