Synopsis

We'll sneak beneath the big top to see the training and preparation behind the circuses' premier acts. We'll show you how the big top stays on the road 10 months of the year and how circus families make homes on the road. We'll take a first hand look at the Carson & Barnes Circus, their relentless work schedule, and the incredible process of setting up and tearing down at each new location.

We'll find out how traditional sideshow acts are still being performed by Zamora, the Torture King. His sideshow incorporates painful and dangerous acts of body piercing, sword swallowing and fire eating. Finally, we'll explore the San Francisco School of Circus Arts, the first professional circus school in the US. Famous Chinese acrobat instructor Lu Yi now instructs children and young adults who aspire to perform under the big tent as acrobats, contortionists and clowns.