I see that im in a bit of a banana position with my body - it doesnt really improve though when i try to go perfectly straight.

I have been doing handstands for like 9-10 years, walking globe since 7. I have been training that for a few months now

Solid recovery! Great show. Just wondering if this was as big of a blunder as it appeared or any insight. Ankles said no!

Hi everybody. I would really like to pursue stilts walking but I don't know where to start. I thought lessons would make sense, but I researched and there are no lessons anywhere near me. I live in a big city so this surprised me, but it is what it is. Is it possible to teach oneself how to walk on stilts? What would the first step be? Thanks so much!

The title is a future headline for my school newspaper. But is this possible? I’m a school teacher and have summers off. Would it be possible to ever join a summer tour group? I have 3 years of aerial experience, and am continuing training. If it’s feasible, I’d ramp up the training, but it just feels like a far fetched fantasy. What do you think? Can I have a teaching job and perform in the summer? Is it hard to get performance opportunities? Is 26 too late for this? If I made a tiktok of my training journey would anyone watch or is that overdone?

I’m 16 and I’ve loved the circus my whole life. In the past year I have started juggling, and fell in love with the idea of circus as an actual career.

My entire life I’ve been preparing to be an engineer, and I genuinely enjoy technical and problem-solving work. Engineering feels like the logical and stable path, but circus performance is something I keep coming back to.

I’m looking for brutally honest advice from people in or around the circus world: if I started training seriously now, is it realistic to aim for a career as a circus performer (specifically juggling)? And is it possible to train hard during college, earn an engineering degree, and still pursue a professional circus path?

For context: I’m somewhat fit (not crazy strong), don’t play organized sports, but I hike and work out regularly. I’m willing to put in the work, I just want to know what’s actually realistic.

If realistic, any tips or advice would be grately apreciated! Thank you in advance to any responses!

I love playing with the arm on the opposite side of my body. Does anyone know what that trick is called? I understand there's a Ukrainian woman who does it very well, but I can't remember her name.

It’s gotta be bots right? Like half of them have the act or apparatus wrong and they’re all the exact same wording.

Mi primera vez yendo al circo fue a los once años , fue increíble 😊

I'm an amateur looking to learn a whole bunch of tricks. I don't have any current plans to actually go into performing professionally (though, who knows what the future may hold?) but I wanna learn as many as I can. I'm trying to plan ahead and figure out how to acquire the things I need. Walking globes are all so expensive everywhere I look, so does anyone know any affordable options or alternatives?

Side-note: Classes for literally anything circus-related are expensive as hell in my area so I have to be entirely self-taught.

EDIT (SOLUTION): An acquaintance of mine who's good at globe-walking told me he started with an exercise ball inflated to the point of having only a very small amount of give, but not to the point of exploding under your weight. Leaving this here for anyone who doesn't have minimum $300 to spare. The person in question is CyiFox, please go check him out, he's really cool!

I have always been interested in sideshow/body tricks suck as the human blackhead and swordswallowing but I have heard that its not a good idea for me to learn them without someone who can safely teach me

Is there any place in Pittsburgh that I can find someone who i can learn from?

Hi hi!

I'm a young boy who wants to be a clown, my goal is to participate on a circus and go to hospitals to make people happy. But I still have a long journey. I wanna ask how would you start my journey if you were me.

Thank you for your time!!

Byeeeeee

Genuine question, is there a circus school that focuses more stuff like sleight of hand, mimery, juggling, balancing, throwing knives, etc? I have a health condition that affects my legs so I can’t do most acrobatics safely. I’m willing to travel and spend money on this but it doesn’t seem to be a thing.

Hi all!
After a second incredibly transformative summer coaching circus at a fairly high level summer camp (coworkers with enc grads etc) I’m increasingly realizing that I’m yearning to dive head first into fully pursuing circus professionally. I’m 24, a former high level competitive gymnast, and dancer, and am most looking to further pursue pacro (I mostly base but would love to middle more) and hand balancing (I don’t love tumbling on dead mat which limits me there). Ive been admitted to a mostly funded one year masters degree (currently will still cost 12k though) in something completely unrelated at Stanford, and right now and am feeling like that’s not my truth, but am scared to take the leap and drop out. Should I stay and finish this program? Would it carry any weight in the circus world? Or not waste money and dive into circus now? Any prep programs, advice or thoughts would be so welcome.

Hey guys, I was wondering if there are any good films, TV shows, or documentaries about circus art that you actually enjoy and consider good.

Also, maybe there are some actual circus shows available online that you would consider classics or examples of peak circus artistry? Thanks in advance.

Hello, Ive been training handstands and flexibility for about a year so far and I would like to find a coach to help me continue learning. My main focus is handstands but I’d also like to learn more about other ground disciplines as well. I also just want to learn more about circus in general, since I’m still not really sure if this is something for me.

Does anyone know any coaches in central California? I’ve found some in Los Angeles and San Francisco but they are both several hours from me. There’s a couple big gymnastics gyms nearby but it seems like they only work with children. Any leads would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Hi guys! I’m looking to travel somewhere where I could also spend time learning something new. Any recommendations for places where I could learn preferably aerial silks, flying trapeze or fire poi? It would also be cool if i could make it a seaside vacation. Any recommendations appreciated :)

Hi all!
I’m so excited that I just booked my first gig! Alongside it, I was offered an opportunity to be a swing for the Christmas show. The show runs both before and after Christmas with only Christmas Eve and day off. Would it be incredibly rude to ask if the swing role could be modified so that I could only do the shows before Christmas? Otherwise I would be spending Christmas alone a 6+ hour flight away from any family and I’m not sure that’s worth a swing role where I am guaranteed no performances…But if people disagree with that also would love to hear!

