FSU High Flying Circus

On our first day in Tallahassee, we stopped by Florida State's campus to see what we were getting ourselves into. Right next to the stadium, we noticed what looked like a circus tent. Upon closer inspection, it WAS a circus tent. We were confused and curious, and not until later did we discover that Florida State is one of only two schools in the country with circus programs. They aren't degree programs but are extracurricular, like football or lacrosse. 

Here we are in 2014:

The circus here isn't one with elephants and crazy clowns, but IS full of talented performers who not only spend hours training and learning tricks, but also do the choreography, stage work, music, acting and costume design themselves (I don't know how these people do this so well and also do school!). I worked at Starbucks with someone who is a part of the circus and learned more about it and when I saw on her Facebook that there was a performance for students, we decided to go. 

The small tent housed concessions, so we partook, since Carson's ticket was free and mine was cheap.

The show began with someone pretended to be a director from the 1920s, introducing us to the movie set. Each "scene" had a different theme and premise and told a story. It was clearly well thought out and planned, and it seemed incredibly professional. It amazes me to know that there are people this talented doing such amazing stunts. From trapense to tightrope to human jump ropes, there was quite a display of athleticism, talent, fearlessness, and we were so impressed by everything we saw. The music was well chosen for each piece, ranging from 1920s jazzy for the tightrope to 80s outfits and music for another. There were decade-themed pieces and then more direct themes, like a "space" one and a pirate theme for the trapeze finale.

And everything looked so dangerous. My palms were sweating.

In between acts and sometimes while an act was going on but the lights were dimmed in a particular section of the tent, a huge stage crew would come out and tear down equipment from the last act, then set up for the next one. They worked like machinery, everyone in the right spot, working with silent communication to accomplish the task. We were impressed to later find out that under their stage crew jumpsuits, many of them were wearing their outfits for their next scenes; setting up to come out seconds later for their performances. 

These girls were SO STRONG. They did so many impressive things but I only caught one non-blurry picture.

If you have the chance to attend a performance for the FSU High Flying Circus, do it! It was amazing, and would be well worth whatever ticket prices they usually charge. You'd be supporting local talent and enjoying a fantastic evening of entertainment. I'm so glad we did this!