Phoenix circus camp gives kids a break from their screens

PHOENIX — Rainbow colored hula hoops spun around campers’ waists as they laughed and practiced on the basketball court at Capitol Elementary School.

Just steps away inside the school’s gymnasium, young participants balanced on giant exercise balls, walked on stilts, juggled and climbed aerial ropes hanging from the ceiling.

While many children spend their summers scrolling through social media, watching TV or playing video games, these campers are choosing something different. They came to the Phoenix Youth Circus Arts program for hands-on learning and physical activity.

Each week, a group of campers consists of new and returning students who take to the stage to perform for friends and family.

Among them is 13-year-old Oliver Breecher, a recent graduate of Madison Park Middle School. For Breecher, circus arts offer more than entertainment. Beneath the spinning hoops and aerial tricks, he sees lessons that reach far beyond camp. 

“Swiping and tapping on your phone doesn’t really help me keep active,” he said. “Circus arts teach you the art of how to balance in life.”

The chance to try something new also appeals to 10-year-old Isabelle Fernandez Carreno. During camp, she focused on practicing her stilt routine. She carefully balanced on one-and-a-half-foot tall wooden stilts as she tried to master one of the more unique activities of the camp.

“The stilts are awesome,” Carreno said. “It’s something that not a lot of people can do. Also, they make me look tall.”

Show director Dave Davis, a former software engineer who took up juggling as a hobby, has been teaching at the camp for four years. Davis and the coaching staff work closely with campers each day to help them build their skills. They spend hours guiding students through activities like balancing on a rola bola, giant exercise balls, juggling and practicing aerial acrobatics. 

Their support helps campers gain confidence as they learn new tricks. The camp has created an environment where students feel safe taking risks and discovering talents they may not have known they had.

“Watching the students improve throughout the week is very rewarding,” Davis said. “They come in unsure of themselves but by the end they’re performing in front of an audience.”

The lessons learned at camp, Davis said, can follow students long after summer ends. Whether in school, sports or future careers — growth begins when you keep going. 

The weekly performances also give students a chance to step into the spotlight. Standing before a crowd, even for a few minutes, can build confidence that carries into adulthood.

“There will be people who get in front of meetings and have to make a presentation,” Davis said. “Knowing how to be in front of a crowd, it’s a wonderful skill to acquire in life.”

Davis believes circus arts offer something many children are missing in today’s digital world: the feeling of working toward a goal and seeing results.

“Every single kid today has a lot of screen time and I won’t say that is bad in itself,” Davis said. “But it is so much more satisfying to do something where you’re actually succeeding at something, not just watching pixels on a screen.”

“It’s fun to be tired. It’s fun to be exhausted. It’s fun to work hard,” Davis said. “It’s fun to have your muscles sore to a degree.”

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