WRITING ALERT: There's nothing healthy about working for Ringling Bros if you're an animal!

[Guest guest]

Notice the lack of animals mentioned in this story...aside from the 17-yr old kid saying his father is "in charge of all the animals." (Shouldn't that kid be in school?) It's as though they're trying to distract from the fact that they abuse animals...

 

Please write an LTE about the abuse of animals that is rampant at Ringling Bros and point out that, for those innocent animals, there is nothing "healthy" about the circus at all.

 

If you link to the story online, you'll see the video.

 

Thank you!

Holly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[h_elms] has sent you an article from dallasnews.com.

Story: Fitness secrets from circus performers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fitness secrets from circus performers

Learn from these athletes in tights and spangles

 

01:42 PM CDT on Monday, July 28, 2008

By NANCY CHURNIN / The Dallas Morning News nchurnin

 

 

They fly through the air and do death-defying feats up to three times a day.

 

 

 

 

It may be fun and games for the audience when Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus brings its Bellobration show to American Airlines Center on Wednesday. But the performers have to be in tiptop shape to avoid injury, from the clowns who must fall on their backs without breaking them to the teen who does a triple somersault off a teeter-totter.

And while we can't all star in the circus, we can improve our health with the company's CircusFit series, a 21-lesson downloadable plan broken into five modules that teach flexibility, stretching and strength techniques. The program, which is free to those who register online at www.circusfit.com, has become popular in schools, scout and YMCA programs since the pilot program debuted in 2003 and moved to the Web three years ago. It teaches exercises such as juggling for all ages, and it can prepare kids to put on shows.

 

Speaking of juggling, that's the exercise of choice for Peggy Williams, the clown-turned-education outreach manager for Feld Entertainment who helped design the program.

"Juggling is calming, and it's great for upper-body strength, hand-eye coordination and breathing. It's hard to carry a swimming pool around. But I can juggle every day with balls I made out of birdseed and balloons for 12 cents apiece. And if I don't have my juggling balls, I roll up my socks and juggle them."

 

We talked to performers about their favorite techniques, some of which can be found on CircusFit.

 

Leo Acton, 32, boss clown who performs on a rolling globe

 

ERICH SCHLEGEL/DMN

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Birmingham, Ala.

Favorite workouts: running in place and stretching on my rolling globe; pie-motivated push-ups done with a pie under my face.

Preferred pie: banana meringue -- meringue because it's soft, bananas because lemons are too acidic for the eyes.

How many push-ups: 15 to 20, but if I'm hungry, just two.

How workouts help: Push-ups help with muscle and upper-body fitness, which gives you a strong body for pratfalls and slapstick. Without my push-ups, when they hit me with a board and I go flying, I could get badly hurt. Stretching helps when I drive the world's smallest car because it requires a lot of flexibility to fit in it. The car is 2 1/2 feet tall, and I'm just under 6 feet.

Favorite moment: It's a thrill for me to come bursting through the curtain in that car. When I come out and they see it's a real person in the car, the crowd always cheers. It's nice getting a round of applause for driving around the block.

 

Angelica Sene, 31, dancer

 

ERICH SCHLEGEL/DMN

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Brazil

Favorite workouts: Running every morning, lifting weights, doing ballet and teaching dance for circus performers and their kids. The more you move, the more you're going to feel good, feel beautiful and have energy. It helps your mind and your relationships with other people.

When she started dancing: At 4 years old.

What she loves about ballet: Ballet can help everyone be flexible and strong and to use your arms and head to move beautifully with soft elegance.

Other tips: I try to take the sugar and fat off my food. I drink a lot of water and eat lots of vegetables and fruit.

Favorite moment: The opening and the finale when I wear my ballet costume and dance. The music and the choreography are so good.

 

Larry Clark, 30, clown, juggler and object balancer

 

ERICH SCHLEGEL/DMN

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Memphis

Favorite workouts: Twenty sit-ups before each show and 30 crunches. When I wake up, I have a cup of coffee, juggle and stand on my head. Juggling builds physical and mental strength and balance, which helps when I balance a 12-foot ladder on my chest. Once when I was 18, I juggled three running chain saws, which were 5 pounds each. My parents found out and grounded me.

