Summer solstice: the year’s circus act
Blogs
06.19.2015
Twice every year we have the opportunity to celebrate the solstices. The term derives from the Latin words, sol and sistere which translate as “the sun” and “to stand still.”
For a couple of years I worked with Circus Flora, a wonderful old-world, one-ring circus created for Giancarlo Menotti’s Spoleto Festival in Charleston S.C. It starred Flora, (a young African elephant orphaned by practitioners of the ivory trade) along with a team of beautiful heavy horses, acrobats, a gentle dog act and a family of musical clowns who could make a slap and a pair of dropped trousers into poetry. But the big finale of the circus featured a flying trapeze act. I have a picture of my one-year-old daughter, her eyes as big as saucers, head tilted towards the roof of the tent along with the entire audience following every move of the acrobats who flew through the air. It was in a literal sense, breathtaking.
Later, after watching the performances over and over (sometimes three times a day) I realized that all the important things in flying trapeze happen in that moment when the breath of the audience is suspended. Learning the physics of a trapeze swing discloses the magical stasis point where the velocity is at zero before the backswing begins. In that moment change is possible. If you really practice, change is graceful.
If the solstice is a global version of this magic moment then perhaps all those New Year resolutions that we made in winter had their genesis in this instant of possibility. Perhaps if this winter’s resolutions have fizzled out we can have another go at Midsummer. Perhaps if we can learn the rhythms of life’s cycles we can make the right moves at the right times. Shakespeare is pretty eloquent on the subject:
“There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.”
Perhaps if we are bold, we can actually fly like the trapeze artists. Just saying.
Happy Summer Solstice!
Related Stories
See More
Boston Music Intelligencer REVIEW: Going Deeper Underground with “Secret Byrd”
Events Insider REVIEW: Revels Presents Immersive Musical Theatrical Experience SECRET BYRD at
Secret Byrd Spotlight: Owain Park
The Boston Musical Intelligencer PREVIEW: Don’t Tell Anyone About “Secret Byrd”
Revels Fringe Spotlight: Seven Times Salt
Midwinter Revels Children’s Chorus Spotlight: Marina & Lena Nugent
Midwinter Revels Children’s Chorus Spotlight: Jacob & Mira Whiting
Boston Globe REVIEW: Midwinter Revels Serves Up a Frolicsome ‘Feast of Fools’
Theater Mirror REVIEW: Revels Goes Medieval in Swanson’s Swan Song with ‘Feast
Stage and Cinema REVIEW: You’d Be a Fool to Miss this Feast
Broadway World REVIEW: Midwinter Revels – A Journey of Comfort and Joy
Boston Globe HOLIDAY ARTS PREVIEW: A medieval ‘Midwinter Revels’ will suffer these
RiverSing Spotlight: Good Trouble Brass Band
Debra Wise Appointed Associate Artistic Director of Revels, Inc.
Midwinter Revels Performer Spotlight – Rosalba Solis
Midwinter Revels Performer Spotlight – Carolyn Saxon
Stage and Cinema REVIEW: Let the Revels’ Sun Shine into Your Home
The Arts Fuse REVIEW: “Midwinter Revels” — Unity, “Behold How Good”
New England Theater Mirror REVIEW: ‘Midwinter Revels’ Brings Together Multiple Cultures for
WBUR REVIEW: Revels is back with a more inclusive, rebranded holiday spectacular
Boston Globe REVIEW: A ‘Solstice Celebration’ for everyone
Midwinter Revels Chorus Spotlight – Heather Koerber Nunes and Jake Nunes
Chorus Auditions for The Midwinter Revels: A Celebration of the Solstice
Midwinter Revels – A Celebration of the Solstice
Revels Spring Sing Artist Spotlight: Dr. Kathy Bullock
Revels Spring Sing Artist Spotlight: Claire Dickson
In Memory of Ashley Bryan
Common Pursuits in Different Suits
The Sleepless Critic: ‘Christmas Revels In Celebration of Winter Solstice’ a clever
The Arts Fuse: “The Christmas Revels 2021” — As Usual, Rising in
Joyce’s Choices: The Christmas Revels
New England Theater Mirror: Christmas Revels Returns to Sanders Theater
Revels, Inc. Names Elijah Botkin as New Music Director
Boston Globe Review: The ‘Christmas Revels’ celebrates a new direction
Behind the Scenes at Revels
Thanks Giving
Meet Arkansas Light, Christmas Revels Production Stage Manager
Artist Spotlight: Ken Field
Volunteer Spotlight: Haley Fisher
The Sleepless Critic Review: Christmas Revels 50th virtual anniversary delivers mirth, merriment,
Review: Christmas Classics – Virtual Editions and Good as New!!
