`06

mix named Piper, enormous plush puppets of body parts and, of course, her signature German wheel. The performance, which came to Grinnell College’s Flanagan Studio Theatre on April 8, is based on a poem by John Roedel titled “The Anatomy of Peace.”

Carly Schuna `06

Schuna said of the poem, “It really resonated with me because I’ve had chronic anxiety since I was a kid. A lot of the imagery that he mentions in this poem is stuff that I just experience on a day-to-day basis.” Like Roedel’s poem, “It Takes Guts” is a journey through the body, piece by piece, exploring the human experience in all of its messy, anxious, joyful glory.

“What makes me feel most energized about circus is that it scares me so much,” Schuna said. While the thought of spinning inside of a giant metal wheel might be gut-wrenching for many non-acrobats, for Schuna, sharing her love of the circus arts — anxiety included — is what brings her life meaning.

“Before I discovered wheel I thought you could only fall in love with a person, but I fell in love with my wheel, and I'm still in love with my wheel,” Schuna said. “It’s just what makes me happier than anything else.”

More on Schuna and “It Takes Guts” can be found on her website, www.headoverwheelscircus.com.