A life less ordinary beneath the big top a child’s dream come true

Countless kids dream of running away to join the circus, but for Cassius West, Shakira West and Talira West-Smith, the big top has always been home.

The teen cousins have spent their formative* years under the striped tent as part of Stardust Circus, taking to the stage time and time again to wow audiences alongside their parents.

While taking a first step is major milestone for the average one-year-old, learning to defy gravity was equally important for the West children, who learnt to balance precariously* on their uncle’s hands as part of the family’s teeterboard* act.

It was their first taste of onstage action.

“That was my first memory,” said Cassius, now 19. “It’s kind of like a rite of passage* for all the babies in the family. You’re thrown in – literally – and that’s how it starts.”

Fast forward two decades, and the trio are seasoned performers, forming the heart and soul of the family-run troupe of 40, who travel Australia and thrill audiences with their breathtaking acrobatics and daring aerial stunts.

Stardust was formed just over 30 years ago, when circus veterans Jan West and Lindsay Lennon bought and rebranded the R & A Perry Bros Circus, and a love of performing seems genetic* for the next generation of Wests.

“There’s nothing like it – the rush you get when the audience is cheering, holding their breath, or clapping like crazy,” Cassius said.

“That feeling is addictive. It reminds me why I love what I do, even on the hardest days.”

A convoy of caravans is the teens’ normal, instead of a white picket fence. The troupe’s families each share a motorhome, equipped with all the creature comforts of a regular house down to the dishwasher, clothes dryer and shower.

All the children are homeschooled through distance education, squeezing in lessons around rehearsals, but while their routine might sound exciting to non-circus students, there’s a trade-off for the Wests: giving up school holidays for their busy working schedule of back-to-back performances.

Growing up with the circus as their playground, the West cousins didn’t just perform for strangers – they made the big top their own.

Their fondest memories involve crafting elaborate shows that went far beyond the usual living room antics of most kids, and had a far grander set-up.

“We’d come up with tumbling and stunt routines to perform for our parents under the big top,” 18-year-old Shakira recalled.

“Some of our ideas were even good enough to make it into the actual show.”

Even with the magic of the big top, the cousins have occasionally wondered what life beyond the circus was like, with Talira, 16, briefly attending a local school.

“I thought I’d give it a shot, but I didn’t like it at all,” she said.

“I found myself straight back here. Sometimes you wonder what it’s like to have a more ‘normal’ life, but then you think about everything the circus has given us — the excitement, the creativity, and, most importantly, the bond we share as a family. It outweighs anything we might have missed.”

Sharing a similar sentiment to her cousin, 18-year-old Shakira West has also weighed up opportunities on both sides of the ring.

“Growing up in the circus is pretty amazing, but it’s also different.” she said.

“You don’t have the same childhood experiences as other kids, like going to school formals, sleepovers, or just having a regular weekend off.

“However, you get to travel all over the country, meet incredible people, and the circus community feels like a giant extended family.”

Specialising in aerial silks and flying trapeze, Shakira said her competitive drive has been key to mastering her craft.

“Trapeze is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she said. “I’ve been working on a double somersault since I was 12, and only now do I feel like I’m close to nailing it.

“Having Talira learning the same stunts definitely pushes me. Deep down, you always want to be the first one to land it.”

But beyond the family rivalry, the West cousins cherish the unique bond their circus life has given them.

“No matter where we are, we’ve got each other,” she said. “We love what we do, and we love who we get to do it with.”

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POLL

GLOSSARY

• formative: key years of development and growth
• precariously: in a way that is risky, dangerous and unstable
• teeterboard: board used by acrobats and tumblers that propels a person into the air when another person jumps onto the opposite end
• rite of passage: a ritual, ceremony or activity marking s an important stage, occasion or moment in a person’s life
• genetic: “in the blood” and relating to genes, heredity, family, ancestors

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What was Cassius’ first memory of growing up in the circus?
2. Where do the troupe’s families live and with what creature comforts?
3. How are the circus kids educated?
4. How old is Stardust Circus and who founded it?
5. What does Shakira West specialise in as a circus performer?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Comparing experiences
Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast a typical childhood to that of the West cousins. One side of your diagram should be labelled “Life in the circus” and the other side ,“A typical childhood.” In each of these sections record aspects of life that are different in each setting. Use the overlapping area of the two circles to record things that both types of experiences have in common.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability

2. Extension
Do you think that you would enjoy circus life? Write to explain your reasoning.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Personal and Social Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there part of the Stardust Circus troupe.

Create a conversation between two characters from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.