Gym Dandies riding high

Scarborough troupe to perform in Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C.

SCARBOROUGH— As dawn broke over the tree line Saturday, 40 unicyclists circled the frost-covered parking lot at Scarborough High School, fogging the frigid air with their exertion. Suddenly, one youngster tumbled to the pavement from a height of six feet. Then another, and another, in rapid succession, their concentration seemingly shattered.

“That’s all right,” shouted Jon Cahill into his bullhorn, from the center of the circle. “That’s why we practice, kids.”

Without hesitation, each student scampered out from under an oncoming column of cyclists to a pair of waiting adults standing to the side. Together they steadied the one-wheeled ”Giraffe,” allowing each student to quickly regained his or her perch. Then, it was back into formation – no tears, no apologies.

“D.C.’s going to love you, kids,” shouted Cahill. “Remember, everyone else in the parade is just walking.”

On Monday, Jan. 21, The Gym Dandies Children’s Circus will perform in the 57^th Inaugural Parade in Washington D.C. as a part of ceremonies following the swearing in of Barack Obama to his second term as president of the United States. They are one of just 55 invited participants, making the cut from 2,807 applicants nationwide. They are also, says Cahill, the  group's program director and founder, the first troupe of unicyclists to ride the 1.5-mile inaugural circuit down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Although this will be the first inaugural parade for the Gym Dandies, they are no strangers to the nation’s capital, having toured parade routes there six times in their 32-year history. They’ve honored Independence Day as well as the capital’s celebrated cherry blossoms.

Still, this trip is something special.

“This is such a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” said Jason Derrick, safely ensconced after practice in the warmth of Wentworth Intermediate School, where he’s in the sixth grade. “It’s just really crazy that we get to be that group that gets to be in front of the president. I’ll never get to be in an event like this again in my lifetime.”

“I’m really excited,” agreed fifth-grader Kyle Bass. “I’m probably never going to get to be that close to the president again.”

“These kids will tell their grandchildren about this,” agreed Cahill, with a chuckle. “I mean, how many people ride a six-foot-tall unicycle with 40 other kids down Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the President and the Vice President of the United States? It’s never been done. They’ve never had a group like ours in the parade before.”

But the Gym Dandies have a history of doing what’s never been done before. In fact, one might say that’s the reason the group exists – to give young people a boost of confidence in all areas of their lives by showing them how to achieve something they never thought possible, whether it’s riding a bike with one wheel, juggling three large bowling pins, or even juggling three large pins while riding a bike with one wheel.

“We have kids that do things you’d see in a professional circus. They do some really amazing feats,” said Cahill. “And when you see that look in a child’s face, that ‘I’ve-got-it’ look, there’s nothing like it. That’s why I do this, and every teacher is the same in that regard.”

Local legacy

The Gym Dandies started as a way for Cahill to inject some interest into his physical education classes at Wentworth. Circus arts, he thought, would be just the thing to engage children who might not be drawn to team sports and other physical activities. The experiment worked out so well that soon a group was gathering after school to practice juggling.

“That first group,” said Cahill, “was just 10 kids and a bucket of tennis balls.”

Before long, the group had grown and held what Cahill believes may have been the world’s first “juggle-a-thon” to raise funds for its first fleet of unicycles. From there, the Gym Dandies grew to encompass Scarborough students in grades 3-12, ages 9-18, holding an annual public performance and participating in parades ranging from Memorial Day festivities in Scarborough to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. More than 200 Scarborough residents, home-schoolers included, participate in the program each year. Cahill estimates that more than 3,500 youngsters have called themselves Gym Dandies through the years.

“The Gym Dandies ancestry is just wonderful,” said Nancy Bass, who has two children in the troupe. “I’m elated that they’ll be in the Inaugural Parade. I’m so happy for them because it’s their hard work that has got them there, theirs and the hard work by the other Gym Dandies who came before them and developed the program into what it is. To get that reputation they have and to keep it over time, at such a high level, benefits these kids.”

Bass says both her children, Kyle and Erin, age 13, have learned perseverance as members of the Gym Dandies.

