Entertainment - Circus Cycling in Saratoga

Taylor began riding four years ago when his parents gave him a unicycle as a Christmas present. Taylor was always on the go as a child, his father Robert Sanson said, so they decided to give him a gift that would let him put his energy to good use.

“He hadn’t really expressed interest in it, but he was riding it by the next day,” Sanson said. Taylor started learning to ride in the kitchen, holding onto the counters for balance.

After awhile, Taylor said, he put the unicycle away and forgot about it until he saw a video of a man doing tricks on a unicycle and decided to try some of them. Later, when Taylor and his family attended a Circus Smirkus show in New Hampshire, he decided to attend the group’s summer camp.

“We were completely blown away by the show,” Sanson said. “The professionalism of it was just incredible.”

At camp, Taylor was encouraged to audition to become a Trouper, a member of the highly-competitive company that tours the New England area and performs a total of 72 shows each summer.

“They were really surprised to see a unicyclist doing that kind of tricks,” Sanson said. “It’s different from what you usually get.”

Taylor was accepted into the company for his superior unicycle skills as well as for his character and personality. He gets permission to leave school early for the year in order to take part in the three-week intensive training and rehearsal period at Circus Smirkus headquarters in Greensboro, Vt.

The company will tour for seven weeks this summer and will perform four shows at the Saratoga Race Course on Union Street: July 10 and 11, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day. Each show lasts approximately two hours. The local performances are being hosted this year by the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs.

“I’ve learned a lot about performing, being in the ring, interacting with audience members, and learning to do stuff on my own,” Taylor said. “The hardest part is coming home at the end of the summer.”

Circus Smirkus Public Relations and House Manager Abby Ballard said that Taylor has developed his ability, confidence and presence in the ring since he became a Trouper last year.

“Taylor has a lot of energy, and he has wonderful unicycle skills,” she said.

Circus Smirkus’ performers include jugglers, trapeze artists, clowns, acrobats and more. The troupe is responsible for every aspect of the performance, including composing the music, making the costumes, and loading the show in and out. Former Circus Smirkus performers have gone on to perform with Ringling Brothers, Big Apple Circus, Cirque de Soleil, and many other groups.

The theme of this year’s performance is “The Zoot Suit Caper: A Boogie Woogie Whodunit,” featuring swing music and dance.

“They’re kind of closed-lipped about it,” said Sanson, who is on the committee bringing the group to Saratoga. “They want it to be a surprise.”

Tickets for the show are $18 for adults and $15 for children three-12. They can be purchased at www.smirkus.org or 1-877-SMIRKUS.