schoolboy
Alex Santas, 13 has always had a burning ambition to become a circus clown. A few years ago, his dream started to come true when,accompanied by his parents,he left home to begin training with the circus. When Alex was only three,says his mother Anna, we took him to the circus and he absolutely could not take his eyes off the clowns. Alex still remembers that visit: I just loved the way the audience was looking and smiling at the clowns. If a juggler drops his clubs,or a trapeze artist falls,it messes up the act. But if a clown falls over,everyone thinks it's a great joke and roars with laughter.
Alex was so intrigued by the special power that the clown seemed to have,he kept asking to visit the circus again, recalls his father.At family parties he used to dress up as a clown and put on a performance doing jugging,comedy routine and magic tricks. Over the years, Alex love of the circus began to affect the way Anna and I felt.His aspirations were rubbing off on us.Then,unexpectedly.I was made redundant from my job as a gas-heating designer. I was offered similar work with an agency,but Anna and I wanted to explore our dream,so we we wrote away to the circus to see if there were any jobs.
Eventually David and I were offered jobs with the Moscow State Circus.explains Anna. It was so exciting.Davis worked as a spotlight operator and I worked in the box office, selling tickets.Most important of all,Alex had a chance to begin his training as a clown.
However. Anna admits that there was a lot of soul-searching and agonising decision-making to do before they finally made up their minds.After all,she say we were leaving our pleasant,centrally-heated house with all its home comforts to live in a small caravan.But Alex was so thrilled at the prospect,and he seemed to have so much talent and flair,we thought,why not?
After two years,the family joined Zippo's Circus. WE now go touring,which is marvellous, smiles Anna,and David has been promoted to foyer operation manager.
Although he is not old enough to perform in the circus yet, Alex is continuing to develop his clowning skills.I think this way of life is fantastic,he says. and it's even better now that I'm allowed to go out with Dad to perform in front of school audiences when we're on tour.
'People ask about my education' adds Alex 'but wherever we are on tour,Mum organises a private tutor to come and teach me.I follow the same books as children at school and I've got a laptop.I just have to make sure I don't fall behind. I've got used to one-to-one teaching and really like it.
And the future? I'm going to be a main clown in a circus one day, declares Alex firmly.