Real-Life Communication
Circus performers must have excellent communication skills. "They are very important," says Mary Rawls. She worked for more than 50 years in the circus as a trapeze artist, elephant handler and ropewalker.
Communication skills come into play in several areas of the circus business. On the business side, good communications skills are important to attract new business. ("Step right up, ladies and gentlemen.")
On the creative side, circus performers must be able to clearly state their intentions and expectations when they are working together on acts. Otherwise, the show will suffer from a creative point, says Thom Britain. He heads a small group of circus performers from Alabama.
Circus performers also run the risk of injury or worse if they have poor communications skills, he says. They must be able to talk with all kinds of people, especially with kids and those who may not know everything about the circus, Rawls says.
You cannot talk down to them, and you have to be courteous all the time. Circus performers also communicate through their body language. And that form of communication is especially important when performers and the audience cannot directly communicate with each other.
"When you go into the ring to entertain an audience, the most important thing you need to do is to look like you are enjoying what you do," says Rawls. That means you have to keep smiling, regardless of the circumstances under which you have to perform.
You are the head of a small circus. As you are preparing for a tour that will take your circus through smaller cities, you are looking for local sponsors. They would get a part of the gate receipt in exchange for handling ticket sales, promotions and show logistics. You must prepare a pitch to a group of local sponsors.
Here is what you must tell them:
- You run a traditional circus with animals, clowns and trapeze artists
- You pitch your circus as good clean fun the entire family can enjoy
- The show will be in town for two days
- The sponsors also agree to handle some logistics during those two days. For example, they are responsible for water for the animals
- You will give them all the promotional material
- The sponsors get 10 percent of the total gate
- The sponsors handle all ticket sales
- The name of the sponsors will be featured prominently throughout the show
- Sponsoring a circus is an excellent fund-raiser -- it will raise money and build goodwill in the community
- Past sponsors earned about $2,500