Rebecca Starr regularly bends over backwards for people shedoesn’t even know — as a contortionist.
Starr performed her acrobatic skills on campus Thursday with SanDiego’s well-known performance troupe, The Fern Street Circus.
Starr, a 20-year-old kinesiology junior and dance minor, hasworked with the group for about a year. Her routine in the circusconsists of a solo contortion act and performances with the FernStreet Flyers in acrobatics and trampoline acts.
Other acts presented involved clowning, juggling, the “cloudswing” (a rope swing high above the ground with the performer doingacrobatic moves), tight wire and a comedy trapeze act.
“We value Rebecca tremendously,” John Highkin, the artisticdirector of the circus, said. “She has great presence; she’s a veryfocused performer.”
Starr began gymnastics at the age of three. At 13, she quit andbegan circus entertainment with the aid of her aunt, who is aperformer in the Fern Street Circus. When she was 13 and 14 yearsold, she performed acrobatics and some contortion with Fern Streetfor two summers while staying with her aunt in San Diego. She stoppedperforming when she moved to Northern California from Los Angelesbecause her father had taken a job up north. Starr began performingagain five years later when she moved to San Diego for school.
Starr also works as an instructor for one of the Fern StreetCircus’s free after-school programs.
Last May was her first performance with Fern Street since she was14 years old.
“It was the best experience ever,” Starr said. “It changedeverything I wanted to do with my life.”
Starr spends between 30 minutes to one hour training every day.Her routine consists of stretches and strength exercises. She saidshe does a lot of handstands and sit-ups.
“The interesting thing about contortion is that being flexible isonly half of it — without strength, you wouldn’t be able to holdanything,” Starr said.
During performances, she can hold a position for about 30 secondsto one minute.
For her career, Starr said she wants circus appearances to be amajor part of her life. Her dream is to incorporate circus, dance andgymnastics into one show.
“Eventually, I do want to choreograph, produce and direct my ownshows,” Starr said.
Starr is paid for her performances and instruction at theafter-school program, but she has other jobs. She said she teachesgymnastics at the Rancho Penasquitos YMCA, performs at children’sbirthday parties and corporations hire her to entertain at workparties with contortion and acrobatics. If she has a job scheduleconflict, Starr says her loyalty lies with Fern Street. She leavesher talent open to them because they brought her onto the scene andshowed her what it was all about, she said.
“They’re first on my list of priorities; I owe a lot to them,”Starr said. “Even if I have a higher paying gig, I’ll still do theFern Street Circus first because they’re really, really good to me.”
The circus performs about 40 times each year. Depending on thevenue, admission is free or charged. Its main performance is a 10-dayshow in May at Balboa Park.
The group was created in 1990 after Highkin, who has a backgroundin theater, applied for a grant through the San Diego City Arts andLetters project. The circus’s first performance was in 1991 at GrapeStreet Park in Golden Hill.
There is a core group of 11 performers with ages ranging from 15to 43 years old. The circus also has a live band. Students from theafter-school program perform with the circus if it is held at alarger venue.
