The Vero Beach Recreation Department celebrated fun in the air with the 50th annual Aerial Antiques Circus held at the Gonzales Lobo Activities Center at St. Edward School.
The three-night showcase was all about the best, bringing back memories of times gone by and filled with crowd-pleasing performances from Aerial Antics’ performances over the past 50 years.
This year was a landmark one for the Aerial Antics Circus, marking 50 years of dedicated nurturing and showcasing the talents of children and youth in Indian River County through gymnastics, dance and performance arts.
Over the years, this non-competitive arts activity has become a major cornerstone of the community and an integral part of the lives of generations of local families.
“It all started in 1974 with the performing arts center that is now the Vero Beach Heritage Center,” Vero Beach Recreation Director Jim O’Connell said, acknowledging that the effort was the vision and dream of then-recreation program manager Peggy Willis.
“Peggy brought this great idea for a children’s show to life,” he added.
The year-round program takes place at Leisure Square’s CentreStage Acrobatic Complex, has classes for children of all ages and culminates with summer and winter performances.
The Aerial Antics Circus in August is the culmination of the children’s work over the nine weeks of summer camp, with performers showcasing their acrobatic, dance and gymnastic skills. As participants hone their skills, they grow in confidence and learn the values of teamwork, discipline and creativity.
This year’s performance paid tribute to the program’s rich history with popular pieces that evoked memories of the past 50 years. Nostalgia was in the air as performers brought to life some of the most beloved pieces in the program’s history and also featured a retrospective of timeless music.
Performers showed off their skills with choreographed dancing, flips, and aerial hoop and silk acrobatics. Paying homage to local life, the Junior Entertainers performed a smash hit tribute to the Dodgers. And no Bello performance would be complete without the Camp Aerial students taking a “dip” in the ocean, and the performers never disappoint, here they twirled, spun, and performed moves that made it seem as if they were free-falling from above.
The entire production was an original creation by the Recreation Department team, who designed all of the scenery, props, costumes and choreography, and performed songs for the students ranging from “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Bandstand” to “Chapel of Love.”
The Recreation Department will host its 64th annual Halloween Parade and Costume Contest on Saturday, Oct. 26. The parade will first assemble at the Vero Beach Women’s Club, proceed down 14th Street and end at the Community Center.
For more information, visit covb.org.
Photo: Kelly Firth