January 26, 2011 | Theatre,

TIP #3: So, You Want to Join the Circus?!

by Heidi Nelson

TIP # 3: Keep it in the family
Staying in touchwith your family and your own goals is key. With such a busy and peripatetic lifestyle, circus families have adapted a range of ways to stay close. While some parents send their children to boarding schools to stay in one place for their schooling, others prefer to raise their children on the road with homeschooling or hired tutors. With friends coming and going out of their lives, circus families depend on one another for strength and support. In many circus families, the parents met while performing together and the children have their own aspirations to be circus artists, developing their routines from a young age. One the other hand, even young adults who have grown up in the circus their whole lives sometimes leave to attend college or pursue non-circus dreams. It’s a tough decision to join or leave the circus, so make sure you know what’s most important to you in your life.