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# At-risk youth become real-life trapeze artists
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/at-risk-youth-become-real-life-trapeze-artists/
- Published: 2008-07-09T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:06:53.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Pier, #archive-import, Homeless

*At-risk youth become real-life trapeze artists*

*By ALEXANDRA BISSONNETTE Special to the Daily Press*

SM PIER For at-risk youth life is not easy and a fun day at the beach is not always a possibility, but the kids of Santa Monica-based organizations Upward Bound and St. Joseph’s Center got to fly high into the air here with the help of Trapeze School New York.

The kids were all involved with Free Arts for Abused Children, an organization that works with local non-profit organizations to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of youth who have been abused, are homeless, or are considered at-risk. A staff of six manages the more than 400 volunteers working with Free Arts for Abused Children.

“What makes today so fun is that it’s about physical creative expression,” said Karrah Lompa, executive director of Free Arts for Abused Children. “The kids have this glow in their eyes.”

Upon arriving at the pier, the kids made circus hats and costumes with supplies provided by the event’s sponsor, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. No one looked particularly apprehensive about their impending flight.

“It’s been so fun to watch them,” Lompa said. “They have been super excited and there has been a lot of big talk, but when it comes time to go, the whole story changes. But then they do it anyway.”

Before the kids could fly, they watched trapeze artists from “The Flying Caceres,” one of the world’s premier aerial acts. After the performance they participated in a short training session with a staff member from the Trapeze School New York, which only recently opened up shop on the pier.

“We started in New York City, but we have had our eyes on the West Coast,” said Jonathon Conant, president and co-founder of Trapeze School New York. “We are really glad to be here today. It’s all a dream come true.”

Once the kids had been properly instructed on basic techniques and safety measures, they were harnessed up.

“I feel like I’m wearing a big cement belt,” said Kiara Terveer, an 11-year-old member of the transitional housing program Upward Bound. She was recently placed in a home under Section 8 —a federal housing program providing assistance to low-income renters — with the help of the nonprofit.

Terveer was particularly excited to have her try on the trapeze. She wanted to be the first to swing high over the pier.

Although she nervously bit her nails before the climb up the ladder, Terveer had no trouble once she began.

“You feel really freaked out at first, but when you’re on and you’re ready, they push you off and it’s just like swinging on a swing,” Terveer told her friends in an attempt to calm their nerves. “Do we get a second try?”

As each child rolled off of the net that hung below the trapeze, it was easy to see the pride of their accomplishment in their faces.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the pride, excitement and opportunities that we can give the kids,” Lompa said. “That’s what this organization is about.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 9, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070908.pdf?ref=smdp.com)