PHOTOS BY GLENN TRIEST
HE
Preschool students at
Temple Emanu-El perform
the greatest show on Earth.
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
Above: Emily
Durnion walks the
tightrope.
Right: The circus
performers join in a
marching band.
here were lions and tigers but no bears. A ringmaster, clowns and tightrope
walkers came, but the bearded lady was nowhere to be seen.
There were also about 100 people in attendance March 8 when the circus
came to Temple Emanu-El's nursery school.
As part of an ongoing lesson about the circus, members of the class of 5-
year-olds performed a 45-minute show for parents and grandparents.
The interest in the circus began in January when Michael Brown, 5, at-
tended the Moscow Circus. The children were so enthralled by his stories of
men shooting out of cannons and bears riding motorcycles that they asked
their teacher if they could learn more about it.
Adrienne Gersten, the nursery school's head teacher, said the class read
books and constructed a circus train the children filled with stuffed animals.
But that wasn't enough.
"They wanted to do their own circus," she said. "They decided what they
wanted to do. We just helped them with putting it together."
With the help of the parents, Ms. Gersten and teachers aide Celestine Wal-
ters, the children created costumes and acts, distributed tickets and made
posters advertising the event. Preschool co-directors Rena Cohen and Michae-
lyn Silverman also lent a hand.
"We tried to do every aspect of it," Ms. Gersten said. "We talked about it
and then we tried to mimic it."
The children appeared to have enjoyed the lesson, telling anyone who would
listen about the role they played in the show.
"I got to be a lion," said Michael Brown. "I roared and jumped through a
hoop. We had fun."
But just like the real circus, the class will move on. Next week, the lesson
will conclude with a visit to the Shrine Circus. ❑
Bottom: Jamie
Robinson,
Benjamin Kruman
and Lauren McGaw
check their
makeup.