Hancher brought fun, learning to McGregor

On May 8-11, an Australian circus performance troupe called Circa visited McGregor as part of the University of Iowa's Hancher SPOT Family Arts Adventure. The McGregor-Marquette Center for the Arts received the honor of being selected as this year's SPOT recipient. We partnered with the local school district, chamber of commerce and local churches to bring the arts education residency to the community.

During the residency, Circa offered circus performance workshops to area children. Their patience and encouragement really inspired the kids, who within minutes were juggling and building human pyramids - things they had never thought they could do. The workshop got the kids thinking about how they could use their bodies and connecting this experience with artistic expression.

This was particularly evident when the children who had participated in the workshops attended Circa's performance, “46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes.” (The performance was a particular challenge to stage in a school gym, but with Hancher's support, the show went off without a hitch.) When the kids saw the performers use one another as human jump ropes and ballroom dance on one another's shoulders, they were dazzled.

We are grateful to Hancher for bringing high-quality performers such as Circa to our community. Iowans should be proud of and support programs like Hancher's SPOT that help children identify the value of the arts in their lives and communities in places throughout Iowa.

Trudy Balcom

Vice President

McGregor-Marquette Center for the Arts

McGregor