Little Village hearts Tiny Circus

Maggie Anderson from Little Village Magazine wrote a lovely article all about Tiny Circus!  

Summer 2009 is Circused Out (sort of)

The end of Tiny Circus Summer 2009 is fast approaching, we decided to have an impromptu show at the Dari Barn, an awesome Grinnell ice cream shop, as our last show of the season.

First, we rolled in the airstream..

...nestled betwixt tractors and combines...

Then, we set up the screen...collaboratively...

Then, we got ice cream and waited until dark to project our show on the screen.

And Pogo enjoyed the show and ice cream...

Then, we took down the screen (so skillfully nowadays, having the fastest time fitting within a Micheal Jackson song) and rolled out.

Tiny Circus is thankful for every participant, interest, collaboration, and donation. We have learned a lot and have had so much fun with all of you guys. Tiny Circus Summer 2009 has slowed down, but not really...so see you soon.

Hilltops and Carnivals at the Linn County Fair

After a hot July Saturday, Tiny Circus found a lonely hill overlooking the vintage carnival at the Linn County Fair. Cast in a summertime glow enhanced by the long going tractor pull, our circus group gathered to set up for one of our final summer events.


With the evening sky streaked pink by lazy clouds, our small band set about to ready the hillside for the show.




And of course, after all that preparation, all that's left to do is to sit back and enjoy the show...



And what is a celebration without...

Thanks for having us Linn County.

Circusing Iowa City on a Friday Night...

With Jazz music still hovering in the air, Tiny Circus set up camp in downtown Iowa City at the Ped. Mall. Despite a rainy morning, the evening found us warm and dry with a brilliant audience and a clear sky. All ages came to sit outside in the July evening and share the Tiny Circus experience with friends and strangers alike.


Daylight was still shinning when our crew first rolled in. Equipped with a new animation, just finished earlier in the day at U.A.Y., Tiny Circus was prepared for the evening performance. Was Iowa City ready for the circus?


Our portable Animation Station invited passerbys to try out stop motion animation on their own.




Before the sun sets Susan and Elizabeth pass out our handy and very attractive Tiny Circus bookmarks. Remember to check up on our plans by visiting the website and by referencing your orange, green, or blue bookmark.

The time is 8:00 p.m. and the projection screen needs to come up. It's near the end of our summer time tour, and as these last events fade away, we can all enjoy our new screen set up / take down abilities. Anyone have a timer?


And our show begins!



Along with with The History of Soap, The History of Pockets also had it's Tiny Circus premier. Such a sneaky pencil with such clever ideas...



Despite an unexpected conga line, it was a night of magic and imagination underneath the stars. We hope you enjoyed the show, and we look forward to returning to Iowa City in the future.

Presenting the crowd during the first ever showing of The History of Soap.

Tiny Circus Joins U.A.Y. in Iowa City

What does a circus produce after spending a couple of days in Iowa City? If you've guessed a workshop with United Action for Youth, The History of Soap, and a marvelous outdoor show, then you would be on the right track.


During the 9th and 10th of July, Tiny Circus joined forces with United Action for Youth. Our very talented workshop participants collaborated in brainstorming, creating, and shooting a brand new animation.

The first day began with an introduction to our entire process. Jason shares the History of Popcorn with Max and Grace. Was this perhaps a source for some musical inspiration?

U.A.Y. participants could also experiment with stop motion in other venues. At our portable Animation Station, Alex shows how nearly everything has the potential to be made into an animated short.

After brainstorming and storyboarding, Carlos lays out the proper scale for this new world. Within those blocks rests the yet to be created Gertrude, super sniffer dog, and a few pink flowers.
Time to break out the card stock. Wherever the circus travels, we bring along a smorgasbord of supplies.


Just as before, it's with attention to detail and patience that every element of the animation is made.


From snail slime to flower smells, The History of Soap came into being with the help of many hands.

Thank you to everyone that helped out in creating this new animation!