MÉXICAN CIRCUSES AN ENTIRELY FAMILY AFFAIR
In Mexico there are over 80 traveling circuses. In operation since 1888, the longest running circus in the country is Circo Atayde Hermanos which features 23 performers, many with international backgrounds. Another good-sized circus by Mexican standards is Circo Hermanos Vazquez which conducts a two year circuit…around the country and has over 60 permanent employees including approximately 17 performers. What these two circuses and all of the other circuses in Mexico have in common is that they provide inexpensive entertainment for multiple generations of Mexican families. However, in Mexico there are also some much smaller circuses that are truly totally family affairs that are actually owned and operated by hermanos/brothers.
Such is the case of Circo Hermanos Ayala which has been coming to the small town that I live in, Churintzio, Michoacan for forty years. Unlike the larger circuses that perform in medium to large cities which promote themselves with posters, media reports, and a circus caravan featuring its entertainers and its “trained” animals that parades through town, the Ayala circus arrives with no advance notification. In a small field three blocks from downtown that they rent for a total of around $50, they set-up their “big top” that has inside one ring, a tented staging area where the performers change costumes and where the unseen “Master of Ceremonies” provides his commentary, a small concession stand, “ring side” plastic patio chairs that sell for 35 pesos/around $3, and wooden planked bleachers that can seat about 375 spectators. On the circus grounds ( a field that will be planted with corn shortly after they leave) are three small trailers that all of the members of the circus travel and live in, the truck that transported the two 35 foot trailers (that double as the entrance and facade), and their performing animals which consists of a llama from Peru, a goat from the Philippines, a Shetland pony, some caged birds, and a rabbit- all of which appear to be well-cared for.
The circus’ cast and crew are comprised entirely of the third and fourth generation of Ayala family members who now run and perform in it. It is headed by the two Ayala brothers who along with their wives and seven children, four girls and three boys, aged approximately 8-22, are the sole “employees” of their circus. Consequently, everyone involved in this circus are true “cirqueros,” those who travel and work/perform in the circus, town after town after town…
In Churintzio there was one performance per day which was announced as beginning at 8PM but in typical Mexican fashion started exactly “on time’ at 8:40PM. Most everybody attending were able to purchase “discounted” tickets for 15 pesos/about $1.25 as one of the brothers goes around town in a pick-up truck with a sound system promoting that evening’s show. The following are some of my observations from the two performances that I attended seated in the “cheap” seats that were no more than 30 unobstructed (as no netting is used as the performers use safety cords when necessary) feet away from the ring: the Sunday performance had about 300 spectators while the one on Monday about 175 were in attendance as they attracted local families, including many grandparents.
Each performance, which with a short intermission lasted 90 minutes, had entirely different acts as the circus hopes to and does get repeat visitors during their one week or so (depending on the business) stay in town before they leave to perform at a nearby town. The human acts are performed entirely by the skillful children who were attired in professional and immaculate costumes that are also (except fot the clowns’) changed nightly included the following: a contortionist, multiple trapeze and other aerial acts including one performed by a costumed “Spider-Man,” a tight rope walker, a hoop act, and two clowns, brothers (or were they first cousins?) aged around 13 and 17, doing numerous skits. Also, both evenings had highly interactive events where youthful volunteers from the audience were involved in a routine with the clowns and where younger children sat on the edges of the ring and were entertained one night by “Barney” and the other night by “Bugs Bunny.” As for the animal acts, the only international performers in this circus, on Sunday it was “Manny” the goat and on Monday, the llama.
To me, one of the most striking things about this family run circus is how everyone performs multiple tasks. For example, “Randy el Magnifico,” the eldest child, is one of the featured aerialists and when not performing handles the rigging and the equipment/apparatus changes. Or the older of the clowns, “Chicharrito,” when not clowning also does rigging and during the intermission goes around selling affordable souvenirs. Or one of the mothers who sells tickets, works the concession stand, and assists in the changing of costumes. Or one of the Ayala brothers who in addition to being the Master of Ceremonies also handles the sound system, helps with the rigging, and was the firm yet compassionate handler of the llama. Or the 8 year old ”Estrellita”/little star who in addition to being an aerialist also works at the reasonably priced concession stand and sells souvenirs at the intermission.
Overall, I found this totally family affair circus to be uniquely charming, more genuine, more intimate, more interactive and less pretentious/ostentatious than its very distant world-class circus relatives like the glitzy Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey with its plethora of more skillful and more magnificently costumed yet Teflon-like acts. Where else except in a circus like this that one minute you can be enthralled by the antics of a clown or the gyrations of an aerialist and then the next minute be buying souvenirs from them? Hopefully, I will be around long enough to see the fifth generation of Ayalas in unified perpetual motion!