“Unlike, say, soccer, where kids can get on the field and play the first day they try it, for these kids it sometimes takes years to learn a skill,” she said. “It’s amazing how hard they’ve had to try and how many times they’ve had to fail and still maintain the positive attitude. It teaches them that it's OK to fail and that success comes from hard work.”

“It’s a great program,” said another parent, Mike Derrick. “Kudos to Mr. Cahill, because he really gives them the encouragement and teaches them that you can do anything if you practice.”

“Our motto is, practice makes everything possible,” said Cahill, who retired from teaching in 2004, although he continues to lead the Gym Dandies. “That’s what we try to do here. When they make a mistake, they just do it again. It’s not a big deal.”

Eventually, all that practice pays off, says Dave Slotman, a Wentworth teacher who has served eight years as a beginner’s instructor for the Gym Dandies, although he admits some take to the unicycles sooner than others.

“I’ve never had anyone who couldn’t do it if they stuck with it,” he said. “I’ve had some who I thought, ‘Wow, it’s going to be a really long haul for them,’ but some of those are the same ones you see doing the big tricks now.

“Some kids can pick it up like that, but others, with work, can do just as well and make it onto the parade route,” said Slotman. “They all learn that hard work is really more important than ability.”

“My first year, in fourth grade, nothing really clicked,” said Jason Derrick. “I was, like, a mess. I couldn’t really juggle or ride the unicycle or anything. But then the next year it all came together and by the end of the year I had made the draft into the performance group.

“It’s all about practice,” said the younger Derrick. “For some people it comes in spurts but, for me, it finally came together all at once and then I was ready. To go form not being able to ride at all to being able to ride s much as you want, that was just so cool.”

“It’s really just fun to be up there,” said Erin Bass. “Once you learn how to do it, it’s not as mortifying or scary as it might seem if you haven’t ever done it before. It takes a lot of getting used to, really, but you learn that if you know what you are doing it’s less likely that you’re going to hurt yourself.

“It gives you confidence,” she said. “I didn’t make performance group for a really long time and I didn’t know if I wanted to keep on doing it, but you learn that if you keep on doing it, whatever it is, you can achieve what you want to achieve.

But it's not just learning a new skill that gives confidence, there’s also the boost students get from putting their newfound abilities on display.

“My son is incredibly shy,” said Heather Rainsford. “But, with this, all of a sudden he loves to show off, because that’s one of the things this group promotes – show ‘em what you can do.”

“Riding a unicycle is not something most people would think of as the first choice of a physical activity, but it’s a lot of fun,” said Erin Bass. “It takes a lot of dedication but it all ends up being worth it in the end, because you get these kinds of opportunities, like being in the Inaugural Parade, which is really an honor. I’m really excited, because you don’t get this kind of chance all the time and you don’t get the chance at all unless you are a really good group.”

Practical matters

Despite wowing parade organizers – The Gym Dandies ended up being the first participants announced by the committee – the inaugural event almost didn’t happen. Cahill says problems with the parade’s computer submission system, which even the committee’s home office had trouble resolving, kept the Gym Dandies’ application in limbo for two weeks. Meanwhile, Cahill spent more than 120 hours making arrangements for all of the logistical details involved in packing off 41 kids and some 30 chaperones and parade helpers to Washington.

“Everything, hotel arrangements, ID photos, it all had to be done before we even knew if we’d been accepted,” said Slotman. “There just wouldn’t have been time to get it done afterward.”

It wasn’t until Dec. 17 that the Gym Dandies knew they had been accepted. That left no time for fundraising,  Cahill said, meaning each student is paying a little more than $200 out of pocket to make the trip.

Cahill said he has no doubt his Gym Dandies will make Mainers proud.

“We’re the only group in the country that can feature this many six-foot unicycles,” he said. “Nobody else does it. And they’re all Scarborough kids. That’s great. I love that.

“I’m just really proud of all these kids and what they’re doing,” said Cahill. “Some of the younger kids are beginning to realize what a special event this is. But for me, it’s just a privilege to be with them. They did the work. They got us here. These kids are amazing.

“Helping kids has really been my life’s work,” said Cahill, “and when I see them do something like this – and what we do locally is just as important as the big events like the Inaugural – that’s really special to me.”