These Circus Artists Bring Generations Of Craft & History To NYC

As the only person to ever cross the Grand Canyon on a wire, Nik Wallenda is known worldwide for his daring feats on the high wire. The Guinness World Record holder is carrying on the Wallenda family’s tradition as the seventh generation to walk the tightrope. Now, Wallenda and a cast of extraordinary performers are back thrilling audiences as the Big Apple Circus proves that the “impossible is possible” during every show.

The Big Apple Circus’ international company includes gold-medal-award-winning, world-class circus artists from Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Germany, Russia and the United States who join the Wallendas in the reimagined, reinvented and reinvigorated production.

Just like Wallenda, the Big Apple Circus’ cast of performers brings years of training and experience, along with family legacies, to their individual acts. Read on to learn more about the talented circus artists performing in the Big Apple Circus.

Tickets to the Big Apple Circus are available now!

Alan Silva, Sixth-Generation Acrobat Extraordinaire

When he was 6 years old, Alan Silva made his debut as a circus artist, performing floor acrobatics and clown acts. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he is a sixth-generation circus performer following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who spent their lives performing under the big top. Silva eventually started performing maromba, which is similar to the high wire. His love of being in the air led him to create an act using aerial acrobatic flying silks. In 2003, he began performing with Cirque du Soleil. Silva has appeared on television as a top-five finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” Season 15.

Daniela Prieto, Ninth-Generation Aerial Performer

As a ninth-generation circus performer, Daniela Prieto watched family members walk the high wire, fly through the air on the trapeze and even get shot out of a cannon. Not surprisingly, Prieto developed her own passion for the air. She’s performed in multiple acts including aerial cradle (a large rectangular frame), double trapeze and flying trapeze. In the hopes of following in her mother’s footsteps, Prieto began training on the high wire. Along with her partner and husband, Alec Bryant, she will be debuting her high-wire skills at the Big Apple Circus.

Johnny Rocket, Seventh-Generation Comedic Daredevil

Johnny Rocket was born into a family of entertainers. His grandfather, Smiley Daly Sr., got his start in the early days of the European circus. After immigrating to the U.S., he began working in vaudeville and later returned to the circus. Rocket learned the art of physical comedy from his father, Smiley Daly Jr.

Crowned as the clown prince of comedy, Rocket is a comedic daredevil, mixing physical comedy with crazy stunts. He’s skilled at making crowds laugh hysterically one minute, only to have them on the edge of their seats the next. A consummate entertainer, Rocket is considered one of the most versatile circus performers.

Erendira Vasquez Wallenda, Eighth-Generation Aerial Artist

With her roots in circus performing going back eight generations, Erendira Vasquez Wallenda is considered circus royalty. She began performing at 5 years old and is recognized for her unmatched aerial artistry, which led her to be the featured female performer in 137th Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth. Known for her performances with the aerial cloud swing (rope), lyra (hoop) and chiffon (silks) routines, she’s also thrilled audiences performing on the soaring 70-foot sway pole and on the high wire, along with her husband, Nik Wallenda. She’s set world records, most recently in 2020 performing an aerial lyra routine while suspended beneath a helicopter, hanging by her teeth 1,800 feet above the active Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.

See These Performers Now In The Big Apple Circus!

The all-new, reinvented, reimagined and reinvigorated Big Apple Circus is an exhilarating show you don’t want to miss this holiday season. Performances of the Big Apple Circus at the Big Top, located at Lincoln Center, continue now through Jan. 30, 2022. Matinee and evening showings are available, and tickets start at $25.

Buy Your Tickets NOW To The Big Apple Circus!