BRATTLEBORO — Students training at NECCA brought back a full podium of awards from the Vegas International Variety Act Festival in February.
VIVA Fest is the Vegas International Variety Act Festival held each February at the Silverton Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For the four days of events from Feb. 15-18, VIVA Fest sets up a circus tent and small “circus city” on the outskirts of Las Vegas. A main tent hosts competitions and performances, a “petite palace” mini tent is set up for workshops and shows, and a training tent is set up for additional classes.
Competitors came from all over the U.S., Canada, and South America. New England Center for Circus Arts founder Elsie Smith and lead coach Sandra Feusi were both invited to the festival as judges. Several NECCA students applied to the festival and were invited to compete in the Emerging Artist category.
“It was a great experience for our students to perform in a real circus tent, and be a part of the bigger circus community,” Smith said in a news release. “Being around many of the big names in circus education today brings us all inspiration to bring back to Brattleboro.”
NECCA students brought back more than memories. Ernesto Lea Place and Caitlin Quinn placed first in the Emerging Artists category for duos and trios with the aerial straps act they trained at NECCA and debuted at NECCA's holiday show in December.
Claire Horner Richardson placed second in the Emerging Artists category for Ground Acts Solo for a balletic acrobatic act on the Chinese pole. Horner also received a coveted contract to tour this summer with the Flynn Street Circus.
Finally, NECCA ProTrack graduate Elsa Hall received fifth in the Emerging Artists category for Aerial Solo for her aerial straps act.
“We are super proud of how all the NECCA students did, because the rigging in a tent is always going to be different from the rigging they are used to in a building,” Smith said. “They did a great job experiencing and learning from how that affects their performance.”