And the circus is magic. But the magic is real, which people create and everything happens here "live" - without editing, without understudies, and special effects, if they are used, they only add brightness and emotions.

If we continue the theme of traditions, we can say one more thing – it so happened that on New Year's Eve the Moscow circus always comes to Ashgabat on tour. After a two-year break due to the pandemic, this good custom is returning - the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue is already in the Turkmen capital and will give its first performance on December 10.

The program of Muscovites is incredibly interesting, and many of the artists' performances are copyrighted and they are the only performers of such exclusive tricks in the world.

The performance will feature trained bears, cats, dogs, noseheads (mammals from the raccoon family). The most difficult acrobatic and balancing performances, there will be a juggler, a group of cyclists, aerial gymnastics. By the way, the artist performing in this genre, Daria Zayats is only 12 years old, of which 6 - she is already in the arena. And she started training at the age of 3.

And it was her I saw "floating" under the dome of the circus when I came to interview Moscow guests. Of course, I froze and didn't even seem to breathe - the gymnast was flying in the air in a stretch, and I only saw that it was a little girl when she "landed".

They say about artists like Daria – "born in sawdust." This is what members of circus dynasties in the second, third and so on generations are called," says Irina Parfenova, the show's host, circus artist and acrobat.

Dasha's parents, for example, go to the arena with an acrobatic number "Persha" - this is the most difficult trick on the balance. The head of the family, Vitaly Zayats, holds a 4-meter mast on his forehead, and on top of it Daria and her mother Margarita Nikulina perform stands and other exercises.

― There are enough such dynasties and family artists in our team. However, a circus "infection", if it gets into a person, it is no longer cured, and the circus itself "does not let go", whether it is born in the arena and continuing the path of parents, or who came from the outside and made himself an artist of the circus. And this is another way to get into the arena," Irina continues.

Denis Chindyaskin – at 35 is one of the best jugglers in the world. He has been engaged in this "craft" for 23 years, and began at the age of 11, having come to the children's circus studio. There were no circus performers in his family, he was the first. Then he continued his studies at the circus school and all these years he has been performing in the arena and creating author's numbers, which almost no one in the world can repeat.

They also come to the circus from sports, having completed their sports career. They also successfully perform with their own unique numbers.

― And there are those who enter the arena for love, like me, for example. I fell in love with a circus performer and did not notice how the circus became my life, where I have been performing with the number "Power Couple" and "Sira Ring" for almost 10 years. And I'm also the host of a show program," Irina says, smiling.

In general, the circus is not only traditions. This is also strict discipline and unprecedented workaholism. Rehearsals and training sessions can last for hours, but it is with such perseverance that artists hone their skills and achieve perfection of performance.

And the circus has its own rules and, one might say, superstitions. And no one is allowed to violate them. When I found myself backstage, there was inventory on the floor and I was politely asked to go around, and not step over the "tool". This, it turns out, is one of the immutable "laws", which is observed very strictly. Also, you can not sit with your back to the arena, cross the road to the artist before entering the arena and categorically you can not click seeds, otherwise there will be no ticket sales. They don't use the word "last" in combination with the presentation either – only the "final" presentation.

In addition to prohibitions and strict requirements, circus performers also have their own good traditions. For example, they always congratulate each other on the beginning and end of touring performances, as well as on weekends, which happen once a week on Mondays.

The weekend is still far away, but on Saturday, December 10, the audience will see the first performance of the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue. I don't want to spoiler and reveal the intrigue, but the performance will be amazing, starting from the most difficult numbers of different circus genre, training with animals and ending with comic reprises of the funny clown Boris Nikishkin.

He is also, by the way, "born in sawdust" - an artist in the second generation, and the modern direction of clowning in which he works will pleasantly surprise the audience and, no doubt, will appeal to both adult and children's audiences.

So that 11 numbers and 2.5 hours with the artists of the Moscow circus will fly by instantly, but the unforgettable memories from the spectacular performance will remain forever.

Gulya Geldieva