Has anyone worked for/danced in the circus?
How did you find out about auditions, why did you do, & what was it like?
I am thinking about auditioning for a few traveling circuses for 2009...
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Has anyone worked for/danced in the circus?
How did you find out about auditions, why did you do, & what was it like?
I am thinking about auditioning for a few traveling circuses for 2009...
Which ones? And what do you do? :)
i hula hoop. so far i have only used pvc hoops & also LED & fire hoops.
i've ordered some aluminum circus hoops & am anxiously waiting for them to arrive so i can practice...
i'm in the bay area, so i was thinking maybe here: http://love.zinzanni.org/
traveling circuses would probably be out of the question until i get local experience. i'm looking for even smaller local groups, but haven't found any...
i saw a girl at circus chimera a year ago who was about the same level as me when i saw her, but i have since gotten a lot better.
Have you thought about also allowing yourself to be "hired" for performances in nightclubs etc similar to the HoopGirl "All Stars" troupe ?
Or even teaching Hula Hoop ?
You could do it yourself or just get in on something like becoming a "Hoop Girl" licensed instructor which will allow you easier promotion (etc)?
Otherwise, the best way to get into circuses is to learn thru them from what I have been told... it's all "who you know" more than "what" you know from what I have been told too.
I personally don't know as I've never been interested as it never seemed to be a lucrative 'career' move.... unless you get to Cirque de Solei ?
Check this one out:
www.thezodiacshow.com
Are you advanced enough to teach? Try contacting someone at the Circus Center () about teaching a hoopdance class or workshop. (That seems to be the only circus skill they don't currently have a class for there, so you might be in luck!) Then you can make contacts and find out about upcoming auditions more easily. A lot of opportunities aren't really advertised, and word of mouth is like gold. The Circus Center is also affiliated with the New Pickle Circus.
Also try the same thing at Acrosports (. They also have a performance troupe, City Circus (. Depending on how old you are and how advanced you are, you could possibly perform with them either as a student (for under-18's, but I've heard they do occasionally make exceptions...it's worth a try) or as a professional.
Also try Velocity ( ) to beef up your resume.
As far as nightclubs, Ruby Skye has aerialists and other circus performers...I'm not sure how they book, but it's something to look into.
Nightclub gigs are a great idea, but again...most opportunities go by word of mouth and networking. Try to hook up with a studio that teaches hoopdance or a hoopdance club or performing group and get to know people.
Dammit...there's a group in SF that performs shows in a club once a month, but for the life of me I can't remember either the club or the group's name right now. I'll do some digging and get back to you.
Can I just say that I think joining the circus is the coolest thing ever?
the problem with hoopgirl is that she charges $600+ to be a licensed teacher. i've met a few of these teachers & while one was very very talented, the two others could barely hoop at all. i prefer performance to teaching, & it seems that she has oversaturated the bay area market with these hoop "teachers." it's kind of like the post in stripping general about moms learning pole dancing; around here it's hula hooping. i think i would have done the teacher training if i hadn't met some of those bad teachers. that made me definitely not want her certification because i don't want to be associated with those them & their skill level.
awhile ago i contacted her to audition with the all-star troupe but i never got a reply to my email & i've heard that to get in with her troupe you need to take her classes. it's all very cliquey & expensive.
another thing is that she preaches "spreading the joy of hooping" & then sues smaller hoop businesses even when she has the market practically dominated.
i don't know...i already hoop at work but i'm ready to move on to bigger things & don't know where to go.
i was thinking just a dinky traveling circus. i don't really care about money, i just want to go on an adventure for a year or a summer, experience the circus life, photograph it all, & hoop my heart out.
oh it is. ;D Circus work is like crack--do it once and you're hooked for life.
And glitzy...omg, I would love to audition for ZinZanni. But am having a hell of a time even finding out anything about their audition process.
I know pretty much everyone who gets into circus dreams of performing with Cirque du Soleil, but my ultimate goal is actually Le Reve (or one of its sister shows).
Sveta, were you talking about Bohemian Circus in San Francisco? They are so awesome.
I meant Bohemian Carnival
I've always kind of wanted to join the circus as a horse vaulter...the girls who hang off the side of horses and whatnot. Best of luck living the dream!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBjQG...eature=related
It's basically stripping meets equestrian. I did it as a kid (uhm, not quite as badass as the girl on youtube). Best thing EVER.
SW totally needs its own travelling circus. Between us we've got quite a few hoop dancers and burlesque performers, and I know there are a few others who do aerials at least recreationally...now we've got a potential equestrian act too! :P Guenevere could design all our costumes, and Yekhefah can film our award-winning shows for DVD... :P
Count me in! I need to get back into doing that stuff, I'm gonna check out the SF circus school.
Also in SF; Vau de Vrie (sp?) Society.
and Yard Dogs Roadshow
ooh, what's your specialty?
I so need to move back to SF. It's the best place for circus in the country, for sure. I'm just afraid to, b/c I hear nothing but horror stories about how the clubs are always dead and it's impossible to make money without getting dirty. :'(
I'm not good at anything LOL. I just took a few classes in London, I want to get really good at the silks. I think I'll do an 8 week course at the Philly school when I'm back out there this winter.
Yeah theres a ton of circus stuff in SF, on Saturdays you could do drop in trapeze classes at the school, I've been meaning to go forever, I need to get back into doing the things I love.
I want to find somewhere to perform aerials. I've been working the hardest at the Corde Lisse, and Silks. I'm hoping to score an apprenticeship position, so i can keep learning (i still have a ways to go) but will have an outlet to perform.
that's where I train when I'm in PA! Jill is an awesome coach. I'll be there this fall/winter too. Let me know if you want to go in on a semi-private lesson on silks. :)
:yes: tell me about it. :-\ You and me both.Quote:
I need to get back into doing the things I love.
Yay! Definitely! I'll be in Philly in October for about two months, oooh I'm super excited. I'll def do a class with you.
Years ago I got an offer from Ringling Brothers after I replied to a want ad. All they wanted at that time was a video and resume. It didn't pay squat though so I didn't take it. This was the 90's though things may be different now.
i used to do vaulting too!!! i never owned a large enough horse to practice on my own, but my old 4-H horse project leader had a barrel with handles that us kids would practice on & sometimes she would let us try on this huge ancient gentle giant horse on the lunge line. i always wanted to compete, but i was a barrel racer...kind of just did it for fun on the side with the other kids around the barn.
when i was a kid i saw a cirque du soleil show that was all equestrian arts. vaulting, dressage, comedy acts with the clowns & ponies...it was seriously one of the best days of my life. i love horses & that's the only reason i'm excited to move back home with my parents (they have an appaloosa & a paint pony)!
i agree. we totally need a stripperweb circus. pole tricks, vauting, hula hoops, burlesque...SOMEONE on here's gotta know aerial silks or something else too!