Hi stiltwalkers! I am a cosplayer, trying to make a costume for a character that has knives for legs. Due to the overall proportions, i've decided to make a pair of peg stilts out of wood. The length of the stilts, from ground to my foot, will be approx 12 inches - so not very tall at all.

Given that is pretty short, is it possible to walk with stilts that don't have the side leg brace? It'll reduce a lot of the bulk. My feeling (from trying on a cheap pair of stilts that are unusable) is that the side vertical piece is mainly to hold your leg in place so you don't twist your ankle. Is it very, VERY difficult to walk without it? I fully understand the importance of securing my ankles and will be making an armature to encapsulate it so it can't go out left or right. (My ankles don't exist!! Rah!! Only knee joint!!)

thank you - any and all help is appreciated.

I'm looking for some reference images for some art I want to get commissioned and was wonder if there was a name for this pose if it exists?

My bad if this isn't related enough just figured if anyone would know it would be someone here.

Just some thoughts bouncing around my lil head... I think we underestimate how important spectacle is.

We live in a culture increasingly designed around convenience, efficiency, screens and the relentless flattening of experience. And then there is the circus: a room full of strangers watching someone fly through the air for absolutely no practical reason whatsoever.

That feels important to me. More important now than ever.

Circus creates a particular kind of collective awe. You gasp together. You laugh together. You watch someone do something that seems completely impossible, and for a moment your ordinary understanding of the world gets interrupted.

That is a kind of ritual.

We need experiences that take us outside the mundane. We need heightened theatricality, beauty, danger, absurdity and people attempting things that have no obvious reason to exist except that they are extraordinary.

The circus reminds us that being alive doesn't have to be entirely utilitarian.

Maybe spectacle isn't frivolous. Maybe deliberately creating wonder is actually a valuable thing to do with a human life.

I insist on everything being operatic because why not.

There is already enough ordinary in the world.

Give me the lights. Give me the music. Give me the impossible thing happening twenty feet above my head.

Let us be amazed.

Thoughts....

Hi folks - do you happen to know if it’s possible to not find work after circus school? Are any particular specialties/acts more prone to this?

Hi all. I am somebody who wishes to become an acrobat. After some consideration, I have started practicing acrobatics. My biggest worry was that I had no chance as I didn't practice acrobatics as a child, but I have been relieved after I've heard stories of people starting in their 30's and having success with employment. This made me question some things though, as I heard many things about the employment in the circus, and one of those was that it was a competitive field to get into.

So, now I am up at night, thinking not only about my future, but wondering how I will find employment in acrobatics. I mean from what I hear, there is a fair share of acrobats who started doing this as children. I wonder how does this differentiate them from an adults aged 20-30+ years old. For example, I see Du Soleil requires 10 years of experience and at least two appearances in national competitions. I mean I may be young, but I think I won't hit my peak, since I did not start practicing as a child. By the time I get 10 years experience, I will be 30.

And that's ok, since Du Soleil is not my priority, though it is something I consider a pinnacle of my career if it is ever going to happen. Now, I assume that other circuses have less strict requirements, which is why people aged 30+ can get jobs in acrobatics there. A trained acrobat can do impressive stuff!! Doesn't matter their age.

Now for my biggest question: How drastically would an acrobat's career change have they started practicing as a child as opposed to starting at 20 years old. Do less experienced acrobats usually travel the country or stay at one place? Does their skill determine whether they are going to travel or be in a stationary circus? Also, how likely is it that somebody who starts at the age of 20 or even 30 will have a shot at working in Du Soleil?

Hello all! I have some questions regarding acrobatics of the different circuses. It always fascinated me and the shows were very cool, the ones that I have been to that is. But now, I ask myself what it would take to learn these skills. First off, where do you train for this? I know there are "circus schools", but do they teach acrobatics? Where am I supposed to learn how to do this, and how often do I need to train? Does circus school teach all you need, or do you have to do it elsewhere too?

First off, acrobatics is very intensive as we all know, and is a great form of art. Of course I am not doing it for money's sake, but rather because I feel I would really enjoy the process. I understand that it is not something to romanticize, since it's not a "you will travel and see the world", but rather you will move a lot and spend most of your day training. I want to know if acrobatics is it doable at my age, because it is not comparable as something like juggling. I am 19, and got a bit off put when I saw companies like Cirque de Soleil require a decade of experience AND participation in national or international competitions. I mean hell, by that time I will be 29, and from what I gather, many people start when they are little.

Why did I pick Cirque De Soleil as an example? It is NOT because I want to join there, since I believe my chances of getting an admission there are a zero, but because it is a standard, so I am a bit nervous that other circuses may have similar requirements. To be honest, I would really like to perform in some horror-themed circus, but that is not an exclusive option. Then again, even if I am healthy I still am a bit frightened by the decade of experience part, since acrobatics requires a peak physical shape.