Baby’s First Trip to the Circus

On her four-month birthday on Sunday, my niece Isabel had her first trip to the circus. The Moscow State Circus was in town, and it was a brilliant show, with incredible arial and acrobatic acts. Of course, it was all just lights and bouncy blobs to her, but she had a good time all the same.

Being in tent reminded me of how much I miss the buzz of circus life – the anticipation before a show begins, the rush to get everything ready before the interval, the collective intake of breath and amazement, the smiles, applause and waving little kids during the finale. While I love the lights and the colour, what’s truly brilliant about a great circus is the simplicity – no special effects or trickery, just incredible human feats of strength and skill.