Essex Junction, Vermont - This won't be a typical teenage summer for Maia Gawor-Sloane and Al Mireault.
"I'm a tight wire dancer," explains Gawor-Sloane.
The two will perform in a total of 67 shows over the next 2 months.
"Performing, I love to perform," adds Gawor-Sloane.
Overall, there are seven teens from Vermont this year, making up a cast of twenty-nine.
"Seeing different reactions and the crowd being scared or excited or sad or just generally happy," says Gawor-Sloane after being asked what her favorite part of performing is.
Each year Circus Smirkus has a theme. This year it's "Big Top Big News" where news clowns and news hounds are trying to gather the headlines and beat the deadlines. The show this year includes a very wacky weatherman.
The circus talent ranges from 10 to 18 years old.
"There's nothing quite like being in that ring," says Al Mireault from Waterbury, VT.
For Mireault, it's usually two shows a day, for two hours each.
"And you have the punch line in your hand an you know it and then you just lay it down and it's like you have this excellent control over the audience it's very fun to play with," explains Mireault.
The show will travel New England and New York this summer, with Plattsburgh being the next stop. For a full list of upcoming shows, click here.
"It's pretty tiring, we do a lot in the show. Even if someone's not in an act they're usually rigging or helping set up, so it's two hours of constantly setting up and being engaged in physical activity," adds Mireault.
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