North Star

Sophomore Adelle Gertsch balances on a rock to test her flexibility. Gertsch has been recently been training to join the circus after high school. “I’ve always loved
watching people preform in the circus, but at the same time I would be a little sad.” Gertsch said, “Then one day I decided to try aerial silks and it was the best
decision I’ve ever made.”
A BIG BENDY DREAM
Sophomore Adelle Gertsch is training to become an acrobatic circus performer at Circus Harmony
by Evan Becker
ebecker066@g.fhsdschools.org
Doctors, lawyers, firefighters; the common answers to “What do you
want to be when you grow up?” But sophomore Adelle Gertsch doesn’t
want to be common. She wants to live in a unique way, and for her,
that means as a circus performer.
As a child, Adelle was very active, even doing gymnastics at the age of five.
She showed a clear inclination towards the performing arts.
“I mean, Adelle has always been a monkey basically,” Adelle’s mom Carolyn
Gertsch said. “She was always climbing on things, hanging on things, always
been a kind of a daredevil not afraid to try stuff. So yeah,
it wasn’t surprising to me at all that she wanted to do [the
circus].”
Circus Harmony, the program Adelle uses to learn circus
skills has multiple levels. Seeing the highest levels of their
classes, Circus Flora, perform was what inspired her to join.
“I always went to the Circus Flora, and I always was
enjoying the show,” Adelle said. “But I always thought like,
man, I just wish I could do that. I always wanted to be able
to do those amazing tricks. When I quit softball my parents were like let’s
harness this energy, and I was like, maybe aerial silks?”
Every performer at Circus Harmony has to take basic classes covering the
usual skills of juggling and plate spinning. Adelle, however, focuses specifically
on contortion and aerial silks.
“In my contortion class, we get all bendy,” Adelle said. “Sometimes we’ll do
MORE INFO
Check out the Circus
Harmony website here:
bit.ly/36JraTq
a bridge and then someone will do like a chin stand on the person doing a
bridge, stuff like that. In my aerial classes we work on trapeze skills and Aerial
silk tricks.”
The path to a career in the circus is paved the same way as many other
careers. She studies hard, applies for colleges, and after going to the colleges,
she can be hired for the best gigs. The only difference is in the content of the
classes.
“You don’t have to take science or math classes because it focuses on what
your actual career is,” Adelle said. “It’s more of your art form and trying to
master it.”
Deanna Massie is a college professor, educator and
researcher. She’s known Adelle since Adelle was about five
years old and was ecstatic to hear that Adelle wanted to be a
part of the circus.
“We have become a society that’s too focused on stuff that
won’t make everyone happy,” Massie said. “Adelle has always
been bored in school and she’s always had higher goals. I was
super excited that she found a track she wanted to do that
would make her happy.”
For Adelle, it’s not just a place that she can expend her energy but, it’s also a
place where she feels like she truly belongs.
“Circus was originally where all the weird people went, the outcasts, where
they could be outcasts together,” Adelle said. “And so it’s just nice that the
circus community is very inviting and appreciates everyone. I love everything
about it.”
20 PAGE BY MAYA HELBIG
FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | FEATURES