NOte FOR 24-25 School YEar:
Earlier this year, the FSU Circus suffered greatly when tornadoes struck campus. The circus tent was destroyed.
The circus tent is not only where we perform, but is where the majority of our act training occurs.
For the 2024-2025 school year, the FSU Circus will continue to operate, but without the tent.
We will have auditions this fall for potential circus participants.
Our cast will be smaller than usual, and other changes may be made due to the limited rehearsal space, but we will still be able to give students the opportunity to participate throughout the school year.
The reconstruction of the circus tent and its interior contents will be a year-long project. Until it is completed there will be no performances in the tent. However we are planning limited performance opportunities on and off campus during the school year.
How to Join the FSU Circus
Any current student at FSU is eligible to become a part of the FSU Flying High Circus. We accept new students at the beginning of each Fall semester. There are many opportunities for students to become involved in the Circus in both performing as well as behind the scenes in production (sound, lighting, costumes, stage management, etc.).
There is no experience necessary to be involved with the circus. The majority of new students in our program have had no previous circus experience.
For more information about the different participation opportunities in the circus and registration information, click on the headers below.
Circus Act Auditions
We train a variety of different circus acts and disciplines in our program. Our Circus Act Auditions are for all our on stage acrobatic acts, aerial acts and clowning. If you are interested in circus act performance you will first need to participate in our Circus Act Auditions. This is a general audition and not specific to any one discipline.
Below is a step-by-step instruction of the process:
Register
To participate in circus act auditions you will need to register. Registration for circus act auditions typically opens at the beginning of the fall semester .
First Round of Auditions for Circus Acts -
The audition process is comprised of two rounds. The first round is one session that consists of basic strength and flexibility evaluations and concludes with a short interview. There are no particular strength and flexibility requirements to participate in the circus, but we do have strength requirements to participate in aerial acts such as trapeze, Spanish web and lyra. Below are two videos that demonstrate the techniques we will evaluate during the first round of the audition process.
- The minimum requirements to be assigned an aerial act are five pull ups, five leg lifts and five inverted pikes or L's. Aerial acts that are primarily swinging have more stringent strength requirements.
Once the first round of auditions are completed, the staff posts the list of callbacks for the Second Round of Auditions. Students who are called back for the second round must sign up for their second round audition session.
Second Round of Auditions for Circus Acts -
The second round is one session and consists of basic skill evaluation. There are segments on partner ground skills, trampoline and static trapeze for those who met the strength requirements. If students do have some applicable circus experience, this is our opportunity to observe those skills if necessary.
Ringmaster Auditions
Note: For the 24-25 school year, due to changes in our annual performance schedule, there will be no ringmaster auditions.
Our ringmaster position is a critical piece of our show. In a given year we have as many as four ringmasters positions available in our cast. Not only do our ringmasters perform the master of ceremonies role in the performance, but they also assist in the writing of the script.
As is the case with our circus act auditions, there is no experience necessary to audition to be a ringmaster. It does help to have some background in public speaking and/or theatre. Our ringmaster auditions consist of several readings of excerpts from our script.
Ringmaster Auditions
To participate in Ringmaster auditions, you first must register.
Ringmaster auditions consist of one session. As noted, the audition consists of several readings from our scripts. There is no need to bring anything prepared as we will supply you everything you need. There are no callbacks for ringmaster. The final cast decisions are posted with our final cast list.
Dancer Auditions
Our dancers are a big part of our performance in our Halloween and Spring show series. Unlike our circus act auditions, we prefer that our dancers have some dance experience. We have dancers from a variety of disciplines, but having that experience and background is important. Our dance audition consists of learning components of several of the pieces from our various shows. You do not need to have anything prepared. Sign ups for circus dance auditions are open the beginning of each fall semester.
Dance Auditions
To participate in Dance auditions, you must first register.
Dance auditions consist of one session. As noted, the audition consists of learning and performing several parts of existing pieces from our shows. There is no need to have anything prepared except to be dressed appropriately. There are no callbacks for dance. The final cast decisions are posted with our final cast list.
Production Team (Backstage Creative and Backstage Technical)
Note: For the 24-25 school year, due to changes in our annual performance schedule, there will be no Production Team opportunities. We will resume our full Production operation in fall of 2025.
In addition to the various performance opportunities, there are opportunities to participate in the FSU Circus behind the scenes. To be a part of the production team, you must first register.
Our production team works on several different elements of show creation and management. Click on the headers below to see the opportunities for our production team.
Backstage Creative
COSTUMING
With as many as 100 performers and multiple performances the circus maintains an involved costuming operation. Members of our production team assist in a number of ways including coordinating costume distribution, cleaning and storing.
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Our hair and makeup team help prepare performers before the show begins and throughout the show when changes need to be made.
Backstage Technical
PERFORMANCE LIGHTING
The circus performance lighting system is similar to that of a theatre performance and other kinds of live performances. Every show one of our production team serves as our lighting technician.
AUDIO TECHNICIAN
Similar to our lighting technician, every show one of our production team members is responsible for running our audio.
STAGE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
Managing performers throughout the performance is a critical piece of our show. Our production team makes sure everyone is in the right place at the right time.
FRONT OF HOUSE OPERATION
The circus runs much of the front of house operation during performances including merchandise, ticket-taking, concessions and ushering. Performers and production crew assist with all of these elements.
Expectations of Circus Cast and Crew
Membership in the FSU goes beyond the on-stage performance. There are expectations that must be met by our cast and crew throughout the school year. You will be expected to attend all of your rehearsals (a minimum of an hour and a half per week), put in time helping with the daily rigging and work at the circus lot (another hour or two each week), and maintain an expected level of strength and flexibility through daily stretching and conditioning if you are training to perform. There will also be occasional workdays on the weekend, which will be mandatory. ALL shows and show rehearsals are mandatory. Please make sure that you are able and willing to dedicate the appropriate amount of time to the circus when making your decision to join.
If you have any questions please contact us at circus@admin.fsu.edu.