Debbie Smith

We're gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the most popular song in the clubs this weekend will be REM's "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." Between the end of the Mayan calendar and the constant "fiscal cliff" blathering, the whole country is feeling positively apocalypsish. And while the world probably won't end on December 21st, it's always good to cover your bases, so we've rounded up the seven best Apocalypse-themed events on December 20 (and the coming weekend).

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Books for Surviving the Impending Apocalypse

Masterminds 2013: Artists, Enter Our Contest to Win Money and Fame*

You might not guess it to watch me type, but once upon a time, I was pretty flexible. This is in large part due to a class I took (more years ago than I care to admit) at the San Francisco School of Circus Arts called Acrobatic Stretching. At the time, I didn't realize that the teacher, Professional Contortionist Leslie Tipton, was in the Guinness Book of World Records and had performed in more countries than I had been to, but I did realize that she knew what she was talking about, and that stretching hurts. When I heard recently that the former competitive gymnast and 20-year circus arts veteran was starting her own contortion school in San Francisco, I went to her studio by Ocean Beach to get the lowdown, and meet her beloved cat Bean.

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Local Circus Veterans' New Trick: Come to Shows that Never Happened

Seven Tips for a Great Audition

Simone Lazar

You might not associate clowns with rappers, but Australia-born hip-hop puppeteer Jesse Horne of Circadelix does. An admitted problem child, Horne found writing rhymes an antidote to his ADHD, and turned his inability to sit still into a successful career as a street performer. His clowning and juggling skills took him on a grand adventure that included performances for royalty in Abu Dhabi, the World Expo in Shanghai, and eventually the San Francisco Circus Center, where he met and fell in love with classically trained ballet dancer and aerialist Simone Lazar.

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A Delicate Balance: Five Questions for S.F.'s Hottest Pole Acrobat

5 Clown Questions Debunked From a Ringling Bros. Pro

Rachel Golden

The Grimaldis Are Dead, a co-production by Dane Ballard productions and Circus Center San Francisco, is spectacular in theory. It combines circus, magic, improv, and musical theater, backed up by a live band and filmed projections; it follows generations of a family who were all in showbiz and all died ghastly deaths; and it takes place in a new and unconventional venue, Firehouse 8.

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Podcast Review: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity Marks Elaborate Entrance for the Aurora's 21st Season

Podcast Review: The Collapse of Enron, with Puppets!

Calibree photography

If you're a regular at Supperclub, the Hubba Hubba Revue, or Bootie SF, you may have noticed that pole acrobat Kara Nova has become a constant presence in the D.I.Y. circus scene. With only four years of training, this 23 year old, self-proclaimed "ninja space angel" has performed at Bay Area institutions The Edwardian Ball and Sea of Dreams, as well as for larger acts like Primus and Bassnectar. Fresh from a gig in Las Vegas, she sat down with me after the Craft Spirits Carnival at Fort Mason to discuss training, success, and coffee.

See also:

Local Circus Veterans' New Trick: Come to Shows that Never Happened

7 Tips for a Great Audition

Hanna Quevedo

The great thing about living in San Francisco is you never run out of things to do. I'm not just talking about Fleet Week and America's Cup type things -- what really makes a city interesting are the nooks and crannies. It's those little morsels of culture that you couldn't find anywhere else, and we've got one coming up soon with the Rock 'N' Roll Carnival, presented by Broke-Ass Stuart, Tricycle Records, and Public Works.

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San Francisco Best New Venue: Public Works

Loving the Nighlife in San Francisco

Jason Kruppa

The most exciting and innovative circus in the Bay Area isn't coming from Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros., or any of the big schools. It's hiding out in an underground training location called The Royal Russian Kung Fu Circus Training Academy of Heaven Mountain by a few, and Sons of Cayuga, by everyone else. The pair responsible claim to have the highest skill level of any local circus in their shows (true), and disdain advertising, claiming that, "when you make mazes for people they try to find the end of the maze."

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"Humor Abuse": A Son Remembers the Pickle Family Circus

The Hard Truth of Circus Life

Joseph Schell

The first in an occasional series on life as a performer in San Francisco.

So, you've practiced those pirouettes, mastered your handstand, or finally beaten that hula hoop into submission, and it's time to get out there and strut your stuff.  Maybe you've signed up for backstage, or stared endlessly at that Cirque Du Soleil open call poster at the dance studio? Auditioning can be a harrowing experience for a veteran, and downright terrifying for a beginner.  Here are seven tips to help get you through:

1. Have your shit together 

You don't want to be that guy running in at the last minute drenched in sweat, clothes flailing, cellphone ringing, with no headshot, no resume, and no clue.  Go to bed early, set an alarm, be on time, and always, always, know what you're auditioning for.

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Social Media Self-Promotion: The Only Advice You Need

How to Not Die in an Earthquake: Six Essential Tips

Mo Riza/Flickr

Life is hard enough without a screaming, running away, randomly pooping, peeing, puking, money-sucking companion at your side, whether it be your child, multiple children, or Chris Daly. If you've been feeling spread a little thin lately, we're here to help. Below are the top 10 places you can nourish your inner child, or entertain your real one(s).

(Key: Poot! = Take your toddler, Toot! = Take your kids, or Woot! = Take yourself!)

10. Urban Recess (Poot!)

Urban Recess

Scott Golub

Acrobat Chloe Marvel Light Axelrod

Tattoo and body piercing shop Body Manipulations recently turned 23. It's celebrating, naturally, with a night of acrobatic feats, Russian trapeze, body suspensions, contortion, and an exceptionally high pain tolerance.