CIRCA artists teach their moves at Canberra Grammar School

Canberra Grammar School students enjoyed six of the 10 school workshops members of the troupe will host prior to touring Carnival of the Animals at the Canberra Theatre from September 15-17. 

Instructors Bree Le Cornu and Anelyse Keane set up a fun-filled obstacle course for students to scramble through a tunnel, hop on squares and balance a juggling ball on their heads. 

After getting the hang of the moving through the course, they were told more was in store. 

“I don’t know if it it can be as fun as this!” Ashton Peden called out.

With smiles stretched ear to ear the early childhood class learnt how to make shapes with their bodies.

They curled into a ball, wide like a star and lying on their tummies arms outstretched like a superman.

Ms Le Cornu, who began in her field 16 years ago with the Flying Fruit Fly circus, said encouraging children as young as three or four to develop coordination was very beneficial. 

“We teach them hand-eye coordination, balancing on lines, jumping to land on things,” she said. 

Students had to follow direction, mimic actions and work collaboratively in the energetic session. 

“We take them through shapes which are the fundamentals of tumbling and also run through bear walks, crab walks, duck walks which are always pretty cute.” 

Relating the movement to known animals and shapes allowed children to visualize and draw on something familiar while doing something new with their bodies.

Ms Keane said the workshops were playful but made children more conscious of their physicality. 

“The tumbling part is probably the hardest, the forward rolls, when they go upside down for the first time,” she said. 

”But we make sure everyone gives it a go.  They learn what their body can do and have a bit of fun.”