New Victory Arts Break: MOYA

New Victory Arts Break videos and activities are designed to have your family ready and raring for showtime before you even leave home. Here’s how to use them! All set? Then let’s get creative together and prep your kid for MOYA with the activities below.

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New Victory Arts Break videos are filmed at the New Victory Theater. We acknowledge that New Victory resides on the seized homeland of the Lenape people and the intertribal territory of many First Nations. We celebrate and pay deep respect to all Indigenous peoples, past, present and future, and we encourage you to learn more about these vibrant communities.

Did You Know?

Zip Zap Circus’s MOYA comes from Cape Town, South Africa, with awe-inspiring feats and big-hearted vibes! Expect acrobats, jugglers, an aerialist, traditional gumboot dancers and more. Take a few minutes to learn more about the show’s themes and watch a short video trailer.

Zip Zap Circus’s youth and outreach programs use circus arts to offer kids community, new skills and improved self-esteem. The performers in MOYA are all graduates of these life-changing programs.
“Moya” is a Zulu word that means “wind” or “air” but can also mean “spirit” or “soul”—that inner drive that keeps you going.
MOYA‘s creators and performers embody the spirit of ubuntu. Sometimes translated as “I am because we are,” the word “ubuntu” comes from southern African languages Zulu and Xhosa, where it means “humanity toward others.”

Try It Out!

When Zip Zap Circus couldn’t perform for audiences during the pandemic, they created an award-winning circus film, MOYA, which went on to inspire the stage production you’re about to see! Create some circus movie magic of your own with Siobhan using the power of perspective.

Set up your camera upside down and make sure your kid’s whole body is centered in the frame. You’ll need a plain background, like an empty wall or curtain.
Have your kid hold their arms straight up to touch the edge of the frame. Make sure their legs are straight, too. Snap a photo—it’s a handstand!
Film your kid moving side to side, bending their arms as they go. When you watch it back, they’ll be walking on their hands!

What other circus illusions can you attempt with this technique? Share your creations with family and friends, and see what they think of your kid’s new skill!

Talk About It!

As you make your way to the theater, get your kid in a MOYA mindset with some show-themed conversation starters! Ask them:

If you could create a circus inspired by a cause that means a lot to you, what kind of circus would it be?
What are some songs or dances that you associate with your culture?
What are some cultures that you see celebrated in your life? How are they celebrated?
What are some of your favorite circus acts?

The fun doesn’t have to stop here! Follow along with New Victory Teaching Artists in a few Arts Break videos and activities from the archive, highlighting more impressive tricks to practice and perform at home.