Under The Big Top

The circus is a place full of excitement, captivating audiences of all ages with its acrobatics, daring feats and unforgettable performances. The idea of running away to join the circus may be seen as nothing more than a childhood fantasy, but for one high school senior, it is a dream he is determined to turn into a reality.

“I want to join the circus because I feel like it’s so unique and not something I can see myself getting bored with over time,” senior Izaak Redmon said. “It just seems like such a fun job with experiences not a lot of other places can offer you.”

 In 2020 on a trip to Las Vegas to see his grandparents, Redmon visited the Las Vegas Circus Center, which created the spark of interest that made him want to pursue it as a career. There, he got to meet with people from Cirque du Soleil.

“They had a training camp that I got to do for about a month, and I thought that it was really interesting and something that I would like to do as an occupation,” Redmon said. “I also got to meet a few stunt doubles at the circus, and their stories drew me to want to work in that particular field.” 

To get into this training camp however, Redmon couldn’t just walk in; he had to prove to judges that he deserved to be there. 

“The judges told us to do a trick and not elaborate to see if we could do it or how we would interpret the trick,” Redmon said. “For example, a back one and a half. If you did a backflip with a full rotation, then you showed them that you knew how to do that certain trick.”

When he was 6, Redmon started participating in Tae Kwon Do, and he planned to use the skills he learned in lessons to fulfill his dream of being a stunt double in the circus. 

“I used to watch a Disney show called ‘Kickin’ It’ and thought it looked cool, so I just started taking lessons and eventually got to today,” Redmon said. “Now, I have a third degree black belt and have become internationally ranked which has been one of my biggest accomplishments and was one of my proudest moments.”

However, with this unique pursuit in life, Redmon has dealt with some challenges.      

“I want to learn how to do all these tricks and things, but it’s hard to do it in Kansas City because they don’t really have anywhere to practice or any training centers,” Redmon said. “I could go to a trampoline center or something, but it’s not really the same as when I have somebody direct or coach me on how to do all of this stuff in an actual training center. That’s why moving to Las Vegas would be a big goal of mine.”

The circus has always been a place of wonder, excitement and danger. For those who have a passion for pushing themselves to their limits and thrilling audiences, it can be the ultimate destination.