Monday, September 5, 2011

ABC radio crew run away to the circus

September, 2011

By Liz Hedge

The tent is up, the popcorn's popped, the music's on the loud speaker and the switch has just been flicked on the spotlight....it's show time!

The thought of running away with the circus and performing in front of adoring crowds with all the glamour of the big top can be pretty intoxicating, but the reality often involves a lot of hard work and an immense amount of responsibility.
The Great Moscow Circus has been travelling through regional Australia for the past three years. The company of 48 Artists, crew and family have travelled 65,000 kilometres and performed in more the seventy towns to date.
The General Manager Greg Hall says circus life has changed tremendously over the years. "In the old days you had a canvas tent that you'd be continuously stitching and stitching and if you had rain, it's shelf life was nothing."
"It's one of those things if you do a double somersault on stilts, I'm going to go a triple somersault on stilts," says Greg, "and it's exciting because if you think you've reached the limit of a human doing that in one kind of act, no, think again."
Viktor Martisevich trained in sports and acrobats in Russia and now performs a duo act with his Wife, Katrina, every evening under the big top. The pair also have a six year old daughter who travels with them and attends the school set up for the 15 children travelling with the circus. "We do really organise everything for the kids, and thanks to management we have a school room and a teacher who travels with us."
"A six year old is not a drama at all," says Viktor, "Later on you need a normal school. You have to stop work to give your family an education."
Alfredo de Silva would have had to run away not to be in the circus. As a sixth generation circus performer from Brazil, Alfredo says it's in his blood.
"When I was little I would pretend to be the juggler...but you get bored and the next day you are the clown, and the next week the trapeze artist," Says Alfredo, "It was easy for me to grow up playing, because it was a game."
Take a listen to Dugald and Liz's trip to the circus (Please note: No radio announcers were hurt during the making of this audio) :
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/09/05/3310087.htm

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