B (183)

14

B+W

Circus Toddler Circus Baby

Upside Down Yawn

• the contortionists, for example, or the
  clowns – starting slowly, observing, chatting
  and gaining their trust. Her patience paid off
  and she began to notice subtle differences in
  the characters and personalities of the various
  types of performer. ‘For example, I could tell
  those who had that star quality. I could see in
  their walk, style, preparation and discipline
  that characteristic that said “star”.’
  One of the most striking portraits in
  Circus was taken during the first summer
  on the road. Ginger’s Debut shows a young

Canadian acrobat standing in the parking

lot with her arm in a sling. ‘That image

was taken when Ginger came home from

the hospital after a fall on her debut aerial

silk act. She had dreamt of performing in

a circus, practiced and practiced and fell

during one of her first performances.’

The young Canadian looks bereft at

being unable to perform, her sadness only

amplified by the rack of stars around her

neck that formed part of her stage costume.

It’s a heartbreaking image that reveals some

of the emotional ups and downs of the life

of the performing artist, but luckily it is also

a photo that comes with a happy ending.

‘Ginger is now a premier aerialist with the

Cirque du Soleil,’ reveals Norma. ‘She is

married and has a little girl.’

Norma returned to the Circus Chimera

every summer until it was forced to close in

2007, after a change in US law on temporary

work visas made it difficult for the owners

to employ enough people to assemble and

dismantle the tents in each new town.

Opposite Ginger’s Debut

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