Teaches kids and adults traditional tumbling, juggling, acrobatics and aerial silks

Mon, 07/10/2017 - 12:30pm

Kay Stephens

Sophia Martel, an assisting coach, gives a demonstration on the trapeze. (Photo courtesy Sellam Circus School)

Sellam El Ouahabi performs a one handed handstand on the beach. (photo courtesy Sellam Circus School)

El Ouahabi with The Ben Karim Troupe (Sellam Circus School)

Giving demos at the Summer Solstice in Rockland. (Sellam Circus School)

Practicing with kids on the trapeze. (Sellam Circus School)

Sophia Martel, an assisting coach, gives a demonstration on the trapeze. (Photo courtesy Sellam Circus School)

Sellam El Ouahabi performs a one handed handstand on the beach. (photo courtesy Sellam Circus School)

El Ouahabi with The Ben Karim Troupe (Sellam Circus School)

Giving demos at the Summer Solstice in Rockland. (Sellam Circus School)

Practicing with kids on the trapeze. (Sellam Circus School)

ROCKPORT—While some kids will be canoeing, swimming and playing Capture the Flag this summer, other kids will be flying, soaring, tumbling and contorting. The Sellam Circus School, out of Biddeford, is holding its first Circus Arts Day Camp for participants 8 to 18 at The Riley School July 10.

The school, founded by husband and wife Sellam El Ouahabi and Amity Stoddard, in 2015, is based on Ouahabi’s nearly 37-year-career as a circus performer. When he was six-year-old, living in Tangier, Morocco, he used to watch and emulate the Moroccan acrobats on the beach while trying to sell small trinkets on the street to support his family. His keen interest in acrobatics and continuing practice paid off. By age 13, he was performing in local festivals when a traveling circus troupe offered to mentor him full time.

“Moroccans are known as the best tumblers in the industry, because their technique is perfected by tumbling in the sand,” said Stoddard. “They don’t just accept anybody; you have to be really good; as there’s a lot of proprietary knowledge that’s passed down. Sellam comes from this big family and since they couldn’t afford to send him to school, his family allowed this troupe to take him on full time to work on his skills.”

Sellam grew up to perform professionally in three continents traveling most of his adult life with more than 26 circuses. “We’re working on a book together about all of his experiences,” said Stoddard. “He traveled through Asia and South America and England. He performed for the Queen of England, performed with rock bands and even was in a James Bond movie. It’s one crazy journey.”

During his travels to the United States, he came to Vermont to work with nonprofit youth troupe Circus Smirkus where he and Stoddard met.

Stoddard, who grew up in Maine, had always been interested in the circus arts herself and while working on a book about it, she joined Circus Smirkus and worked with them for more than 10 years on their program side. After they worked together for awhile, they fell in love, got married and moved to Maine, a place that El Ouahabi has always been drawn to.

Now based in Biddeford where they’re trying to establish a permanent location for the school, The Sellam Circus School is branching out all over Maine with workshops and classes. Beyond the Summer Camp circus sessions they’ll be holding at the Riley School, they’ll also be at the College of the Atlantic July 31 to August 11. Each camp day will be broken up into warm ups and games along with learning skills on the trapeze, aerial silks, rope and aerial hoop - as well as acrobatics, hand balancing, juggling, and more.

“For some people, this is just fun to try out, whereas others will get more serious about certain circus arts they’re drawn to and we’ll work with them to find what they like the most,” she said. For more information visit: www.thesellamcircus.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com