1. Circus Moves uses the Developmental circus arts (DCA) model in all teaching environments and follows the best practices set forth by the American Youth Circus Organization’s Core Competencies. DCA is a term coined by Jackie Davis, EdM, "to describe the philosophy and practice of using circus-making as a vehicle for physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development in young people”.

2. Benefits of Circus Arts Physical – Body/spatial awareness, circulation, strength, tone, range of motion, flexibility, balance Cognitive – Gross/fine motor control, bi-manual coordination, visual tracking, problem solving, focus, concentration, sequencing, coordination, inhibition, multi-tasking, mental flexibility, sequencing, creativity, rhythm/timing Emotional – Self-confidence, self-efficacy, positive risk-taking, trust, empathy, individuality Social – Cooperation/teamwork, role acquisition, respect, giving and receiving support, communication, leadership

3. Circus activities are easily graded to balance the challenge vs. success ratio and by their very nature they encourage repetition and practice of specific motor skills. Juggling – Toss one object up and down. – Toss one object across from hand to hand. – Toss one object under the leg, around the back, etc. – Toss and clap and catch – Toss and catch one object on various body parts or at various levels – Toss two objects from hand to hand – Toss two objects from hand to hand in a 1-2-3-4 rhythm – Toss three objects in a juggling cascade pattern – And so on... Spinning Plate – Proper grip/position of stick – Proper grip/position of stick with plate hanging on top – Maintain position and accept plate from coach – Rotate stick with plate on top – Spin stick and plate – Spin plate and stop stick – And so on…

4. Equilibristics Unicycle, rolling globe, rola bola (balance board), fun-wheel,and stilts Physical: Exercises the vestibular system and promotes postural control and spatial awareness. Emotional: Reasonable risk-taking with success is a cornerstone of empowerment. Cognitive: Children learn to engage accurate self- assessment practices.

5. Object Manipulation Throw & Catch: (scarves, rings, balls, clubs) Rotational Manipulation: (diabolos, ribbon wands, poi, spinning plates, hula hoops) Balancing: (peacock feathers, spinning plates, batons, juggling clubs, dowels) Physical: Hand-eye coordination, midline crossing, bimanual dexterity, grasp/reach, fine motor skills, spatial awareness Emotional/Social: Delayed gratification, perseverance, cooperation Cognitive: Concentration, planning & goal-setting, sequencing, problem solving Passing multiple objects between partners and in groups requires and develops heightened awareness of oneself in relation to others.

6. Tumbling & Acrobatics Individual Work: tumbling involves stretching, bending, rolling, inversion, cartwheels, handstands, and other stunts, developing critical physical skills, core strength, and balance. Partner/Team Work: partner acrobatics incorporates timing, cooperation, and communication skills. Group Work: human pyramid building teaches students to be responsible for one another and to work as individuals in attaining group goals

7. Clowning/Improv “The clown’s smallest task entails huge amounts of exertion and elicits great waves of confusion mixed with cleverness, frustration with joy, and helplessness with virtuosity. When the clown ultimately triumphs over his inadequacies (through some unforeseen solution) we laugh with relief, knowing that our own fallibility, too, is never far from the surface.” - Davis The non-verbal gestures of clowning may have connections with language, meaning-making, and social connections. One could interpret mimicry & pantomime are suggested means for encouraging engagement as part of the Floortime model. Gibberish may be an effective non-linguistic tool to encourage verbal communication.