It’s got all the fun of the circus – and none of those terrifying clowns.
The Russian American Kids Circus will make its first-ever appearance at Centennial Hall on Sunday for an afternoon of acrobatics, juggling and unicycling.
The Russian American Kids Circus is entirely made up of kids between the age of six and 16. Its stated mission is to educate audiences about the language and customs of the Russian Circus tradition.
Veterans of the world-famous Moscow Circus in New York train the kids in all aspects of circus performance.
“”This is a fun and affordable way to spend an afternoon with friends and family. This is a professional troupe that just happen(s) to showcase some very talented kids,”” wrote Mario Di Vetta, marketing and publicity associate for UApresents, in an e-mail.
The circus has performed more than 1,500 shows in the United States, Canada and the Virgin Islands. It has performed at Walt Disney World and Epcot, on “”Reading Rainbow”” and in Coca-Cola and Target commercials.
The idea of having a Russian American kid-only circus came about in 1994 when Alex Berenchtein, a former member of the Moscow Circus, his wife Regina and mother-in-law, opened the non-profit academy The New Way Circus Center, Inc. The circus is made up of the most advanced students at the academy.
Since then, the company has welcomed children of all ages to join in mastering circus performance skills.
The circus will perform one day only, at 2 and 6 p.m. For better seats, try the 6 p.m. performance, Di Vetta suggested.
“”The audience can expect amazing circus skills performed by kids,”” Di Vetta wrote.
The Russian American Kids Circus performs Sunday at 2 and 6 p.m. in Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. Ticket prices range from $10-$18 with student, senior, group and military discounts. Call the UApresents box office at 621-3341 for more information.