Forty years ago, Aileen Moffitt taught at Prescott Elementary in Oakland. Moffitt, an Oakland native, was white, teaching in a predominantly Black school. Her background also included juggling and clowning and, mentored by African American teachers, she created a program first known as “Prescott Clowns” and today known as the Prescott Circus Theatre (PCT).
The PCT program succeeded because from the beginning it was sensitive to and respectful of the students it serves, said Executive/Artistic Director David Hunt. “It was always a grassroots approach, and caught the attention of people and organizations, such as the East Bay Community Foundation, who care about the wellbeing of children,” he said.
Skills taught include clowning, juggling, acrobatics, stilt dancing, hip-hop dance and balancing acts. But the lessons learned are so much more, Hunt said. “To see an eight-year-old step onstage and present themselves with poise and pride … building confidence is the main thing,” he said. Other benefits include the ability to work in groups “in ways they’ve never been asked to before,” he said, “working on behalf of a bigger vision.”…