Easter acrobats old hands at juggling work and family
AMY MCNEILAGE
from: caseyweeklyberwick.com.au
04 Apr, 2012
ASHTON'S CIRCUS is older than the nation itself. The 160-year-old dynasty has entertained crowds at almost every Australian town and this week will enter the Sydney Royal Easter Show Big Top for the first time.
from: caseyweeklyberwick.com.au
04 Apr, 2012
ASHTON'S CIRCUS is older than the nation itself. The 160-year-old dynasty has entertained crowds at almost every Australian town and this week will enter the Sydney Royal Easter Show Big Top for the first time.
Ashton Entertainment - one of three Ashton troupes - remains a small family enterprise, led by fifth-generation Jan Ashton and her Spanish-born husband, Brasil Rodriguez. The couple perform alongside their daughters Tamara and Chantel and Tamara's son, Remi.
Together they represent Australia's longest-running family circus, and 24-year-old Chantel Rodriguez jokes she will never marry an Australian because they would probably be related.
Her 12-year-old nephew, Remi Rodriguez, is the youngest in the group and entered the ring at 16 months, performing in the bareback horse riding act.
Today he presents the high perch with his 58-year-old grandfather, Brasil, who met Jan Ashton while travelling to Australia in a famous Spanish circus called ''the Boys''.
In his daring perch act, Remi performs acrobatic tricks atop a nine-metre pole that is supported by his grandfather.
"People love Remi," said Brasil, who has performed for the King of Spain, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.
"Wherever he goes he just wins the crowd."
Ashton Entertainment tours with 10 vehicles. They do all of their own rigging and pitch their own tent. The nomadic life means they rarely stay in a town for more than a week. "We usually move on a Monday and start setting up," said Jan. "Tuesday we drive to the next town to do our publicity, then Wednesday and Thursday we put up the tent and we'll usually [perform] Friday, Saturday and Sunday."
The family has a house in Brisbane, but Chantel says it acts as more of a storage unit. "Wherever the circus is feels like home," she said. "Wherever the tent is, is home for us."
Ashton Entertainment's Circus Circus will perform throughout the Royal Easter Show at the Big Top Amphitheatre, April 5-18.
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