The FSU Circus celebrates 75 years of “Flying High”! The FSU Circus has been capturing imaginations for generations; whether you know us by our iconic Big Top, have attended a show, been a member of our troupe, or spent a childhood summer with us at camp, you have been a part of the magic of the circus.
Established in 1947 by founder Jack Haskin, the FSU Circus started with a simple goal, provide an activity that men and women could participate in together on the newly co-ed campus. Over the years this program has developed and grown into a beloved mainstay at Florida State.
We hope that you’ll join us in celebrating this milestone. There are special FSU Circus themed events across campus and throughout the Tallahassee community. Visit here at circus.fsu.edu, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @fsuflyinghighcircus to stay up to date!
Below is a list of all the things we have in store for the 75th anniversary. Click on each title for more information.
The FSU Circus 75th Annual Home Show Series
The FSU Museum of Fine Arts Presents
The FSU Askew Student Life Cinema and the FSU Circus present Man on Wire (2008)
The FSU Heritage Museum Exhibit
The FSU Circus Alumni Oral History Project
The FSU Circus presents the 75th Annual Home Show Series COSMIC
4/1/22 – 4/16/22
The FSU Circus is excited to celebrate 75 years of “Flying High”, with COSMIC, a new science fiction themed show!
“Get on board and fasten your seatbelt as we prepare for liftoff! We set off on a journey amongst the stars in a way only the circus can imagine. Adventure awaits as we cruise to distant worlds and galaxies far, far away.”
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, 4/1/22
Doors: 6pm / Show: 7pm
Saturday, 4/2/22
Doors: 1pm / Show 2pm
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
Friday, 4/8/22
Doors: 6pm / Show: 7pm
Saturday, 4/9/22
Doors: 6pm / Show: 7pm
Sunday, 4/10/22
Doors: 1pm / Show 2pm
Friday, 4/15/22
Doors: 6pm / Show: 7pm
Saturday, 4/16/22
Doors: 1pm / Show 2pm
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
The FSU Museum of Fine Arts presents “Trust & Transformation at the Circus: 75 Years of Flying High”
1/13/22 – 3/19/22
Join us for a special exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of FSU’s Flying High Circus. Marvel at the feats of wonder and expand your understanding of the circus as a space in which athleticism and ambition, daring and dedication, and precarity and persistence unite to empower performers and inspire awe in their audiences.
Since its founding in 1947, FSU’s Flying High Circus has enjoyed worldwide recognition for its brilliance and creativity. Through countless Home Shows and Halloween performances, summers at Callaway Gardens, over fifteen appearances on national television, and sell-out tours across Europe and the Caribbean, Flying High athletes have earned their reputations as being among the hardest working students at Florida State. It takes a lot to be a circus performer, but students and alumni repeatedly reflect on the importance of trust – trusting oneself, trusting one’s partner, trusting one’s apparatus – to achieving the magic that animates each act: a transformation from the everyday and ordinary into the amazing and extraordinary.
“Trust & Transformation” features an array of photography and video installations, interactive displays, and historic and contemporary circus costumes together with original drawings by the celebrated costume designer Miles White, vintage circus posters, and works of art on loan from the Howard Tibbals Circus Collection and the Ringling Circus Museum. This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the staff, students, and alumni of the FSU Flying High Circus, The Ringling, Howard and Janice Tibbals, the Council on Culture & Arts, the Florida Division of Art & Culture, and FSU’s Council on Research & Creativity.
EVENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, 2/24/22
“An Evening at the Circus”
6 – 8pm
Thursday, 3/3/22
“Artist Talk with Costume Designer and Researcher Jenny Leigh Dupuis”
6 – 8 pm
Saturday, 3/5/22
“Circus Day at MoFA”
Hands-on activities and demonstrations by student performers from the FSU Flying High Circus
11am – 3pm
Saturday 3/12/22
“Composing for the Circus”
In-gallery performance of live and recorded music by FSU musicians and composition students) 1pm – 3pm (Time Tentative)
The FSU Askew Student Life Cinema and the FSU Circus present Man on Wire (2008)
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City’s World Trade Center’s twin towers in 1974, what some consider, “the artistic crime of the century”.
3/3/22
9:30 PM
Askew Student Life Center
Free for FSU Students with ID
General Admission: $6
FSU Staff, Faculty, Alumni & Tallahassee Film Society: $3
The FSU Circus 75th Anniversary Then & Now Banner Series
2/15/22
This spring check out the FSU Circus' 75th anniversary “Then & Now” banner series and catch a through-the-years view of our operation.
Since 1947, FSU students have taken a chance and joined our troupe, learning first hand that there really is something special about the circus. In curating these photos, we found that in 75 years of “Flying High”, the transformative experience of being a part of the circus bridges all generations of FSU Circus performers. No matter when you graduated, the thrill of performance, the mastery of a skill, and the friendships made, mark being a member of our troupe and are hallmarks of the FSU Circus program.
The “Then & Now” banner series was created in collaboration with the FSU Heritage Museum & Archives, University Relations, the FSU Museum of Fine Arts, the Division of Student Affairs, DSA Marketing, University Communications, and the FSU Foundation.
Photographs by the FSU Photo Lab, Bob Howard, Kaitlin Simpson, Maury Neipris, and Barry Mittan.
The FSU Heritage Museum Exhibit
Please join us at the FSU Heritage Museum at Dodd Hall for a special exhibit to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Flying High Circus. This collection of images and artifacts illustrates the labor of love that is “Flying High”, with a behind the scenes look at the students and staff who bring the show to life.
Located in the Werkmeister Reading Room in Dodd Hall, the Heritage Museum will be open 10am - 3pm, Monday through Thursday. Hours may vary during academic breaks, and the museum may be closed for an event. Please confirm the hours on the Library's Hours page or on the menu to the left.
The FSU Alumni Association - VIRES
Checkout the February 2022 issue of the FSU Alumni Association’s VIRES magazine, for a feature on the FSU “Flying High” Circus's 75th anniversary.
VIRES Magazine, the official alumni magazine of Florida State University. Those interested in purchasing a copy can do so on Reward Zone in late February.
The FSU “Flying High” Circus Alumni Association's Oral History Project
The Florida State University Flying High Circus Alumni Association's Oral History Project is an ongoing initiative to record the history of this organization through the voices of the performers, coaches, and alumni who continue to make it one of the most unique traditions on campus. With our 75th anniversary on the horizon, we are delighted to be rolling out this project, and intend to continue collecting stories and memories into the future. All oral histories are conducted, edited, and processed by FSU Flying High Circus alumni who receive no compensation or college credit of any kind, we do it purely for the fun of it! For more information, or to share your story, please contact fsucircusalumni@gmail.com
Community Partnerships
Checkout special menu items from our Tallahassee community partners during the month of March to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the FSU Circus! Details coming in late February.