WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Circus Smirkus Comes to Town

Circus Smirkus Comes to Town

Montpelier, Vermont - August 11, 2009

Circus Smirkus is in town.

"Hey," shouts one juggler at the end of a rehearsal.

The group is getting ready for the show. During the summer the troupe performs 70 times, in 6 states and it all features young talent.

"It's an unbelievable experience," said Al Mireault from Waterbury Center.

A big top life one family lives, everyday.

"I never in a million years thought this was what my life was going to be like," said Sara Wunderle, "I was going to be in the medical field, doing physical therapy, working 9-5."

But after Sara fell in love with Troy, a professional clown, juggler and stilt walker, that all changed. The two now help run the circus, Troy teaches and performs, and Sara sells tickets and organizes the shows, a year round job.

After they married, the Wunderle's had two daughters, and decided to take them on tour. When summer ends, the Vermonters go home to Cambridgeport, where Troy started his own performing arts company.

"Generations of circus families have done this, this is not a new thing, but it's new to smirkus, we're the first smirkus family to ever raise children in this environment," said Troy.

There's 5-year-old Arianna and 8-year-old Emily, both are following their dad into the ring.

"I like to do a lot of stretching and all sorts of things," said Arianna.

Added Emily, "We like performing with our dad because it's really fun."

The Wonderle's spend the summer living out of an R-V.... packing and unpacking - as they prep for another show.

"It brings us together," explained Sara, "We work as a team really well, you have to, you live in a tight quarter for 7 weeks on tour."

Emily learned to crawl at the circus and is now doing handstands.

"It's never an assumption that they will be part of the show," said Sara, "As of right now they continue to say yes, when the year comes when they say no, it's a no, it's another hobby. Kids go to gymnastics classes or take music lessons, this is their hobby during the summer time."

And another first for the Wunderle's, Arianna, lost her first tooth and wanted to show her circus friends.

After that, the 2 p-m performance started.

"Sometimes when it is the first show you are excited and nervous at the same time because you don't know what will happen," said Emily. When asked how she gets over her nerves she went on to say, "Well, I just settle down and say ok it is going to work and we are going to do this and it's going to be ok!"

A family, making the circus part of their life, while bringing smiles to others.

What better thing for a parent to show a child that life doesn't have to be about you - it needs to be about you in relationship to the environment around you and I think all of us learn a lot on a daily basis," said Troy.

Kristin Carlson - Channel 3 News