FAMILY FUN CIRCUS, PITTSBURGH, KS...

Life under the big top

Ringmaster talks about Family Fun Circus

Juggler Johnny Campa balances a flaming baton on his chin during his performance Wednesday evening during the Family Fun Circus show in Pittsburg.

By ANDREW NASH The Morning Sun

Posted Jul 22, 2010

The Family Fun Circus of Hugo, Okla., was in town to perform two shows in Pittsburg on Wednesday, offering the Morning Sun an opportunity to talk to ringmaster Jairo Ojeda about life in the circus.

1 What is life like in the circus?There is no day off from the circus. We have two to three shows a day and we are on the road for 10 1/2 months every year. It’s very interesting. You’re meeting new, exciting people each day. Occasionally we have celebrities that stop to see our show, and they always like to see the family atmosphere we have.

2 How is this circus different from other circuses?We have a European-style circus. Most American circuses are the three-ring circuses. We only have one ring. We think it’s better, because you can focus on one thing at a time instead of having distractions. It’s also just a small family show. Our circus is made up of only three families.

Aerial artist Kenya Campa performs her routine high above the ring during the first of two shows put on by the Family Fun Circus Wednesday evening in Pittsburg.

3 Why are you in the circus?We do it because we were all born and raised in this. It goes back seven to 10 generations for some of us. It’s in our blood, so we have to do this. We don’t know anything else.

4 What goes into putting on each show?It depends on the act. Most acts take six months to a year to learn perfectly. We try to get at least one hour worth of practice each day to get it right. Nothing is ever perfect, but we try.

5 What’s the best and worst part of the circus?Well, since we’re on the road, it’s hard being away from home. It’s easy to get homesick and miss family back home. The applause we get is the most rewarding thing on Earth that I can describe. It means that all our hard work and effort is worth it.
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