Majestic Big Top Circus ringmaster, flame-eater and equestrian director Ben Davenport says the world of the circus is his life. Because of his dedication and enthusiasm for something he loves deeply, Davenport says he always gives his best performances possible,
Majestic Big Top Circus ringmaster, flame-eater and equestrian director Ben Davenport says the world of the circus is his life.
Because of his dedication and enthusiasm for something he loves deeply, Davenport says he always gives his best performances possible, whether the audience is large or small.
Davenport says he typifies the spirit of 40 or so circus performers and staffers who will put on shows at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center from March 9-11.
Their roots in the circus world run deep — they are either second, third or fourth generation circus performers, started in the business when they were young, and practice continuously, said publicist Judy Kaye.
Life with the circus usually means traveling to sites via truck, train caravans, plane or ship, sometimes setting up the tents in bad weather, putting up equipment, tearing down the tent and moving hundreds or even thousands of miles to the next site before setting up again, Kaye said.
Because they travel with their parents, the performers’ children are always on the go and never settle in at one school — if they go to a school at all.
The children are tutored by parents, get an education through correspondence schools or are tutored by someone hired by Majestic, Kaye said.
“This is a family-oriented circus, and we take care of our children,” she said.
Ultimately, the children — when they grow older — either go to college or join the circus full-time. Those who can’t hack it bow out, but they are in the minority, Kaye said.
Davenport said his mother stressed the importance of education, and that throughout his time with circuses, he was given the option to go to college.
But he said the circus world taught him enough about life, and he felt it could provide a meaningful live for him.
“The circus is in my blood,” Davenport said.
Davenport said he prefers working in the circus “because every day is different. You have the entertainment, the lights, the music, the people, the travel.”
Davenport’s tie to the circus goes back to his grandparents, who performed in the circuses in Europe and the United States in the late 1800s.
His direct involvement with the circus started the day he was born.
Davenport was born while his mother, Maria Del Reguio Castillo, a trapeze artist, was in Wisconsin for a performance. He came to know the nuts and bolts of the circus world while traveling with his mother and father, show director John Davenport.
Ben Davenport’s involvement with the circus has taken him throughout the United States, and to Mexico, Central America and Canada.
Davenport, 26, has performed in three separate circuses in the last 16 years. He said he has been successful partly because he gets supports from his wife and son, who travel with him.
Davenport’s specialty is fire-eating. The act, he says, is unique among circuses, and has taken him three years to perfect. He originally leaned how to do it by watching another performer.
“I could have been doing the trapeze like my mother, but I prefer this. I want to stand out,” Davenport said. “I want the crowd to see something special.”
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
