Becoming a circus performer requires good health, physical fitness, and a background in gymnastics or dance. Formal education is not necessary, but specific skills are required for different circus jobs. Contacting a specific circus company and submitting an application with photos or videos is necessary. The job can be physically challenging and exhausting.
Despite an off-the-cuff joke or comment someone might make about “running away and joining the circus,” doing so may not be as simple as it once was. Today, there are some strict requirements for obtaining a position as a circus performer, especially in one of the more well-known organizations. In addition to having good health and excellent physical condition, it usually helps to have a gymnastics or dance background to become a circus performer, such as an acrobat. In many areas, you can take circus classes or workshops and contact the organization you want to work with, sending in a resume, and sometimes a professional portfolio, to apply for a job.
A formal academic education is not necessarily required to become a circus performer. Depending on the type of circus career you want, many positions may not require schooling beyond high school. There are many professional programs and schools to look into, however, that are solely dedicated to training someone to become a circus performer. Circus job opportunities can range from acrobats to clowns and magicians.
Circus-specific jobs often require a specific set of skills. Clowns have certain talents, for example, most of which can be learned at a clown school. Community colleges and theater departments at some schools also often offer clown training. In addition, there are other types of circus schools around the world, some of which even provide online training resources. The types of training and classes they offer can vary, but most include acrobatics, juggling, trapeze, and other skills related to circus performance.
To become a circus performer, contact the specific company or circus that interests you to find out about job availability, depending on whether you want to be a clown or another type of circus performer. Then you usually submit your application, usually supplemented with photos or videos of your presentations. You may be asked about your motivations for wanting to become a circus performer. Someone who wants to become a circus clown may be asked to exhibit certain physical characteristics; for example, clowns often make various facial expressions to convey their emotions.
If you want to become a circus performer, it also helps to be realistic about the job duties and not assume that everything is glamorous work. Work can be lonely and exhausting when you’re on the road and performing for weeks at a time. Daily tasks often include mundane tasks like practicing routines and moving heavy equipment. At the same time, performances can be fun, exciting and physically challenging.
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