Circus Sarasota reinvents the Great American Circus for the 21st century

The circus is an ancient art form, dating back to the Roman Empire, at least. The reason it’s still around? It’s never stopped adapting. Take Circus Sarasota, for example.

Our hometown one-ring, five-star circus was the brainchild of Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, a celebrated husband-and-wife aerialist team. When they founded it in 1997, that took a leap of faith. Sarasota, still coasting on its reputation as the world’s “Circus Capitol,” had no circus at the time. The couple changed that. The circus they created has been changing ever since. That was always part of the plan.  More…