Boston Globe Review: This virtual Christmas Revels is a virtual triumph
Volunteer Spotlight: Rachel Grygorcewicz
Volunteer Spotlight: Nick Browse
Volunteer Spotlight: Ross Hall
Volunteer Spotlight: Harvey Cohen
Volunteer Spotlight: Cathie Ghorbani
Volunteer Spotlight: Mari Young
Volunteer Spotlight: Julie Smith
David Zooms to Perkins
Volunteer Spotlight: John Recroft
MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!
Review: Christmas Revels Brings Its Special Cheer to Depression Era America
BWW Review: THE CHRISTMAS REVELS: A Long Tradition of Community Forged Through
Theater Review: The Christmas Revels – American Version
REVIEW: Nearly 50, Christmas Revels is better than ever
REVIEW: This Christmas Revels goes to the American heartland
Thanksgiving
Solstice Duality
Happy Spring!
REVIEW: Christmas Revels Celebrates the ‘Other’ Great White North
REVIEW: ‘The Christmas Revels’ points north
Theater Review: The Christmas Revels – A Wonderful Nordic Celebration
Just Add Audience
The Longest Day
A Magical Experience: The Making of a CD
Malibu 2018
REVIEW: Revels’ ‘Venetian Celebration’ glitters
REVIEW: Old World Music, Comedy from Renaissance Era Lights Up Christmas Revels
St. Nicholas in Bohemia: Mikulas Eve
REVIEW: A handsome ‘Christmas Revels’ brings the party to Venice
A liberating holiday performance
The Master of the Revels
The Solstice Stands Revealed
Revels is here! Revels is here!
Striding Arches
Moonlighting with Shakespeare
What Blizzard?
Christmas Revels Enchants with Celebration of Acadian, Cajun Cultures
The Holy and the Broken Hallelujah Or How I learned to stop
This Acadian-Cajun Christmas Revels lets the good times roll
Annual Christmas Revels’ production fills the stage with delight
A Music Director Reflects
Fenway’s Ritual Earth
Welcome to Our New Music Director
Reflections on Malibu
‘Christmas Revels’ finally makes it to Wales
Christmas Revels – Looking Back and Looking Forward
Dylan Thomas: the intersection where poetry and drama meet
Revels Music Director George Emlen Announces His Retirement
Giving Voice
A Revels Director in Wales
Summer solstice: the year’s circus act
The Boston Globe profiles harpist Maeve Gilchrist and Revels FRINGE
Reporting on Education at Revels
The Great Flying Machine Race
The Wheel of the World
What’s Your Version of the Revels Elephant?
Farewell from Steve
Summer Camp
Fuse Theater Review: The Christmas Revels – Charming English Music Hall Edition
The Boston Globe Review: For Christmas Revels, a welcome return to Victorian
Events Insider Review: Christmas Revels Brings Victorian Dance Hall Celebration to Sanders
TAB Newspapers Theater Review: Revels transports audiences to Victorian England
The Crystal Palace
Don’t Blame Persephone
From the FRINGE: Who’s Maeve Listening to?
Solstice Fires
Patriot’s Day – My Favorite Holiday
A Forum on Arts Funding
Spring Forward
The Itinerant Musician
Welcome to the Revels blog
Stay up to date
with Revels.
with Revels.
Sign up to receive email updates on performances, events, and news coming from Revels.