Children from across the US flee to New England to join Circus Smirkus

“There’s so much that goes into it,” Kamieneski said. “The audience only sees the 30 performers, but they didn’t know that if we didn’t do that, we’d be performing in the rain without a tent crew. If we didn’t have lights, we’d be performing in the dark. If we didn’t have costumes, we’d be performing in our sweatpants.”

Circus Smirkus often calls on people who live in the cities it visits to take care of the children at their homes.

Moretown resident Ceili Quigley hosted a circus performer for the first time this year. Her daughter is attending the camp and has found what Quigley calls a “second home.” The family wanted to feel more connected to the circus community, so they decided to host performers, she said.

Fellow citizen Li Li Smith and her family have invited artists almost every year since 2012, because her husband was a member of Circus Smirkus as a child.

“I think it’s a really special environment and a great experience for kids to just be treated like they really have something important to contribute to, to be part of a team,” Smith said. “Nobody is extra. Everybody is needed. So I think it’s a really admirable environment.”

Heather Lawson sees the same thing in her sons, Owen and Lucas Lawson-Spratley, who both perform for the circus.