Your Observer: Sailor Circus Academy heads to Smithsonian for shows

More than two dozen students of the Circus Arts Conservatory’s Sailor Circus Academy are preparing to travel to Washington, D.C., to perform in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival over Labor Day weekend.

The 26-student contingent, ages 8-18, will perform Sept. 5-7 in the rotunda of the Smithsonian Institute’s Arts and Industries Building. They will present “The Circus Arts Conservatory: Artistry, Education, and Labor of Circus Arts” as part of this year’s Festival program, “Culture Of, By, and For the People,” marking 250 years of American history.

“Circus is a living American cultural tradition encompassing artistry, education, craftsmanship, community and the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next and the Circus Arts Conservatory brings all of that plus the wonder and thrills of performance,” said Sabrina Lynn Motley, Festival Director of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, in a press release.

The cast includes Chris Allison as host and clown, aerialist Emma Grace, juggler Noel Aguilar, ladder artist Ermiyas Muluken, contortionist Urnaa Angarag and Los Polemicos Musical Clowns, with additional artists to be announced. These artists represent the pinnacle of the American circus industry and hold accolades such as the Generation NeXt Award at the “Circus Ring of Fame”, Golden Clown Award at the “International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo”, Bronze Crown Award at the “Princess Circus Festival of Russia” and featured segments on ‘Got Talent’ TV shows across the globe.

Sailor Circus Academy students will also perform three times daily in their own dedicated shows across the weekend, bringing a range of acts developed in Sarasota.

Founded in 1949 and known as “The Greatest Little Show on Earth,” Sailor Circus Academy is the longest-running educational youth circus in the United States. Its students receive circus arts education year-round in aerial, acrobatic, and ground disciplines while attending school full time, culminating in two major productions each season (the Sailor Circus Holiday Spectacular and the Sailor Circus Spring Show) alongside community engagements throughout the year.

Source: https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2026/aug/26/sailor-circus-academy-smithsonian-shows/