A Circus Showcase
Sun, Nov 9, 2025
11:30 am
Emma Ling Hwei Performing Lyra at a Circus Academy open house on Pier 40, photograph by Luis Fonesca, 2025.
Tickets
Though admission is free, tickets are required and capacity is limited. Advance tickets are recommended.
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The Susan and John Hess Family Theater is equipped with an induction loop and infrared assistive listening system. Accessible seating is available.
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Floor 3, Theater
Open to all ages
Join the Circus Academy of New York for a performance celebrating the 100th birthday of Calder’s Circus. Experience some of the spectacular skills that inspired this iconic work of art! After the show, take part in a Q&A session with the performers to learn more about their work and life in the circus. Then, visit High Wire: Calder’s Circus at 100 to see how Calder transformed these same themes into art.
Calder grew up at the end of the golden age of the American circus. After seeing the circus live, Calder was filled with inspiration. In 1926, Calder began constructing his miniature multi-act circus while living in Paris, using everyday materials you might find around the house or at a hardware store—wire, fabric, cork, wood, string, and found objects—to create a cast of acrobats, animals, and other circus performers including clowns, a sword swallower, and a ringmaster. The figures were brought to life through performances that Calder staged for audiences of artists and friends. Calder would manipulate the figures with his hands and add sound effects with his own voice. These dynamic performances were set to music, complete with lighting, and could last up to two hours—representing a radical new form of performance art. Calder stored the Circus in a set of five suitcases and would travel back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean with his Circus all packed up and ready to go.
Calder’s Circus shows his early fascination with movement, form, and suspense. Through his performances of the Circus, Calder honed the techniques that would shape his sculptures, including his groundbreaking invention of the mobile.
The Circus Academy of New York
The Circus Academy of New York is a school dedicated to teaching and celebrating the art of circus. With locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan’s Pier 40, the Academy offers classes, workshops, and performance opportunities for all ages and levels. Students can learn skills such as flying trapeze, aerial arts, trampoline, juggling, and general circus techniques in a supportive and professional environment.
Participants become part of a vibrant community that honors the rich tradition and creative spirit of circus arts in New York City.
