Stilt-Walking Through Quake

Stilt-Walking Through Quake

While many people struggled to keep their footing, CircoArts second-year student Jamee Campbell rode out the recent earthquake on acrobatic stilts.

The 21-year-old was mid-performance, stilt-dancing her way through her fourth outdoor gig for CPIT's 2011 Orientation carnival, when the ground began to move.

"One of the first things you learn on stilts is how to fall properly so you don't hurt yourself," Jamee said. "But there were people rushing past so I couldn't fall on them. I thought 'Oh gosh, I can't fall!'"

The only alternative, of course, was to stay upright. "I only started stilt walking last year," Jamee said. "I have a really excellent teacher, Nathan Kerr, I think I owe it to him that I kept my balance!"

While Jamee joked about adding her recently discovered skill to her CV, it is probably one performance she doesn't want to repeat.

For now Jamee is visiting her parents in northern New South Wales, but she is keen to get back to her circus family at CircoArts, many of whom are also Australian. "It's great to be in the company of like-minded people - they are just so enthusiastic. It is a beautiful community," she said.

Jamee first heard about CPIT's CircoArts course while completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance from the Queensland University of Technology. She jumped at the chance to expand on what she loves doing; dancing and adding the excitement of being "upside down and in the air".

As a first year student Jamee was able to work with apparatus such as stilts, trapeze and high wire. This year she will fine tune her skills and start to specialise in specific circus arts - and stilt walking will definitely be one of her fortes.
ENDS