A New Year. A New Site.

We have just finished redesigning FlowCircus.com to better reflect the performances and programs we offer for schools, after school programs, summer reading and teen library programs, and family festivals.

Check out our site and let us know what you think.

Thank you for all of your support in 2008!

Flow Circus Adds Holiday Cheer to Historic Home Tour

                          

The Wake Forest Historic Preservation Committee hosted its Christmas Historic Home Tour this weekend. Our neighbors, Michael & Parker Schlink, own a 1890s home and had their home on the tour. They were trying to come up with something playful to put in their first floor bathroom that has a skirted tub and enlisted the help of Flow Circus.

Wake Forest had a wonderful turnout for the tour & I think folks enjoyed the scene we created with over 250 balloons!!

Flow Circus Store

Check out our newly expanded store.  We now carry more of the best skill toys around!

Have you had a satisfactory shopping experience there?  Post a comment and let others know!

Now Booking Winter & Spring Tours

Flow Circus would love to travel to your community this winter/spring. Read Yourself Silly, perfect for audiences of all ages, uses juggling, magic, & balloons to encourage the audience to discover wonderful new worlds through books. Do Something! was specifically developed to challenge tweens & teens to consider a variety of career options.

Looking for something more active? Flow Circus offers hands-on workshops that teach balloon twisting, juggling, and other skill toys. Workshops can be customized to meet the objectives for your class, after school club, or teen advisory board. Below you will find dates for the 2009 tours in the works.

• February 20 - March 3: New York, Connecticut, & Massachusetts


• April 13-20: Connecticut & Massachusetts


• May 4-8 and May 20-21: Charleston, SC

Let us know if you want us to add your area to our tour schedule. We have also started booking library tours for Summer 2009 and look forward to encouraging kids to Be Creative and teens to Express Yourself! Contact Dawn for more information dawn@flowcircus.com

"Just Paul" Promo Video

A short 5-minute video featuring clips from recent corporate performances.  This clip was compiled for a client that was interested in watching some longer clips of my routine.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUfvP-CvprQ[/youtube]

"Just Paul" Performs @ Washington Parish Fair in LA

Every year, thousands of people from all around Franklinton, Louisiana visit the Washington Parish Fair to enjoy rodeo, an expansive midway of rides & games, yummy jumbo gumbo, and to experience world class entertainment.  This year was no exception.

Our first invitation to LA provided us the opportunity to perform the "Just Paul Variety Show" for 3 jam-packed sets.  Families were treated to Paul's unique blend of comedy juggling, magic and hilarious improvisation.  Visit Washington Parish Fair Gallery to see images of the performances and the lasting memories created.

I forward to entertaining y'all at the Washington Parish Fair again next year!  --Paul

Read Yourself Silly at F. A. Berry Elementary School

Flow Circus had so much fun helping kids to Catch the Reading Bug this summer, we just can't stop now!! From Spartanburg, SC to Bethel, CT, Read Yourself Silly is challenging elementary school students to visit their library in order to learn new skills such as juggling and balloon twisting.

Students at F.A. Berry Elementary School were a wonderful, playful audience and we look forward to returning to see what they have learned!

Spartanburg, SC Muse Machine Theater Tour

Today was the first day of my 3-week, 37 show tour of all the schools in greater Spartanburg.  This first show was “Catch the Learning Bug” for 4th graders at O.P. Earle Elementary School.  Balls flew, balloons popped, plates spun!  A good time was had by all.

If you saw one of my shows and would like to comment, it would be appreciated!

Thanks.

Summer Reading Program Wraps Up in CT

       

Flow Circus wraps up its tour of libraries this summer with 11 shows in Connecticut. View more pictures from the shows at the Flow Circus Photo Gallery.  Let us know if Paul's funny antics helped your family Catch the Reading Bug this summer.

Discovering the Joy of Juggling at Summer Camp!

Another summer of teaching Juggling, Magic, and Balloon Twisting camps wraps up for us. We have had amazing campers this summer - creative, playful, and determined!! There is nothing more exciting than watching the face of a camper as they experience the flow of the 3 ball juggling pattern for the first time. For some it happens on the first day....for some it takes a few more. This feeling is akin to the joy and accomplishment you feel when you first learn to ride a bike.

As one parent reflected, Our children skipped and ran into and out of their Flow Circus session; both times eager to demonstrate their new skills. This has been the most unique and fun camp our children have attended. We invite you to comment on your experience with Flow Circus camps.

