I'm Raising My Family In the Circus
After my boyfriend, John, and I graduated from high school, we didn't have a clue about our futures. So when John happened upon a brochure for clown school, he figured, Why not try out? It sounded fun. He ended up landing a one-year contract with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. We were in love, so it wasn't long before I packed my bags to join him on the road. I convinced the dance captain to give me after-hours lessons, and six months later I landed a spot in the show.
I was immediately captivated by the thrill of performing in front of thousands of people. I started out performing tap and jazz routines with 16 other dancers. Then I was cast to ride an elephant into the ring. The first time they set me on top of it, I cried my eyes out because I was so scared. I'd never come into contact with such a giant animal. But I eventually got used to it, and today I'm one of the best riders around.
At the time, John and I were just 17; we were so proud to be out on our own with jobs that gave us the opportunity to see the whole country. Still, we didn't plan to do it for more than a year. In the beginning, we lived in 6x3-foot rooms aboard a mile-long train with all the other performers. We became one big family, cooking together, hanging out at night, and watching movies while we traveled from city to city.
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Somehow that one year with Barnum &Bailey has turned into 27. Now we tour with our three children to 42 cities, 44 weeks out of the year. The circus just worked its way into our blood. When we decided to get married in 1986, we planned a circus wedding. The event soon snowballed out of control, and before I knew it, John and I were standing in front of 5,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York—me in a skin-tight wedding gown, him in full clown makeup—with elephants as bridesmaids and a bear as the ring bearer. It was surreal. But the next day we were back to work. We didn't feel the need for a honeymoon because we traveled so much already.
John and I always said we'd retire as circus performers when we started a family. But when I became pregnant with my first child, John began training to be the human cannonball—which, believe it or not, was his dream—so we stayed. The costume designer made me a cute maternity outfit, and I loved performing while pregnant—I felt proud when audience members noticed my big belly and seemed impressed that I was still out there. When my son was born, the company opened a nursery, and when he hit school age, they hired a full-time teacher to travel with the show. We eventually bought an RV, and though we do visit family back in New York, the road has become our home. What I cherish most about our circus life is that our family is constantly together—the five of us are as tight-knit as they come.
Every once in a while, I think, How did this happen? How did traveling with the circus become our norm? Sometimes I worry about my kids missing out on joining a soccer team or going to regular school—and I think we'll eventually leave the circus. But I adore this life, and it's hard to imagine doing anything else.
Laura Weiss, 43
Port Jefferson Station, NY
As told to Lindsey Palmer
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