Taylor Wright-Sanson always had a lot of energy, so when he was about 9, his parents bought him a unicycle.
It was mostly just to slow him down and challenge him, Wright-Sanson’s father, Robert Sanson, remembered.
Soon enough, though, Wright-Sanson mastered the unicycle — so much so that two years ago, he joined the circus.
It sounds like a joke, but the Saratoga Springs teen is spending the summer touring with Circus Smirkus, a show whose acrobats, jugglers and trapeze artists range from 10 to 18 years old. Based in Vermont, Circus Smirkus is a nonprofit organization dedicated to exposing kids to circus life. Over the course of seven weeks this summer, it will put on 71 shows.
Wright-Sanson, 16, will enjoy a homecoming of sorts on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 8 and 9, when the circus stops in Saratoga. It will put on shows at 2 and 7 p.m. both days at the Saratoga Race Course.
`It’s very, very professionally done,` Sanson said. `The level of competency is right there with adults.`
That’s because, like Wright-Sanson, the performers have been honing their crafts for years. Many attended Circus Smirkus’ summer camp, where coaches helped them learn the arts of clowning, tight-wire walking and stilts. The coaches have their own impressive resumes; some have performed with Ringling Brothers, and others with Cirque du Soleil.
Wright-Sanson, who attends the Waldorf School, signed up for the summer camp after his mom saw Circus Smirkus perform in New Hampshire a few years ago. By then, he’d graduated from just riding his unicycle to doing tricks and jumps on it like he’d seen `extreme unicyclists` do on YouTube videos.
`He’s all self-taught,` Sanson said.
Camp staffers were so impressed with Wright-Sanson’s skills that they told him on the first day of camp that he should audition to be part of the traveling show. He did, and in 2006, he spent his first summer on the road with Circus Smirkus.
Like old-time traveling circuses, Circus Smirkus brings tents and an entourage of about 80 people to each town, using professional costumer designers, composers and choreographers to stage shows. The season kicks off each year with a performance in Circus Smirkus’ home base of Greensboro, Vt., and `then we hack up the big top tent and take it on the road,` said Marialisa Calta, Circus Smirkus’ spokeswoman.
The touring season lasts roughly two months, and most stops are in New England. Saratoga is the only place in New York where the circus will perform.
For Sanson and his wife, Cynthia Wright, that means a dozen or so road trips to see their son.
`We miss him,` Sanson said.
Beyond that, the couple truly enjoys watching the circus. Sanson said that when people first hear about Circus Smirkus, they figure, `It’ll be nice. The kids will be in there juggling and doing tricks.`
By the time people leave, `they’re saying, ‘That’s the best live show we’ve ever seen,’` Sanson said with a laugh.
`It’s really remarkable, because it’s young people performing, but they’re performing at a level you can’t even believe,` Calta added.
The `troupers,` as they’re called, come from all over the country, Calta said. Each year, Circus Smirkus also features a few international performers, including two from Colombia this year. Many of the performers, like Wright-Sanson, have spent previous summers with Circus Smirkus, which might explain how the show is ready to hit the road after just three weeks of practice.
`It comes together very quickly,` Calta said.
Performances, too, are fast-paced.
`It starts and it just takes off and goes from there,` Wright said. `It’s really amazing.`
Admission to the Saratoga show is $18.50 for adults and $15.50 for kids 2 to 12. Children younger than 2 get in free. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.
For information or to buy tickets, visit www.smirkus.org.“