Coming up on this episode of Iowa Life.

Learn how two Des Moines.

Churches are building relationships across race.

Meet an Iowan who has traveled around the world as a juggler and circus performer.

I went to the European juggling covnention.

It was my first time outside of the U.S. And from there, I saw people in Germany who were street performers And it was like, wow, I guess and see what it takes to organize the largest student run fashion show in the country.

people just don't really think about Iowa and fashion as being related.

It's all coming up next on Iowa Life.

Funding for Iowa Life is provided by the Gilchrist Foundation, founded by Jocelyn Gilchrist, furthering the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist Family in Wildlife and conservation, the arts and Public Broadcasting and Disaster Relief.

Mark and Kay De Cook Charitable Foundation proud to support programs that highlight the stories about the people and places of Iowa.

The Strickler family in loving memory of Lois Strickler to support programs that highlight the importance of Iowa's natural resources on Iowa PBS and by the Lainey Grimm Fund for Inclusive Programing at the Iowa PBS Foundation [music] I think it is one of the tragedies of our nation.

One of the shameful tragedies at 11:00 on a Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the most segregated hours in Christian America.

Martin Luther King Jr shared that thought with journalists in 1960.

Today, academic research and news stories have reported what many churchgoers already know.

Places of worship continue to be an area of high segregation in America Lori: Largely in America.

White and black people live separate lives.

People can talk about the one white friend they have with a one black friend, but by and large, we don't inter-relate.

Lori Smith is a member of Corinthian Baptist Church in Des Moines, a largely black congregation that was founded by 21 women in 1888.

Corinthian formed a partnership with Plymouth, a large congregational church, also in Des Moines.

These two churches are getting to know each other through many ways, including the music.

[choir singing] That is why this project is so special, because it's bringing Plymouth a very large, successful historical church in its own right together with the predominantly black church, and finding ways to build relationships across racial lines.

In 2018, Plymouth started an anti-racism committee to help its members better understand the historical impact of racial discrimination in America.

We worked with a consultant who said it's time to move from the head to the heart.

And in thinking about that, the anti-racism committee realized we needed to work more on community outreach.

They started a project called Connecting through Curiosity, an ongoing idea to learn more about the differences and similarities that make up these two churches and their members.

We just waded into the messy waters of relationship building with the hope that we could find ways that the two churches could connect.

There is a women's book study group, and we've invited Plymouth women to go to Corinthian for this Bible study so we can take a big church and make it a little bit smaller.

I mean, black, white, Baptist, Congregationalist, women, I mean, and issues of being a mother and a wife and juggling work and aging parents.

I mean, I think there are just bigger things that connect us than than faith or race.

And so that was it, just brainstorming on ways each church can work together and and build relationships.

And then we just got to talking about would it be cool to do a joint concert?

We'll be in here tomorrow and we'll make sure everybody sitting, where are you going to sit?

So if I can give people more room by moving back, I think music is very important to the survival of black people.

From our struggles, we found hope in song.

We found community in song.

We shared escape plans in song.

And so it's very much important to us.

So we don't mind clapping.

We don't mind raising our hands in praise.

We don't mind shouting in joy.

But for me, our pain and I struggle was so deep.

It requires a shout.

It requires a crying out we that comes from a place of deep hope and faith and pain.

Sometimes [chamber music] at the end of the singing the same song.

I mean, it's a great metaphor for what it means to come together.

I just think there are there are so many more ways I've seen overlap and I don't want to dial down different.

So obviously there are different faith beliefs, there are different racial histories and backgrounds.

But that said, I think there are just common points so that I can lift up and amplify.

It's easy to say that the mission was accomplished, but for these two churches, the work is just getting started.

One of my tendencies is to want to feel like a checklist, like we have accomplished something and kind of check it off.

But that's not realistic for how authentic organic relationships form.

I've always said, if you really want to fix racism, you've got to have some friends that are not like you.

But when you choose to spend your time over your home and your heart to someone of a different race, then you can start breaking down the walls and the stereotypes and the myths that we all have about each other.

[gospel music] Anytime I can perform outdoors and in any kind of nature is my favorite way to perform.

I like to throw things really hard.

I can throw things higher than most of the ceilings in the theater, so having like infinite space here always just feels a lot more liberating and juggling as an art form and as a technique is kind of an endless well of possibilities.

So you just get to the point where you're like, I can do this forever.

And it's like music.

There's an infinity of things you can do there, and I like to just wander around them and that infinity and pluck little things that I like and, and I can curate those in a way that people like them really happy.

So I was going to school in Iowa City at the University of Iowa, and I had that moment "“come the juggling"” moment where I just started getting really into juggling.

And while I was in school, I went to study abroad in India and I just wanted to go somewhere that was completely different That summer.

Exactly Perfect timing.

The European Juggling Convention was in Germany, was serendipitous.

I went to the European Juggling Convention.

It was my first time outside of the US, and from there I saw people in Germany that were street performers and it was like, Wow, I guess you can make money in just juggling and street performing and growing up in Iowa, no one tells you that or you don't see that.

