How to Join the circus

So you really want to join the circus? Okay, here's what you need to do.

You Will Need

* Determination

* Discipline

* A skill valued by a circus

* Training at a circus school (optional)

* A headshot and full body shot (optional)

* An audition tape (optional)

Step 1: Be realistic

Know what you're getting into. You'll be working long hours, many holidays, and most weekends. And you'll spend a lot of time on the road.

Step 2: Check web sites

Check the web sites of the biggest circuses, like Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, Cirque du Soleil, and the Big Apple Circus for job listings. You'll find ads for everything from rope skippers to tent riggers.

Step 3: Have a skill

Have a skill that the circus needs. If you want to be a performer, you'll have to be exceptionally good at a circus act, like walking the tightrope or swinging from a trapeze.

It helps if you have a gimmick, like a unique acrobatic ability.

Step 4: Get training

If you're short on skills, enroll in a circus school such as the San Francisco Circus Center or The Circus Space in London, which offers classes in tumbling, contortion, balancing, juggling, aerial work, and clowning.

Step 5: Consider alternatives

If performing isn't your thing, but you still crave the excitement of being part of a traveling circus, consider applying for a nontheatrical position, like an animal-care attendant or wardrobe assistant.

Step 6: Apply

Apply for a position, following the rules set by the circus on their web site. Performers must send a resume, headshots, and an audition tape.

Photos should clearly show your face and your body, as well as convey your personality (which hopefully is outgoing).

Step 7: Be patient

Be patient. You may have to wait for a spot to open, no matter how good you are.

Fact: Some circus performers wear bracelets made of braided elephant hair for good luck.