All over the United States, the arrival of the circus is an anticipated yearly event, met with excitement by people of all ages, and forgotten once the tent is dismantled and the act leaves town.
But for the performers — the ones who wow us with their daring feats and make us laugh with their slapstick humor — the circus is more than just a fleeting spectacle to see once a year. For them, the circus is a family, a career, and a way of life.
In mid-January, one of the most acclaimed circuses on earth, the Big Apple Circus, took down its tents at Manhattan's Lincoln Center, ending another successful run of shows. Before they headed off to do it all again in Bridgewater, New Jersey, we met with a few of the star performers to see what circus life is like behind the big top.
Every year for the past 38 years, New York's historic Big Apple Circus has performed over 300 shows in five different venues on the East Coast. During its Manhattan run, which ended last week, circus performers put on 135 shows and entertained over 162,000 fans in a one-ring tent behind Lincoln Center.
For its performers, the circus is a way of life and a career path. We had the chance to go behind the curtain of Big Apple Circus three days before it departed for New Jersey, to chat with the cast.
Traveling 10 to 11 months out of the year, life on the road can be lonely and unstable. Fortunately, troupe members become surrogate families.
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