Have you ever wanted to be in the circus? If so, you should start practicing now! Many of the most well‐ known circus performers began their careersin their early teens or even younger.
Bird Millman was a famous tightrope‐walkerin the early 20th century. Her parents brought her into the
circus at only six years old to perform with trained ponies. Her family’s acts soon included not only
ponies, but also trapezes and tightrope walking. One day when Bird was ten, her father was badly hurt
in an accident. While Bird’s mother took her father to the hospital, Bird performed all by herself! Soon
she became well‐known for her tightrope acts, for which she danced and sang as she walked across the
wire. Bird even performed some stunts on a rope tied between two New York City skyscrapers!
Another famous performer, Ella Bradna, also grew up in a circus, where she learned ballet, tightrope
walking, and bareback riding. Ella’s older sister was the star rider of the circus, but when her sister fell
and broke both legs, eleven‐year‐old Ella took her place in the act. She amazed audiences with her
ability to dance and do gymnastic tricks on horseback. Ella’s life, while glamorous, was not easy. She
performed twice a day, but she also kept up with her schooling, practiced her act for hours, washed
dishes, and even took a turn driving the circus wagon! Ella received an offer of marriage at age fourteen, but her father made her turn down the proposal. When Ella was 22, her horse threw her off during a
performance. Ella was flung out of the ring and landed on the man she would later marry.
Bird and Ella both came from circus families, but the famous animal trainer Alfred Court did not. He was
born into a wealthy and powerful French family. Alfred’s parents sent him to a strict boarding school that
required him to study for hours every day, but Alfred still found time to become very skilled at
gymnastics. At age fourteen, he ran away from the school and used his gymnastic skills to join a circus.
The police found Alfred and took him back to school, but a year later he ran away again. This time he
was able to avoid capture. Alfred performed as an acrobat during his teenage years—then became a lion
trainer. Instead of using the cruel training techniquesthat were popular at the time, Alfred made friends
with the animals he trained. Unlike many others who work with big cats, he was never seriously injuredduring almost thirty years of “lion taming.”
Charles Stratton, better known as Tom Thumb, was one of the most popular circus attractionsin the late
19th century. Charles first joined the circus at age five, when he was just twenty‐five inches tall. Although
his act was supposed to show off his tiny size, Charles also told jokes, sang, and did impersonations.
Thousands of people across America and Europe came to see Tom Thumb; he even met the Queen of
England and President Abraham Lincoln. Charlestoured with the circus for most of his life. When he
died in 1883, he was only 3 feet, 4 inches tall.
Today, there are still children growing up in circus families, but it is less common for them to perform. In
some countries, child circus performances have been outlawed. However, adult performers usually start
their training as children, even if they can’t perform until they’re older. If you think you want to join a
circus someday, the time to build your skills is now. Join a ballet class, take gymnastics, or find a circus school or camp to get you ready for life under the Big Top!