Showcasing the best of the best, Circus Rio directors have hand-picked the best performers around the globe and are making their mark at the Wagga Showgrounds. 

Aerial strap performer Chantal Ward, from Brisbane, said the circus lifestyle captivated her twice, when she was a little girl and then as an adult wanting to try something new.

“I was originally a dancer for 15 years and I’ve always had a fascination for the circus and growing up as a child I would always watch the local circus in town and admired the lifestyle,” she said. 

“It’s not a nine-to-five job and some days are quite long but you open your caravan door and you’ll be in a different town so it’s a great experience.

“I was a little bored of being on the ground and took up aerial skills and then joined Webers Circus, where I met my partner Marc and together we put together a straps act and have been on the road for two years performing together.” 

While spending a year on the road and out of caravans does not appeal to some, Ms Ward said it is a “different and exciting” job that can be very “exhausting” at times. 

“It can be time consuming on travel weeks and all the training that is involved and it’s a little bit more exhausting when we have to pull down all the tents, move all the caravans and trucks to the next location so that we can set up for the next show,” she said. 

Among FMX performances and world-renowned flying trapezes are a Cuban-French couple Yanel and Diane Morales, who both performed on France’s Got Talent. 

Mr Morales is one of the few people in the world who can land tricks on his apparatus, without any safety gear. 

“I don’t get scared but I get an adrenaline rush before the show starts,” he said. 

“It takes a lot of hours, practise, stretching and training everyday as well as trying new tricks.” 

Mrs Morales said after the performance the audience always asks her husband how he does it. 

“They go, ‘Oh he’s amazing’ and I think people think it’s magic but it’s just balance and a lot of work,” she said. 

Circus Rio will be performing in Wagga until February 24.