Young Writers in Action

Young Writers in Action: Cirque

Alphabet Soup

CIRQUE by Elizabeth, 9, NSW

Photo shows the ladder-like framework with long colourful circus silks tied to the top of the framework and hanging loose for circus performers to climb and swing on. There's a girl twisting herself into the silks, upside down. She has red hair in pigtails, a pink leotard and white leggings. Photo by Paulo Henrique Macedo Dias at pexels.com.

Silks! Purple and red awaited me to climb! It was my first class of cirque and I was so delighted. The teacher’s assistant was there but the teacher was late.

My teacher was called Miss Maria. She was thoughtful, kind and generous. She had an assistant called Emily, who was sixteen. I love when they helped me.

Next, we did stretching and I practised planks. Emily helped me when I did a plank. We carried the blocks and I practised the splits. Then the teacher called me to climb the silks. I felt joyful and thrilled. I made a knot on my foot with the silks to stand on. Our teacher said a saying, “Outside, inside, pull up, and around,” to teach us how to do a knot for us to stand on. It was hard to climb the silks because it had a difficult technique.

At my class I met two new friends. Their names are Scarlet and Sienna. They are younger than me but they are good at the knot for the silks.

Excited for my next class because this class was so enjoyable and fun, I ran to my mum and hugged her. I was so glad to do cirque because it was so fun to go on the silks and play with my new friends.

Elizabeth is a regular contributor to Alphabet Soup. You can read her earlier writing and book reviews here. To send us your writing or book review, check out our submission guidelines.

Published by Alphabet Soup

This post was added by Rebecca Newman. Rebecca is a children's writer and poet, and the editor of the Australian children's literary blog, Alphabet Soup. For more about Rebecca visit: rebeccanewman.net.au.