A live circus band, heavy on the brass, plays lively music, including traditional marches from John Phillip Sousa. Most performances conclude with the circus elephants. Circus Life Circus life is not nearly as glamorous or carefree as it may seem. Circus folk typically work 11 straight months without a day off, with the show shutting down only for a few weeks around Christmas to ready for the new year's edition. Set-up is the most grueling aspect of circus life, in which the equivalent of a small town must be erected in the span of only a few hours before the public starts arriving for the first performance.
Performers are typically responsible for setting up their own rigging at the appropriate time.
Typically there will be one or two performances on set-up day, two performances on weekdays, and three performances on weekends. Immediately following the last show at a particular location, everything is dismantled and packed into trucks, after which everyone hits the road to the next town. Children are schooled by their parents, typically following correspondance school curricula. Holidays are often celebrated en masse , and weddings in the center ring are not uncommon. Hardships aside, there is never any shortage of excitement on the road.