In recognition of the eighth annual World Circus Day, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has announced that its 50th anniversary in 2017 will include a program featuring the vibrant cultural and artistic expressions of the circus from diverse communities across the country. Circus Arts will take visitors behind the scenes to explore everything from traditions passed down through generations to many of the new expressions that reflect changing social and cultural mores that have always been a hallmark of circus life, work and artistry.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, inaugurated in 1967, honors contemporary living cultural traditions and celebrates those who practice and sustain them. Produced annually by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in partnership with the National Park Service, the Festival has featured participants from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. This year’s circus arts program will feature intimate workshops, full-scale performances and an interactive circus school where visitors can meet and learn from master artists from across five major circus disciplines: acrobatics, aerials, clowning, equilibristics (e.g., tightrope walking) and object manipulation (e.g., juggling). “The program brings to life not only the masterful work of the performers, but also the extraordinary effort of every member o...