Founded: 1987 in Greensboro, VT
Number of Big Top Tour seasons: 20!
Number of years of Smirkus Summer Circus Camp: 17
Number of nonprofit community, youth, and social-service
organizations that have presented Circus Smirkus in
their towns: 84
Number of red clown noses sold each year on tour:
Over 15,000
Ages of Troupers: 10-18 Ages of
Campers: 8-17
Amount we have raised for our nonprofit presenters:
$2.1 million
Number of Smirkus graduates who’ve gone on to
professional performance careers: 32
— at Ringling Brothers, The Big Apple Circus,
Cirque du Soleil, Chicago’s Midnight Circus,
New York City, Las Vegas, and in European and Asian
shows
Number of shaving soap bars needed for 100 “clown
cream” pies at camp: Only 21/2 !
Number of students participating in our residencies
since our founding: 42,000
Number of summer Big Top Tour performances in 2006:
70 — in 15 towns in 5 states
in 7 weeks
Number of weeks of Smirkus Summer Circus Camp: 9
Number of vehicles and trailers in our Tour caravan:
26 (4 equipment trucks, 3 equipment
trailers, 4 bunk trailers, 2 travel trailers, 3 vans,
8 pickups, 1 pie car, and 1 economy car)
Number of schools visited through our School Residency
programs: 310
Number of circus campers per year: 375
(beginner/intermediate, advanced, advanced road show
and Smirkling camps)
Number of nations represented on tour and at camp
since our founding: 25 countries
(Canada, China, England, France, Georgia, Germany,
Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Kazahkstan, Korea,
Latvia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland,
Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine
and the U.S.), plus 10 First Nation and Native American
Indian tribes (Assiniboin, Cheyenne, Cree, Dakota,
Hunkpapa, Lakota, Navajo/Azteca, Oglala, Santee, Canadian
Sioux)
Size of the Big Top: 24 meters (80'
across; 33' ring diameter)
Number of seats in our Big Top: 750
(800 in a squeeze)
What it takes to load in the show: 8
hours, plus 1 Big Top, 120
42-inch steel stakes, 2 concession
tents, 1 backstage tent, 250
costumes, 200 props, 70
spotlights, and 1 mile of electrical
cable
Number of people in the 2006 Touring Company: 82
(27 Troupers backed by 55 coaches, cooks, counselors,
tent crew, tech crew, musicians, costumers, and administrative
staff)
Number of clowns it takes to change a light bulb:
1,000 (1 to drive the tiny clown
car and 999 to...)
See you at the circus!
