Ritz Kidz Circus is about to take over downtown Newburgh with blowout performance

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About 30 local children are finishing up at the Ritz Kidz Circus Camp at Safe Harbors Green in downtown Newburgh. It's a two-week camp that ends with free Friday night blowout performance. Some performers have been coming to the camp since its inception eight years ago, and now help lead the camp. Camp veteran Stella Gaito told News 12 she loves circus camp because of the lifelong friendships she has made, and because of the life lessons. "Sometimes it can make you feel outside your comfort zone," she said, "but I feel that's a risk you're willing to take because the circus is all about risks and if you don't take them, it's not fun." Gaito has been working on her trapeze routine for Friday's show. The camp coaches minimize the risk; they inspect cables and nets before every practice session. "Here, what's fun about it is that you know that you're safe, so you're willing to take those risks," Gaito said. Camp co-founder James 'Jaybird' Gibson said that once he first took up circus arts at age 25, he wished he had started in the field as a kid. Now, he and his partners at Safe Harbors of the Hudson Valley are bringing the experience to other children. "It made me imagine like if I could bring this back to my community," Jaybird said. "What would I have done with it, and how good would it have been for the kids that grew up with me?" Jaybird brought in a ringer – his friend Sam Hart – as the trapeze coach. Hart was raised on this. "My dad builds flying trapeze rigs," he said, "so it's kind of a family business." Hart's father also build the trapeze rig at Safe Harbors Green, so Hart knows how to keep everyone safe as they practice their stunts here. It also seems he knows how to inspire up-and-comers. "I try to share a little bit of the industry with these kids and try to give back what's [been] given to me," he said. The free camp-ending show begins at 6 p.m. Friday. Expect dance numbers, clown shows and mid-air stunts. You can also expect to see a great group of young people come into their own. "