Step right up, circus lovers, you have much to look forward to this March. You may not find lion tamers or clowns at either of these circuses, but you will find local amateur performers, most of whom are kids!
Turners Circus
March 16-18 & March 23-25
Louisville Turners
3125 River Road
Louisville, KY 40207
louisvilleturners.org/circus-program
Showtimes & Tickets: 502-895-7501
This year marks the 62nd anniversary for Turners Circus. The circus that began in 1941 has run consecutively, with breaks during World War II and the 1980s while its building on River Road was under construction. Circus director, Lynley Wolf Elliott, has played a role in the circus – along with all of her siblings – since she was a child when her mother, Cindi Wolf, co-directed the circus. Turners Circus is a family affair for many – with parents and children performing side-by-side, no matter their athletic abilities or prior experiences.
“We like people with different backgrounds,” Elliott explained, so you might see dancers on the trapeze or swimmers on the silks, or even nonathletes juggling balls and flying through the air with the greatest of ease.
All performers audition for a part in the circus in December and January and classes are held year-round. Classes cover different skills and include strengthening and conditioning. If you go, you will see aerial stunts including single, double and triple trapeze acts; casting, a mix of high flying flips and leaps, and silks, a suspension act using a silk banner hung from the ceiling. Even the youngest performers risk daring feats: toddlers and preschoolers walk a “tightrope” line on the floor.
“You can always run away to the circus and still make it home for dinner,” Said Cindi Wolf, who is now teaching skills classes to her grandchildren. So if you aren’t participating in the Turners Circus, enjoy one of the March shows before dinner.