To The Performers In The Italian Circus, It’s Much More Than A Circus Out There

They perform stunning acrobatic displays with somersaults and headstands, make objects vanish and re-appear with magic tricks, swing breathtakingly through the air as they do the trapeze acts, juggle an unbelievably large number of objects as they keep the hula hoops spinning around their waists, or make animals do their bidding as if in a hypnotic trance.

However, for all the performers at the Italian Circus, which is being staged at the Festival Promenade at Dubai Festival City, this is just their public face – what meets the eye. Behind the smart costumes, the make-up, the face paint and the precision moves lie tales of hours of practice, of friendships and family bonds formed while touring the world, and of everyday lives that are different yet as normal as they can make it in their extraordinary circumstances.

As the audience is entertained by the Italian Circus, which is part of the eclectic entertainment options planned by the organizers Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) for this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), a behind-the-scenes look reveals the real lives of the members of the circus after the show is over.

Garda Ross performs in the ring as the Italian Circus’ magician. He also has a difficult job behind the screen – he is the Circus Coordinator. Ross comes from a family whose members have been circus performers for six generation and said he was indoctrinated into the circus arts when he was only four. Training starts at a very early age, Ross explained, and “goes on forever”. Tricks and tips are usually passed down in families and most performers are relatives, so success is usually a group effort and rarely an individual one.

When asked about his specific role in the show, Ross said: “I perform magic tricks in the ring but I think the real magic I do is behind the scenes as the coordinator for the entire show. I’m busy from the show’s start to the finish – not just during the time when I’m out there performing in front of the audience. There are a million and one things to be organized and taken care of for a show to be successful and ‘m responsible for those. I think what takes places out of the audience’s gaze is the truly magical part of the circus. Every show is a stressful time for me to ensure that things run according to the script. But I enjoy it immensely.”

Ross is very keen to involve the young generation in the circus and pass on the skills. His son and daughter are also part of the Italian Circus and have their own performances. Sylvia, his daughter, performs with the hula hoops and said she too started her training at a very tender age. “You have to be very well trained in order to perform the way we do,” Sylvia said. “It also requires great fitness. And one little slip in concentration can lead to disaster.”

Jenia is one of the circus’ trapeze artists. She said she and her husband Roman, who is also part of the trapeze act, have been practicing since they were five years old. Speaking about their act, she said: “We still practice at least four hours daily, apart from the show, to retain the muscle strength and flexibility that is needed to perform our tricks with 20-metre high ropes. Continuous practice and fitness is what makes this circus successful. It is very important to be properly rehearsed and coordinated, and to keep eye contact during the performances to be aware of everyone’s movements. Any small mistake can lead to a fall.”

The Rots are the acrobats in the circus. The two-member team said their whole world revolves around their profession and the circus for them is their own unique universe. They also practice for several hours daily but, as one of them said, accidents can still happen: “I lost my balance once during one of the shows and fell. Thankfully, the crowd started laughing thinking that it was done on purpose and was part of the comic aspects of our show.”

Another team does a show with dogs that have been extensively trained since they were puppies. The dogs are fed a special diet so that they neither gain weight nor lose fitness. The handlers said this was an important aspect of the show’s success. Equally important, they added, was a lot of love and affection so that the dogs always felt well cared for and part of a family.

And a family is what the Italian Circus is behind the scenes, where the performers travel the world with each other and laugh and cry together – as well as helping to push one another in scaling new heights of excellence in their performances.

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Jan 21, 2013

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