From the monthly archives:

January 2010

Focus on Effective Communication

by Julie

Despite all of the means we have to communicate this day and age (text-ing, MSN-ing, bb message-ing, emails, and yes, even calling…) effective communication continues to elude most of us on a continual and reoccurring basis. The fact of the matter is, most of us are communication “dunces.” That’s right, I said “dunces!” You know, [...]

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Insecurity ~Get Over Yourself!

by Julie

On the topic of insecurity… I can’t think of a more detrimental mentality, really. Our insecurities, but more importantly, our INABILITY to face those insecurities have the potential to destroy or block out critical relationships. Why, you ask? The less secure you are with yourself, as in: your abilities as a performer, your capabilities as [...]

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Cirque du Soleil ~Behind the Scenes, Varekai

by Julie

Image via Wikipedia I came across this BBC news coverage today on one of Cirque du Soleil‘s tent shows, Varekai: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8481523.stm It’s always fun to check out the behind-the-scenes prep which the artists undergo prior to performance. As always, the underlying discipline and true love for the art of circus shines through. Enjoy! Related articles [...]

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Our Most Powerful Word -”No!”

by Julie
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Just say “no”! If my 28 years on this earth has taught me anything at all, it is to learn how to say: “stop,” “enough,” it’s finished” …in other words “no.” Why is this such a difficult task? And why can some of us confidently and directly say “absolutely not” while others beat around the [...]

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Cirque du Soleil ~ Helping Haiti

by Julie

Image via Wikipedia Those of you who know me well are aware that I have a soft spot for charitable initiatives advanced by those of us in the circus industry. That is why I chose to dedicate this post to highlighting Cirque du Soleil’s “Project Haiti” through the One Drop Foundation. http://www.onedrop.org/en/foundation/news/project_haiti.aspx It is difficult [...]

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Don’t be Afraid to Fail!

by Julie

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again! One of my all time favorite bloggers posted this amazing article today: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/unrealized-projects.html Seth’s words remind us that not only is it alright to fail…but to fail often! At the end of the day, it is better to just go for it, and see what happens. [...]

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Top Ten Touring Tactics

by Julie

Cover of Bon Voyage! Bon Voyage! Going on tour with your cirque act or show can be an exciting endeavor. Before you book – be sure to read through my list below consisting of action items in order to ensure that your circus tour is tops. Julie’s Top Ten Touring Tactics 1) Define Your Terms [...]

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Rethink Rehearsals

by Julie
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Practice makes perfect… How relevant and how true this statement is for performance artists! The difference between a good performance and a great performance is the amount of time you’ve spent preparing your piece in rehearsal. Rehearsing is a critical component to successful execution. Without it, you run the risk of looking amateurish and unprepared [...]

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Best of Circus Blog, 2009

by Julie
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Although Circus Blog has only been in existence for a very short period of time, I thought I’d kick off the new year by noting the top five most popular posts of 2009 as selected by you, CB readers. This list is based on visitors’ data as compiled by my Google Analytics account and is [...]

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