THE BALLOON MAN

Circus Vargas in Industry features human rocket, death sphere acts 

 

Acrobat Celeste Fernandez, right, warms up as Victor Kim and Soraya Ortiz, left, rehearse Thursday in the Circus Vargas tent at Puente Hills Mall in Industry. The circus's local run began Thursday and continues through Monday. (Keith Durflinger / Staff Photographer)

By Maritza Velazquez, SGVNtribune.com
Posted:   05/18/2012
INDUSTRY - Getti Garcia has been a circus performer all her life.
When she was young, she traveled and performed all over Europe with her parents, who had an acrobatic act. She met her husband in the circus and now they travel with their two young sons from city to city, entertaining large crowds as part of Circus Vargas.

This week the Garcias are in Industry for Circus Vargas' latest show, which kicked off its stay at the Puente Hills mall Thursday during its opening night.

"We travel 11 months out of the year," 34-year-old Garcia said. "To some people it might seem like so much, but to us, it's what we do."

The Bulgaria-born Garcia performs the "globe of death," in which she and her husband Leo Garcia ride motorcycles simultaneously inside of a large metal sphere.

"It looks extremely dangerous, but it's more safe to do in there than to ride on the streets," she said Thursday as she sat in the large circus tent that accommodates up to 1,500 people on any given night.

The act is one of many during the two-hour-long shows at Circus Vargas, which also features Broadway-style singing, flying trapeze acts, a comedic clown, juggler and more.

"It's for all ages," said Kevin Venardos, the Circus Vargas creative director and ringmaster. "That's in fact one of the coolest parts of the circus. Three different generations can experience the same thing and they do enjoy it."
Circus Vargas is an animal-free show, Venardos said, adding that it features about 30 performers and a staff and crew of about 30.

"There's a lot of amazing things that humans can do," Venardos said.

One of those things is being shot out of a rocket-like contraption, and that is exactly what Garcia's husband Leo does at the end of the circus show during his human rocket act.

The Garcias first met while they were both in the circus with their parents, at just 16 years old, Getti Garcia said.

They kept in touch and dated long-distance while working for different circuses all over the world. They got married when they were 20 years old, Getti said.

Now they travel across the globe with their sons, ages 10 and 2, spending the last three years with Circus Vargas.

Getti said the company is more like a family.

She and her husband plan to stay in the circus business for a long time.

"We definitely don't have plans to do anything but this," she said.