To see the campers in action visit the Flow Circus Photo Gallery

Avery County 4H & SOS Program Wraps Up

Dawn and I just finished 2 camp programs in Newland, NC.  Mornings were spent working with sixteen 9-12 year olds developing juggling skills, sculpting balloons, and mastering magical sleights.  Their energy and enthusiasm for the Variety Arts was refreshing.

Each afternoon we worked with middle schoolers enrolled in the SOS (Support Our Students) program. This group of 9 impressed us with their focus developing their juggling chops, their entertaining magical performances, and their support and compassion for each other.  The camp was modified to include Twist & Earn! , an entrepreneurial program for young adults.  Each camper left at the end of the week with everything needed to start a small business twisting balloons!

View photographs from these programs at the Flow Circus Photo Gallery.

Boys & Girls Club Achievement Report Profiles Flow Circus Club

The Flow Circus Skill Toy Club Program launched at the Wake Forest, NC Boys & Girls Club in January 08 was profiled in Making Every Moment Count: An Achievement Report From The Boys & Girls Clubs, Summer 08.  The description mentions some of the skill toys we use and some of their benefits beyond encouraging active learning.  Benefits such as patience, perseverance, dedication and teamwork. The report then goes on to mention the impact on our program had in the community by club members participating in Talent Shows and volunteering at a town festival.

Special thanks to the Koinonia Foundation, Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment, and Wal-Mart for their support of this program.

The profiled member in this report is an 11 year old boy from the Wake Forest Club.  He is the recipient of the  STAR Award and is described as "the one kid who does it all".  Not surprisingly, he was also an active member of our Skill Toy Club.  Congratulations Faison!

Making Every Moment Count: An Achievement Report From The Boys & Girls Clubs - Summer 2008

New Flow Circus Photo Gallery

I am excited to share my love of photography (and my new camera!) with you. I will be posting photos from Paul's shows on the new Flow Circus Photo Gallery. Take a look at images from his recent tours in Alabama, SC, and NC. Check back - more will be added soon!

Thanks to our wonderful audiences for being so playful!

 

Juggling, Magic, and Balloon Camps Begin!

We are halfway through our first week of camp this summer.  We couldn't of asked for a better group of kids to kick it off.

We are three days in and campers have learned to perform a few feats of amazing magic, create balloon sculptures and hats, and everyone is well on their way to becoming a juggler.  We are continually impressed with their focus, skill, and enthusiasm and look forward to the rest of the week.

Visit the Camp Program Page for more information about our summer and fall camps.

Stewart Theatre Video

Thanks to everyone who stuck around after the show at Stewart Theatre in Dunn, NC today.  We captures some excellent footage that will be used in a music video project that is expected to be completed by August.

You can also watch the 3-ball juggling routine from this show here.

Catch the Reading Bug Summer Tour Continues in NC & SC

Paul has been helping kids Catch the Reading Bug in Lancaster County (SC), Kings Mountain (NC), Harnett County (NC) and Rowan County (NC). His enthusiasm for the Variety Arts (juggling, magic, balloons, and of course, improvisation) are contagious!

Have you seen one of these performances? What did you think?

Catch the Reading Bug Summer Tour Begins in Alabama

The first of 3 out of state tours began today with 2 shows in Chambers County Alabama. Both shows were well attended and jam packed with spectical, laughs, and audience participation. We also debuted our newest routine, 8 spinning plates!

If you attended a show and would like to comment, please do so. We would love to hear what you thought of the performance!

Memories of Play: An Oral History Project

Webkinz, Wii, and playdates...technology is forever altering the experience of play. Going, going, and gone are the days of neighborhood pick-up kickball games, imaginative adventures in the woods, and afternoons of mastering the yo-yo, hula hoop, tops, and other skill toys.

In an effort to preserve the spirit of unstructured childhood play, we are gathering stories about favorite toys and games prior to 1980.

Tell us your story or ask a parent or grandparent for a story about their favorite game or toy. Be sure to include the approximate year of your recollections and enjoy your memories of play!

"Skill-Based Play is Good" Contest Winners

We asked Skill Toy Club Members why "Skill Based Play is Good!"  These two winning entries each won a n a $50 Gift Certificate to the Flow Circus Skill Toys store!  Congratulations!




FlowCircus.TV

Flow Circus now has a video hosting site. www.FlowCircus.TV