From Chinese acrobats to German lion tamers, circus artists speak the universal language of spectacle and wonder. Circo Fantastico!, the first U.S.-produced circus with a Latino focus, brought Latin American music, dance and traditional circus acts to the Southland recently, celebrating a slightly picante version of big-top magic.
Noe Espana, sky wheel artist; Vivien Espana: aerialist, Englewood, Fla.
What attracted you to being a circus performer? Noe: My dad got me into this. I was born and raised in the circus and knew what I wanted to do when I was 7.
Vivien: My dad was a trapeze artist. When I was 11, to see if I had talent, he gave me one month to learn to stand on my head on a trapeze bar. I did it.
What's the secret of being good at what you do?
Noe: Discipline, concentration and not being scared.
Vivien: To love it. We risk our lives every day, but we love it.
If you could run away and join the real world, what would you do?
Noe: I'd be a cinematographer. I love cameras.
Vivien: A translator. I speak five languages.
What do you do for excitement?
Vivian: Sushi and a movie.
We love sushi.
Gabrial "Gaby the Clown" Castro: clown, Sarasota, Fla.:
What attracted you to being a clown?
I've been in the circus all my life. I used to be a trapeze artist, but I got too old, so I switched. I've always been good at comedy.
What's the secret of being a good circus clown?
I use a little psychology with the public, to get people to do what I tell them and be fun. What makes a circus different from everything else?
It's a hard life. You live in a trailer, you're always on the road. It's not 9 to 5.
What would you say to anyone dreaming of joining the circus?
Go to school, get a real job.
What do you do for excitement?
I play golf. I'm a 10 handicap.
"The Bambolas" singers: Heidy Castillo, Perto Rico, Dolly Oropeza, Venezuela, Maria Eugenia: Puerto Rico
What attracted you to being in the circus?
Eugenia: It's a whole new experience.
Oropeza: Totally different!
What's the secret of being a good girl group?
Eugenia: Friendship.
Oropeza: To learn to tolerate each other. It's tough sometimes.
Castillo: To be accepting
. What makes a circus different from everything else?
Eugenia: It's like a huge family.
Castillo: It's live. It's spectacular. You get to travel the world.
What do you do for excitement?
Oropeza: Date other circus performers.
Erica, Jesse, Liz and Adrian Saldivar: audience members, El Monte
If you could run away and join the circus, what would you do?
Liz: I'd be a clown, so I can act silly and stupid and make people laugh without being recognized.
Jesse: Being an acrobat looks like fun to me.
What are you like when you're clowning around?
Jesse: Erica acts like a nerd.
Liz: Yeah!
Erica: I do not!
What's your most spectacular feat ever?
Liz: I rode an electrical bull. I fell off in, like, two seconds.
Erica: I bungee-jumped in Las Vegas. It was so high I thought I'd pee in my pants.
What part of your life is like a circus?
Liz: My son, Adrian.
Erica: Our home, 'cause we're all a bunch of clowns.