That really changed everything for me.

I've done like performing at museums, performing at dance festivals, Street performing festival and Dubai, the Great Bombay Circus in India.

The 400th Jumboo Safari event in Mysore, India, went back to the U.S., went to Oregon, moved out, and I flew to Paris and was just like, I guess I just live in Europe now.

It's kind of the idea of a circuit was kind of always the goal.

Like, okay, I do Edinburgh every August, then I could have a little time to explore Brussels, and then maybe if that wasn't going that well, I knew I could do well in Milan and Italy, and it was a pretty wild life.

So I did that for about four years.

Although Iowa has always been home to me and my parents live here, so I always come back through every year.

Both of our kids are very excellent at what they do, juggling and flute playing.

And he told us when he grew up he wanted to work at McDonald's and ride a horse to get there.

That was that was what he wanted then.

So thank goodness that didn't happen.

So I'm originally from outside of Donaldson, Iowa, in Montrose on the Mississippi, and my family's always been extremely supportive of me.

I've been really lucky to have that.

I think a lot of people don't when they're telling their parents they're going to go into the arts in any way, but especially when they tell their parents are going to be a juggler or some kind of unusual circus performer.

It doesn't always go that well.

he juggles, unlike anybody else.

He puts a lot of effort into it.

He's had modern dance, and so he does really interest in things that other people don't do.

Well, when he was in scouts is when one started to balance that balance and kind of led to juggling and that sort of thing.

And I think really it was when I was in college that I got into more performing.

And I think.

Juggling was the main thing in the beginning for sure.

But I started to just be like, What if I learn every circus discipline that I possibly can?

So I started just it's like, okay, I'm going to try to do handstands.

I'm going to get a tight wire apparatus, I'm going to unicycle if I really do torches.

The sword swallowing.

I was not happy about.

He had a little circus in Iowa City called Cirque du Stupendo And his friend did sword swallowing and other odd unsafe things.

So then when he was in India the second time, unbeknownst to us, his friend gave him the sword to take with him.

And Luther taught himself to swallow swords while he was over there.

And we didn't know until they sent an email on the subject was great news.

And then in the message said For me, anyhow.

When I first started juggling, there was a part of it.

Almost immediately I was like, I'm going to try to do a world record some time.

So I was going for six balls while swallowing Sword, and you have to do a minimum of 5 seconds.

And I got just below that.

So I pivoted to do five balls and beat the time on the current record.

The current record was 5 balls which I go to all this while in a sword, and I got that.

Technically, I tied the record and so I have the record for most things.

juggling while sword swallowing, but it's shared with Space Cowboy another swords swallower I could not watch that it people were going, I wouldn't look.

But he doesn't swallow swords anymore.

I have two so far as I know.

So I've had a history of always coming back probably at least once a year just to see my parents and family.

But the time I came back for the longest as an adult, most recently was during the pandemic.

My fiancee Alexa and I were living in New York, and the pandemic hit in a couple of months and we loaded everything into a U-Haul and drove it across the country to my parents farm, originally for six months.

And then it was like, Well, it's still the pandemic, So another six months and then turned into almost two years after being at my parents, we found a place in Iowa City, and I ended up for about a year and three months.

I worked at the post office as a letter carrier, and in that time I got a grant from the Iowa Arts Council to make a make a new show the idea of distillations for me was trying to kind of work with dimensionality and juggling and finding ways to make things that are big, be small at the same time, and things that are small be big at the same time.

Yeah, so that's the banjo here in Creston, Iowa.

And what I'm really into is the projection goes onto the back and it kind of curves across the space.

And I sent a photo of this last night to my friend Mark, who did the video also, and he was like, Hey, it's like you're performing inside of a juggling ball.

And I was like, Yeah, that's exactly what I'm what I'm going for.

So I feel like the show is kind of about me going inside of a juggling ball so it feels perfect.

I always feel just insanely lucky that I have a thing that I love so much to do because something that I've realized is like, not everybody has that and it's given me a lot.

And then I have this thing I can share with almost everybody that I can use now to try to bring a little more of like a deeper message and a concept behind the shows that I'm making instead of just the wow factor.

This program is so legitimate and it has such an impact on every student who's involved in it.

There's so many different aspects that go into it.

Everyone is so excited.

And to get to play a part in such a huge event is just really a life changing experience.

When my mom said, Go to Iowa State, I was kind of like, You want me to go to Iowa for fashion?

That doesn't make any sense.

I went to the fashion show and I was just blown away.

Like I couldn't believe that this show was in Iowa.

It just kind of shocked me.

The fashion show is the most impactful experience that I've had of my entire life.

It's really been something that has helped me figure out what I want to do with my life.

I think what people don't really understand is how big of a show it really is.

It's not a small scale fashion show.

We're not just walking down tiny runway.

We're in the Stephens Auditorium where there's big performances.

We have a full catwalk.

We have a full set that our committee spends months working on.

So it really is a full production.

Yeah, I know.

It's a really big thing.

And I think people are always surprised to know that it's here at Iowa State that we have the largest student run fashion show in the country because people just don't really think about Iowa and fashion as being related.

