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Ringmasters
(by Daphne Drohobyczer - June 04, 2008)
Circus Flora will bring its mix of hometown and international circus to St. Louis for the 22nd year this month.
According to the equestrian performers, trapeze artists and children who have been practicing for their roles in this year’s show, a good deal of work has gone into the production, ensuring an experience adults and children can enjoy together.
Circus Flora adopts a new story line and theme every year and then weaves the circus acts into the narrative. This year, the circus takes its cue from the tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, and the resulting Sherwood Forest runs June 5 through 22 under the big-top tent on the Powell Symphony Hall parking lot in Grand Center.
Seasoned circus performer Alex Wallenda — of the wire-walking Wallenda family — will play Robin Hood, while a performer from the St. Louis Arches youth circus will take on the role of Maid Marian.
As in the past, the next generation of circus performers will make their mark in Circus Flora. The Arches, who train at the City Museum, are preparing a new act for this year’s show.
“They knock my socks off — they’ve gotten phenomenally good,” said Jessica Hentoff, who teaches the Arches and other circus-arts classes at the City Museum. She said the circus gives the Arches the opportunity to perform with internationally renowned artists from around the world.
The Arches have the right start for becoming circus stars in their own right. Circus Flora Artistic Director David Balding said there are very few people involved in the circus who haven’t grown up in the circus, some of them foregoing post-secondary education to dive right into their careers.
“They don’t want to give up their circus life because it’s part of their roots,” Balding said, adding that there is a good mix of performers who received their education while on the road with the circus and those who followed a more traditional educational path.
Experienced equestrian artist and Circus Flora performer Tosca Zoppe has traveled around the world to perform in circuses. During her childhood, she was home-schooled while traveling with the circus and decided not to go to college.
“My first performance was when I was two years old,” Zoppe said. “I grew up in the circus, and I did home-school … my family is sixth generational circus performers — we come from Venice, Italy.”
Not every circus performer makes the choice to pass up college, however. Katherine Nevidonski, a featured performer who does a silk act and an equestrian act, now lives in St. Louis, though she was born and raised in New York and received her college degree from Columbia University before joining Circus Flora.
“I grew up in the circus — Circus Flora is what brought me to St. Louis originally,” Nevidonski said.
Although it’s based in St. Louis and known locally as an annual event, Circus Flora does go on the road. And while several performers originally hail from locations around the world, today many live permanently in St. Louis, including Balding himself. But the performers’ international travel and training is what makes Circus Flora “world class,” Balding said.
“Circus Flora is a combination of … traditional circus people [and] … the whole sort of movement from the street and improvisation,” Balding said.
That combination makes for a very organic experience, he said. And it’s one that continues to draw crowds each summer in St. Louis.
For more information call 289-4040 or visit Circus Flora’s website at www.circusflora.org.
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