Attractions & Entertainment Travel

The Greatest Show On Earth Comes to Sacramento: Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey

Kiev Aerial Enchantresses
The circus has always been deemed as The Greatest Show On Earth, and I finally got to see for myself if this statement holds true. Last night, September 13th, the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey BUILT TO AMAZE show was introduced to the Sacramento Valley and I was asked to write about my experience. I have never been to a circus, unless you count thee 5-10 minute performances held inside the Circus Circus hotel in Reno. As a child I had always heard of the circus, and watched movies with circuses in them, but I didn’t quite know what to expect. I was blown away!

The show began by introducing the elephants and many of the performers, while having the Kiev Aerial Enchantresses twirling high into the air. They were so graceful and beautiful!

King Charles Troupe
I took my three youngest kids to the show (4 and nearly 8 year old twins), and we were thoroughly entertained. The second half of the show was by far the best – with high energy and exciting acts. My boys weren’t expecting to see sporting events at the circus, so they were excited when they saw the talented King Charles Troupe! These guys are trained to entertain and impress audiences with a high-energy comedic game of basketball on unicycles. Sounds fun, right? If you arrive early to the show, you can even do a little playing with these guys!

Tabayara Tiger Show

A circus wouldn’t be complete without talented animals mixed with brave trainers. I am always amazed when I see wild animals such as the several tigers pictured above, being trained to sit, stand, roll over, etc. I don’t think I could ever bring myself to stand in front of all of those wild cats, but Tabayara “Taba” Maluenda does! He sure knows how to work his magic with these felines.

Duo Fusion & Duo Solys

Now, if you want to talk some serious strength, then take a glimpse at Duo Fusion & Duo Solys. These couples blow my mind with their hand-balancing, strength, balance, flexibility and agility as they transform their bodies into stunning human pyramids. Being the gymnasts my boys are, they were in awe and trying to figure out if they could complete some of these exercises at home with one another. I’m thinking not yet!

Trampoline Tower Tumblers

For a really high energy and fun act, the Trampoline Tower Tumblers are a must-see. They can seriously bounce high on these trampolines, and perform some pretty cool stunts! These guys just looked like they were having so much fun out there!

Circus Dogs

My favorite part of the show was probably when Alex & Irina Emelin take the adorable poodles into the ring for a hilarious good time. The dogs are so intelligent and can perform actions that you just wouldn’t believe! For a bit, you may even forget you are watching dogs!

Danguir Troupe

I can’t decide which would be scarier – being faced with a dozen tigers, or having to stand on a chair on top of a pole that is being held by two bicycles on a high tightrope! Did you catch all that? The Danguir Troupe has some serious courage and had the crowd roaring with cheers and encouragement; or awe!

Elliana Grace

Being shot out of a cannon is something that I think I MIGHT be able to handle, as weird as that sounds. For some reason that doesn’t frighten me as much as some of the other acts that I saw during the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey show. Young Elliana Grace was raised around the circus and certainly doesn’t show fear when she’s shot 40 feet into the air!

Stars of the Steel Vortex

The Stars of the Steel Vortex showcases 4 danger-loving daredevils who move around these spinning wheels, like nobody’s business. The wheels started out with just two daredevils but quickly adds two more. No fear here!

Circus Elephants

For a great finale, the circus brought out the magnificent elephants, which I absolutely loved! The second half of the show was simply amazing and finished quite strong! There were even more acts and performances, but I can’t spoil the entire show now can I? Just know that you have to see it in person to believe it.

You can catch the BUILT TO AMAZE show in Sacramento through Monday night (9/16/13) or in Stockton the following weekend. Be sure to check out the Ringling Bros Tour Schedule so you can catch a show near you!

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Emily Buys

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