How to Become a Tightrope Walker

Tightrope walking is also referred to as tightwire walking and involves exactly what its name implies. Trained individuals in circus arts walk across an elevated wire that is tightly held between 2 points. The walker may hold a pole to aid in balancing and suspend a safety net below to catch them in case of a fall. Follow these steps to learn to walk a tightrope.

Instructions

1. Enroll in a circus arts camp to learn to walk a tightrope. There are numerous camps that last from 2 days to 2 weeks for children over the age of 7. Circus Smirkus and Future Stars are among the camps that feature tightrope walking and other circus activities.

2. Check into circus schools such as the San Francisco School of Circus Arts in California. In Virginia, the Circus Arts Workshop is found in McLean. In Georgia, an available circus school is the Horizon's Circus Camp in Atlanta.

3. Find out if your local community college, or any universities, offer classes in the Circus Arts. The Flying High Circus at Florida State University can be taken for a grade, earning you 1 credit hour in the College of Education/Physical Education area. You must be registered at Florida State University as a degree-seeking student in order to participate.

4. Contact circuses and tell them you are a tightrope walker interested in joining their circus. Have a tape prepared to send in with your material on it. If they like what they see, you can expect to perform in front of a small crowd that wants to see you in action before hiring you. The Ringling Brothers is a very well known and competitive circus.

Tips & Warnings

• You can contact the Circus Arts Workshop in McLean, Virginia, at [phone]. The San Francisco School of Circus Arts can be reached at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

• If you are interested in Horizon's the Circus Camp in Atlanta, Georgia, phone [phone] or email [e-mail].

• Performing in a circus is a lifestyle, not just a job. Expect to travel a lot in tight quarters with the people in your circus.

• Tightrope walking can be very dangerous. If you fall, you could suffer life threatening injuries.

Resources

• Visit Future Stars for circus art camps.
• Visit Circusmirkus to find out about circus camps for kids.
• Ringling's Circus website