Even the Grinch would have been hard pressed not to smile at the performances last Sunday by members of the City of Vero Beach Recreation Department’s Aerial Antics Youth Circus.
Two performances at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center drew highly appreciative audiences, admittedly weighted by the performers’ proud parents and grandparents, siblings and friends. But even those without a vested interest were delightedly impressed with the level of talent on display.
As the audience settled in, there was just a little trepidation by parents of some of the newer performers. It was the first show for Kelly Farnham’s daughter Beth, 7, who was in the beginning gymnastics group, and Farnham pondered, “Wonder what she’s going to do when the curtains open and she sees this crowd of people? That deer in the headlights? That one’s going to be ours.”
But she needn’t have worried. Beth and all the others – from toddlers to teens, beginners to advanced – all did them proud, tumbling and twirling and thoroughly charming the crowd. The now ever-present glow of cellphone video recording was evidence that the routines will be saved for posterity.
The Santa Who? script, written by Patty Howard, Julie Norman, Angie Holshouser and Liz Matthews, had Santa suffering from amnesia after a surfing incident and provided the framework for the various gymnastic levels to show off their skills. Santa was portrayed by one of the few young men in the Performing Arts Troupe, the über-talented Micah Nalzaro, and Mrs. Claus was portrayed by the lovely and lithe Gabrielle Povlin.
An adorable group of tiny tots with beach balls started things off and were followed by nimble Junior Entertainers doing an acrobatic “Beach Boys” surfing routine, before equally dexterous members of the “Lifeguard Patrol” sprang into action to “Wipeout.” Young Santa’s elves traversed a gymnastic obstacle course, pixies in PJs executed an acrobatic dance and another group of youngsters launched themselves from a mini-trampoline, executing their dismounts with flair.
One creative routine involved “Sugar Plum Fairies” using silver exercise balls to gracefully spring themselves along the stage and other more advanced performers showed off some impressive circus artistry skills using silks and rotating aerial hoops. The grand finale involved an energetic, acrobatic hip-hop routine which culminated in a massive human pyramid that garnered rousing applause.
As proud family members made their way to the stage to present bouquets of flowers to their performers, the beaming young stars basked in the praise of a job well done.
