“We’re rolling out the red carpet for the youth circuses of tomorrow who are coming up today. The top hat is a symbol of that,” says ringmaster Tim Mack.

Look into Emma Clarke’s backyard in Sarasota, Florida, and you’ll probably find the 11-year-old performing professional-grade circus routines for a neighborhood crowd.

A lifelong circus performer, Lucky Malatsi started training as an acrobat at the age of four. Now he is the ringmaster for UniverSoul Circus.

Dylan Wynne: regular teenager by day, circus flier by night. 

Husband and wife Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell started the troupe in 2006. Their house, tucked away among the trees, is half living space and half composing space.

Dominique Jando knows the circus inside and out. Born and raised in Paris, France, and now living in San Francisco, he has spent his entire adult life surrounded by the circus.

On July 1, the Folklife Festival will celebrate D.C. Circus Day, officially designated by the District of Columbia and Mayor Muriel Bowser.

The conversation usually ends one of two ways: “It’s wonderful and timely that you’re focusing on circus and migration for the Festival’s 50th,” or “Circus is great, but I’m not sure it’s suitable for the 50th. And where’s the country focus?”

Traditional culture permeates our lives. It includes things like what we eat for breakfast, how we greet our family, and how close or far we stand from other people when we encounter them in public places.

We’re here to set the record straight.