When I first told people that I was going to Iowa State for fashion, the most common question I got at multiple times was, Oh, are you designing overalls?

And I was like, How do I explain this to like, it's something that I've gotten to explain to friends and family and no one can really wrap their head around all of the different aspects of it.

It's a lot of things.

So the fashion show, it's a suit organization, but it's also a class Us four.

Julia, Liv, Audrey and I, we interviewed to be the Producers last spring, We're about to start on that off for the show itself.

The producer team and I, we started meeting in August and we meet every week for the fall semester.

If you want to push your own committee, that is totally okay too.

We have to ask Sarah if we can use the storage room.

There's 16 different committees made up of directors and then they're committee members.

And each of these committees plans all of the aspects that go into running the show.

All right, cool.

Thank you, guys.

66 days until the fasion show!

ready for our goal every year to get a name brand that anyone on the street would know of and would wear, because that's a big part of the show that brings in a lot of guests.

Steve Madden?

it's a huge deal.

When we got that email saying that they agreed to come, I was satisfied.

Right.

But we have to announce this next week.

We need these shirts here now.

And then we realize that they were to check out to make So right now we're in LeBaron Hall and this is basically the night where the designers and people that create their collections, they're going to get to see all the models that we've been practicing, So now all the designers are about to see the models and they get to pick and choose what models they want to use for their collection and garments being created.

like it's my senior year right now.

So I was kind of like, Let's try it, see how it goes.

And I'm really excited to do it .

When I was three, I dreamed of being a model, so I would say I'm fulfilling it right now.

My career.

It's a really cool experience.

Oh no, In your eyes, your hair is okay.

I'm not sure.

I expect a lot of people to be at the fashion show.

I heard that the Iowa State fashion show was a really big one, especially within the state of Iowa.

A lot of different big brands and corporations put money and they sponsor it.

So I'm excited to be at the event and partake in it and be a model So it is Wednesday.

We are four days away from the show.

I'm feeling all sorts of things.

But like if we if we need to adapt the second set So today is kind of like an overall prep day for us, like setting up our set design team.

They build the entire said, let's pull this out and like lay it flat over here.

They spend eight months building it in a like warehouse off site, off campus.

A lot of it today is just trying to get those last pieces together that are actually going to go on stage.

I would say the biggest vibe that everyone's feeling is like a general buzz, like you can feel the excitement coming in, but it's also matched with a lot of nerves.

Yeah, Yeah.

So right now we have like our modeling directors who are out there planning all the entrances and choreography for each model group that will walk in each set of garments That felt really good.

So busy days, I'd be talking for a while if I walked through step by step of everything.

But we have a whole agenda of pretty much every hour of every day from now on to the show of what we have to get done.

What we need to make sure is ready to go for Saturday.

So we want to make sure we have the name and then the actual garb.

All right.

So on behalf of everyone involved, enjoy the fashion show.

2023, "“The Sweet Escape"” I just want to make the best memory of my college experience.

That's kind of my biggest takeaway from I have a lot of like like kind of emotions about it because it's been really rewarding to see everybody grow and like getting to work with everybody.

Julia What are we doing right now?

We're going to pick up Hannah, from Steve Madden semester I just want to have like the best show ever.

And it's just a great opportunity as well to really get something on your resumé that isn't just, Oh, I took a class on it.

It's a real life experience.

You truly get to produce something that you're proud of.

I have told people that I'm close to.

I just really want to put my all into this.

Just to finally see it come to life is just such a cool experience.

A bunch of college students had put on a production that was just seemed so professional.

It's what drew me to Iowa State to begin with.

That's really why I'm here.

So being able to be a part of it firsthand is really meaningful.

What is home economics?

Early October, headed for an 8:00 class in Home Ec hall, just a part of the crowd.

The 8:00 was the class in Applied Art.

It helped to build up a knowledge of the beauty of design and color.

whether it's a class in food preparation or a class in textiles and clothing.

Applied chemistry is mighty important.

Jane and Helen learned to apply it in their class on costume design and selection.

The world of fabrics and of fashions will be hers.

Perhaps she will be designing the clothing you see pictured in fashion magazines.

Perhaps she'll be the person who has thought up the patterns you will buy at the store.

Perhaps she will show you how you can create beautiful clothes for yourself or help you choose them at the store.

Jane may even find another use for her talents by combining her knowledge of art and textiles.

Each good time that you had mingled with the memories of other good times.

You'll never forget them.

They were the glittering threads woven through the varied pattern of college life.

[music] Funding for Iowa Life is provided by the Gilchrist Foundation, founded by Jocelyn Gilchrist, furthering the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist Family in Wildlife and conservation, the arts and Public Broadcasting and Disaster Relief Mark and Kay De Cook Charitable Foundation proud to support programs that highlight the stories about the people and places of Iowa.

The Strickler family in loving memory of Lois Strickler to support programs that highlight the importance of Iowa's natural resources on Iowa PBS and by the Lainey Grimm Fund for Inclusive Programing at the Iowa PBS Foundation