by Peter Porteous
Circus performer Geoff Marsh recently taught more than 630 students from Lancaster Elementary School and Chesapeake Academy an important lesson—that while life may be a constant juggling act, you can have great fun if you focus and believe in yourself.
Marsh, a professional magician, clown, mime, puppeteer, fire manipulator and circus arts instructor from Floyd, kept the students on the edge of their seats during two performances at the Lancaster Elementary School Theater. The show was hosted by the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts (RFA).
“This is a fun show for the students to relax and let off some steam before most of them head into the SOL assessments next week,” said Cindy Dullea, who leads RFA’s Arts for Youth Program. The SOL (Standards of Learning) tests measure mastery of knowledge and skills in English, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. The tests are used to evaluate the performance of schools and help teachers, students and parents identify areas where students may need additional support or instruction.
“The students have been working hard all year and it’s good for them to celebrate their year like this,” said principal Keegan Walters.
In Marsh’s circus, the stage and the entire theater became a world of unthinkable yet hilarious juggling feats, where the students were often the stars of the show. He had the audience cheering wildly….