Balancing act: The only real job I had before becoming a clown was as a bag boy at Kroger. There was a child crying, so after I put the bag in his mother's cart, I picked up a shopping cart and balanced it on my chin. He stopped crying, but the manager fired me.

On a diet: When I started out as a clown I was 185 pounds, muscular and fit. Then, in 2001, I went back to Memphis to marry and have a family and gained 60 pounds. I came back in November, and I'm down to 220 and sticking to a diet regimen with fruits and granola.

Favorite moments: Having my daughter on tour with me this summer. Her name is Addison Bailey Clark (she's 4 and, yes, her middle name is in honor of the circus). She thinks it's hilarious when I walk around with a sign that says Be Quiet on one side and Make Noise on the back. She's learning how to do a circular trapeze. She's my biggest fan and has very good manners. She makes me apologize to the other clowns when I hit them in our act.

 

Omar Dudley, 19, acrobat (left)

 

ERICH SCHLEGEL/DMN

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Chicago

Favorite workouts: Stretching and jumping jacks and I run and jog a lot. Stretching gives me energy and relaxes the bones so that I can do a flip without hurting my ankles and knees.

Workouts as a kid: Me and my brothers used to pull the mattresses outside the house and tumble on them all day. I tried to put them back without my mom seeing, but once she did and wanted to spank all of us. Now I'm an acrobat and she's proud. She's always been there to support me.

Food confessions: You're not supposed to eat junk food, but I do anyway, and I never gain weight. I drink a lot of water; that is very important.

For the kids: I remember as a kid looking up to the performers. Now I love seeing the kids smile when I do something, whether it's big or just a little split.

Message for kids: Anything is possible. If you have a goal to reach, you can make it if you work hard and you're not afraid.

Favorite moment: I stand on one end of a teeterboard, the Bulgarian troupe jumps on the other, and I flip a triple somersault. It's the most amazing thing.

 

Ivan Vargas, 17, acrobat

 

ERICH SCHLEGEL/DMN

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His parents are Mexican-born circus performers going back six generations on his father's side and five on his mother's side.

Favorite workouts: I love to stretch. Stretching helps with everything. I also run and jump rope and do push-ups and pull-ups, all that good stuff. I know when I exercise I'm doing something good for my body and that helps me push harder and do better tricks. That's why I love working out.

His parents' acts: My mother was an acrobat on the high wire and did the trapeze. My father did hand balancing and the trapeze. Now, my mother is in wardrobe and my father is in charge of all the animals.

Growing up in the circus: If I wanted to try the trapeze, I could try the trapeze. If I wanted to ride an elephant, I could ride an elephant. I was always active, running with my friends, trying new things. The entire circus is like a family, and we look out for each other. This is exactly where I want to be. I wouldn't change it for anything.

Favorite moment: Floor tumbling. That's my specialty. Tumbling is more freestyle than gymnastics. It has a mixture of hip-hop. You can dance to it, it has back handsprings, it has everything. I love the freedom of it.

 

Anna Kaminik, 31, aerialist on silks

 

ERICH SCHLEGEL/DMN

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Russia

Favorite workouts: I do push-ups, pull-ups, lift my legs up and do sit-ups every day. I need strong legs to do different wraparounds and knots, I need strong arms to turn my body, and I need a strong stomach to turn all the way around. I exercise very hard to make my act look easy.

Why she likes her act: It always keeps you in shape because you have to train yourself every day. It keeps me young.

Before she did silks: I did eight years of gymnastics and was part of the Russian Olympic team.

Food tips: I love fruits and vegetables. I'm not a fan of sweet stuff. But if you love sweets, you should just eat a little bit and enjoy what you eat.

Sneaking peeks: I concentrate when I do difficult parts, but afterward, when I'm doing a nice movement, I relax and look around at people and show them I am happy they are here.

Favorite moment: When I see the people like what I'm doing. It is exciting when I do a drop and they get scared and then they enjoy it.

 

CIRCUS DETAILS

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents Bellobration Wednesday through Aug. 10 at American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave. The show will be at Fort Worth Convention Center Aug. 13-17. For details, call 214-373-8000 or see www.ringling.com or www.ticketmaster.com. $15-$95

*See www.circusfit.com to learn more about the program.