We celebrated St. Joseph's Day (March 19) and the first day of spring (March 21) by going to the circus. It had been the first circus I'd seen since I was about 10 years old with the Girl Scouts. Actually, my Aunt Frances and Uncle Marcel took me to my first Shrine Circus when I was still a pre-schooler, and it impressed me so much, I can still remember the day--including the men wearing the dark red fezes with a sword imprinted on it and a tassle hanging on its side
The Shrine Circus was held in Olympia Stadium (the same arena that housed the Detroit Red Wings national hockey team). It had three rings for the performers and several tiered seats for the crowds. The last act after the animals, trapezes, clowns, and pink elephants was the man who was shot out of a huge and loud cannon. Olympia Stadium no longer stands, but the fond memories of the circus--and the Ice Follies for that matter--came to mind as I watched my first French circus, the Amar Circus, provide a bevy of animal acts and daring artists balancing and swinging their bodies high in the air. The circus provided a fun and nostalgic afternoon. Below are a few highlights of the various acts.
These Mongolian camels stole the show with their high-stepping dances. Below is a video of a small portion of their act.
During intermission, children were allowed to take two turns around the ring on a camel.
The Big Wheel (above) thrilled the crowds (click here to see the video) while the clowns (below) played jokes on each other and the audience.
What would a circus be without cotton candy? People lined up patiently for a serving of it.
As people waited for the circus to begin, vendors sold illuminated pinwheels. Children worked them as music from French cabaret singer Edith Piaff's songs were played. Click here to see the video.
This man was the animal trainer and performer. He seemed to love the animals as he shared their various tricks with the audience. He wore different costumes for each of the different acts.
Of course, no circus is a circus without people balancing on round objects or swinging on ropes. 
This couple performed tricks on roller skates and a small platform, which showed their prowess and balancing ability.
The Amar Circus was comprised of a small group of people performing with some magnificent talent. It was small and intimate, and children were excited and attentive (when they weren't staring at their cell phones). Adults seemed to have fun, and I'm so glad I witnessed this French-style circus!
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