The conversation usually ends one of two ways: “It’s wonderful and timely that you’re focusing on circus and migration for the Festival’s 50th,” or “Circus is great, but I’m not sure it’s suitable for the 50th. And where’s the country focus?”

Traditional culture permeates our lives. It includes things like what we eat for breakfast, how we greet our family, and how close or far we stand from other people when we encounter them in public places.

We’re here to set the record straight.

In this excerpted interview, former circus clown David Carlyon recalls his time as a performer, focusing on his adventures aboard the circus train as it wound its way through the country.

Elena Panova is a Russian-born aerialist currently living in the United States. She was active in the circus for twenty years, starting her career in 1985 with the Moscow Circus, then in 1991 she went to New York City to work with the Big Apple Circus.

According to aerialist Dolly Jacobs, creating a circus act is “like making a cake.” A single performance’s many ingredients—the acrobatics skills, the entrance, the costume, the music, the drama—all contribute to the spectacle.

Based on my experience as a circus clown and a historian of performance, I have identified six eras that illustrate how clowns have been central to the circus

Happy World Circus Day! This year’s theme is collaboration and cooperation for the future of circus, making today an ideal opportunity to announce our Circus Arts program at the 2017 Folklife Festival.

Matt Noonan is often the first on a location film set and the last to leave.

Alexandra and Lucas Krost are co-founders of a production company called The Branching, based in Richmond, Virginia.