Arise, Fair Sun
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
RAINBOW THEATER circa 10:30am—The sun hovers ominously high above and slightly behind the large metal rainbow, casting sharp rays through the canopy. A row of teaching staff stand idly in the rainbow’s shadow.
“First period Poetry!” exclaims Performance Coordinator Momo Calfe-Smith, sitting stage left with a large whiteboard of the morning’s classes. A pair counselors stride to the stage’s apron.
“When I say, ‘Poet’, you say, ‘What light through yonder window breaks?’” says Poetry Instructor Rose Goyette to the seated audience of campers. “Poet!”
“What light through yonder window breaks!” the campers repeat in jumbled unison.
The poetry teachers continue their announcement with some details about their class. Momo announces more classes, each teacher infusing their own announcements with similarly semi-sequitur antics. Dance, Clowning, Acrobatics, Songwriting…
“American Sign Language!” exclaims Momo.
ASL Instructor Phaedra Kossow-Quinn assumes the apron.
“When I say, ‘It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun’, you say, ‘Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon!” says Phaedra, continuing the poetry teachers’ bit.
I usually teach a singing class second period, but today I am visiting first period to audit some of the other classes offered daily at Winnarainbow. The slate of announcements comes to an end, and Momo dismisses the audience with a triumphant, “Go to classes!” The campers disperse in a sleepy shuffle characteristic of the second half of a two-week session, kicking up small clouds of dust that shimmer in the sunlight. Soon the Rainbow Stage has repopulated with a dance class.
“Spin with a clap!” orders Dance Instructor Bunny Anerson, demonstrating to a group of campers. “Now marching in place, we’re just getting our blood moving!”
Co-Dance Instructor Emma Dewey looks on pensively from the gravel in front of the stage, perhaps mulling over the structure of today’s lesson. I make my way down to the Unicycle Track which lies just behind the Rainbow Theater’s seating. There I find a group of unicyclers attempting the coveted eight-person pinwheel maneuver. After a false start, they are successful, maintaining a spinning cross formation for about ten seconds.
“You have two people grab on juggling ring, and then two more grab on after that,” explains Ocean, 11, Blue Tipi. “Then four more people join the outside. The outside people have to go really fast. The biggest challenge in unicycling is balance. You can keep your balance by swinging your arms around in just the right way. It takes a lot of practice and muscle memory.”
“The key is having the people in the middle of the pinwheel going slow enough,” adds Simon, 13, Flame Tipi. “The lesson of the pinwheel is that if you want to succeed, you have to help other people succeed. You’re not going to get very far on your own.”
“When someone doesn’t go with the flow, it makes everything more challenging,” says Lena, 12, Red Tipi. “But that’s okay too. I like it when it gets interesting!”
I drift over to the Stilt Field where a number of campers have already been tied up and are now cautiously lumbering from one umbrella-ed pole to the next.
“It’s just like riding a bike; if you keep moving, you won’t fall,” says Sabine, 14, Maroon Tipi, stilting in place while holding a stilt pole for balance. “It only took me like twenty minutes to learn how to walk on stilts. It’s easier than it looks. This session I’m working on getting electrified [see: qualified] on tall stilts. I’ve already done my laps, so now I just need to do the tricks: clap under my knees, hold my toes, walk backwards, duck under a spotters arm, and walk in a ten-step circle. The final challenge is to step over the Pillow of Doom.”
Leaving the hot sun of the Stilt Field, I cruise through the juggling area, dodging flying equipment as I go. I cross the road to find an aerials class underway. The trapeze and silks have been rigged for parallel lessons. Since only one camper can be on each apparatus at once, the majority of the class sits patiently on a couple of tumbling mats, observing the notes that the instructors give to each aerialist.
“I find it fun to be in the air; I try to do it as much as I can,” says Atticus, 11, Orange Tipi. “I’m working on my routine for the Big Show. I’m gonna do Music Box, and, if there’s time, I want to do Hip Key. My favorite type of climb is Bicycle. It’s like a Russian climb, but you use your thigh to wrap your legs and then stand up. I recommend trying both trapeze and silks to see which one you like better. Me, I’m definitely a trapezer.”
“I came here two years ago when I was teeny-weeny, and it was much easier to pull myself up,” says Sienna, 12, Red Tipi. “Today I’m working on Man on the Moon, 360, and climbing to the top of the silks. Strength and posture are key. It’s like doing ballet in the air. It requires a lot of practice and training—and it helps if you’re really strong!”
“I just like doing cool tricks,” says Ariana, 7, Yellow Tipi. “It’s cool how you can do all these gymnastic-y stuff on the ropes. The teachers are nice, like, I couldn’t climb the silks, but they still said, ‘Good job.’ They’re there to talk you through it.”
The conch blows, signaling the end of first period. Time to prepare for Singing Class!
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor
