Circus Shul

Hoop-dancing at shul

Circus Arts in Shul

This is a sample curriculum for teaching circus arts in a Jewish context. There are so many ways to do this, but hopefully this illustration is helpful! Its broad goal in this particular series is to teach participants how to use their bodies to engage with Jewish tradition through movement, circus arts, reflection, group work and text study.

Towards that end, it introduces participants to body awareness and movement, creates a playful
and collaborative atmosphere, and explores the Jewish circus tradition by exploring Purim in depth (through mask-making, clowning, and hoop dance) and ultimately invites the participants to perform a spiel on a Jewish text, using circus arts.

In my experience, circus arts naturally lend themselves to collaboration, as participants are able to teach one another the "tricks" they learn and discover on their own while practicing hoop dance, for example. The process of creating performances, requires cooperation as a group to interpret a Jewish story in a particular way, and to choreograph a performance based on this agreed upon interpretation.

Session 1: Body Awareness and Jewish Circus

The first session introduces participants to body awareness by starting the class with a physical warm up. It starts with an icebreaker in which each participant says his or her name, accompanied by a movement, and everyone repeats that person’s name and the movement associated with it. Participants then briefly describe to one another their favorite Purim spiels that they’ve seen or participated in. This introduces the idea of clowning (and, more broadly, circus arts) as modes of Jewish story-telling in this context.

If it seems useful, you can give examples of circus arts in other places in the Jewish tradition - using the dramatic description of the rabbis juggling during Beit haShoeva, and the clowning that happens during the wedding seudah. At this point, you might do a brief introduction to hooping, and be sure to demonstrate failure (dropping the hoops or hitting yourself with poi) so that students are encouraged to relax and take risks. After teaching them some movement, students will take time to explore hooping (or some sort of circus art) on their own, and “jam”. (It is helpful to bring in some music to play to create a more informal atmosphere).

Session 2: Problem Solving and Masquerading

In the second session, start with a physical warm up, and then teach the circus art you've chosen to teach. In teaching the movement, engage participants' problem-solving skills, so they can become aware of what's going right or wrong in their movement, slow down, and practice with this awareness in order to make corrections to their movement. After they’ve grown substantially comfortable with a move or two, do a "jam" so that participants have had one session to dedicate entirely to a circus art; or do a brief introduction to clowning, perhaps using the hoop to create an imaginary problem: the hoop becomes a door the clown is trying to walk through, a ladder they're trying to climb, or perhaps they're trying to use the hoop to fly.

The participants can then take basic mask materials you will have prepared for them, and a handout about Purim masks and nistar panim or “hidden faces” as a theme in the Book of Esther. This text study explores the idea that Esther initially concealed her Jewish identity, Mordecai did not admit to knowing a foreign language, and G-d’s presence remains concealed throughout. While discussing the text, participants can pair up and work on making masks. They can finish these masks at home, and will bring them to the next session. This session can close with one highlight from the participants' discussion with their mask-making partner.

Session 3: Biblical Storytelling and Clowning

In the third session, instead of just doing a body movement to warm up, ask the participants to use the hoop to offer a warm-up movement - a stretch, or even a piece of a movement they learned the previous day. Then do an exercise using their masks, and exploring what kind of character their masks allow them to become. Then, explore how their character might us a hoop as a prop (it doesn't have to be a way they have learned).

At the end of class, let participants know that each group is going to have time over the next two sessions to make their own version of the Biblical story into a 5-10 minute schpiel. They can use the clowning, create a mask (or use the one they made), and can also use costume along with and circus arts they have learned. Offer to be an active resource to participants throughout this process.

Let folks choose their own group, and give each group a Biblical text (that you have pre-selected) to explore and interpret using the clowning and circus skills they’ve acquired. If they want, give them the option to trade their text with another group, as long as the trade is mutual. Give them a few minutes to read through the story with their group.

Session 4: Writing the Purimspiel

In the fourth session, start with a body warm up. If it feels useful, teach them more movements with the hoop (if you haven’t had a chance to instruct them in either on- or off-body movements, you might do so now). If it feels useful in helping them plan their spiels, talk briefly about the idea of the purimspiel, and maybe show an example or two.

Hand each group a notebook so that they can write a script, and offer to copy it for each member for the group next session, unless they're willing to type it up on their own. Students will then spend time in their groups working on their performances, and you can offer to be a resource in helping them understand their story, or think about how to use clowning, movement and hooping into their spiel.

Let them know that if they want to find time to rehearse with their group, they're welcome to, since next session will be their last time to plan their spiel before performing it for one another on the last session before doing it publicly (at a synagogue, in some other public space of their choosing).

Session 5: Costume Planning

Rather than warm up and learn hooping (even though it’s become a weekly “ritual” at this point), you may decide that it is best to give them the entirety of this session to work on their spiels. If so, let them know this is the last class they are planning the spiels so any script writing or costume planning they need to do should happen now. If any group wants you to make copies of their script for them, perhaps they can hand you their notebook if you have a way of making copies as quickly as possible so they aren’t without their script for too long while rehearsing. Remind them that they're performing for one another next week, so they should be ready with costumes, masks, etc. as necessary.

Session 6: Group Performances and Feedback

Let participants know the plan for the day: warm up, performances, and closing reflection. Perhaps it makes sense to warm up together, as they've done almost every session. Or you can just give them a few minutes to warm up, dress, and prepare on their own. The rest of the time will be dedicated to group performances. Ideally make time for a closing reflection, in which you might prompt each participant to share one thing they learned in this workshop. In order to get feedback, prompt them to offer one or two highlights and one or two challenges they experienced over the course of the workshop.

Adam Lavitt is entering his final year of rabbinical studies at Hebrew College, where he is also pursuing a Master's in Jewish Education and a certificate in Pastoral Counseling.  His main interest lies in building community through experiential, embodied, Jewish education, and takes improvisational dance, farming and circus arts as some of his inspirations in designing meaningful Jewish experiences.  His goal is to find a way to facilitate Jewish learning and practice that brings our minds back into our bodies, and into meaningful relationship with the earth.