BILLINGS, Mont. – A unique fusion of science and performance is taking the stage in Billings. The Atomic Circus combines chemistry experiments, live music and student choreography into a theatrical show that brings science to life.
MSU Billings chemistry professors Matt Queen and Daniel Willems have been organizing the Atomic Circus for eight years. The event aims to engage students with science through a full-scale performance, featuring dramatic demonstrations and interpretive dance.
“Getting kids involved in education and in chemistry and really just science in general. Just getting them to start looking at life around them in a different way,” said Willems.
The demonstrations in the Atomic Circus range from big and dramatic to small and edible.
This year, students at Billings Senior High have contributed by choreographing dances that illustrate atomic and molecular interactions during the experiments.
“We made up the dances, it wasn’t like, This is what you’re going to do. We decided what…we decided what we were going to do for it, and it was just really fun getting to like, use our creativity to figure it out,” said Lorelei Rahls, a senior.
The Atomic Circus is not just about the spectacle; it’s about sparking curiosity in students about the science happening around them. The full show will take the stage at MSU Billings later this spring.