Pictured: Chu Chuan-Ho will present his thrilling brand of Tempo Diabolo. Photo courtesy of Circus Sarasota.

In its 25th anniversary year, Sarasota’s hometown circus, Circus Sarasota, is ready to bring chills, thrills and laughs aplenty to audiences of all ages with “Circus Sarasota Legacy: 25th Anniversary Show” from February 10 through March 5, 2023. Featuring new and innovative acts, Circus Sarasota’s 2023 production will offer high-flying action, heart-stopping thrills, laugh-out-loud comedic antics, and acts that defy both expectations and the boundaries of physical limitations. Closing the show this year is a world-premiere performance by a duo straps act from Ukraine, featuring Maryna Tkachenko and Anastasiia Kornieieva. The Circus Arts Conservatory has joined numerous other members of the Global Alliance of Circus Schools to support circus artists from Ukraine by sponsoring visas and offering jobs so that they can work even while their country is at war with Russia. “Just as the circus provides patrons with an escape from reality, the circus is providing Ukrainian artists with an escape from the horrors taking place in their own country right now,” said Circus Arts Conservatory president and CEO, Pedro Reis. “The circus unites everyone under the Big Top – it’s a potpourri of cultures and life experiences; we are proud to support fantastic artists like Maryna and Anastasiia who are determined to carry on – to inspire and entertain people with their art – despite what is happening back home.”

Performances take place under the Ulla Searing Big Top on Nathan Benderson Park's Regatta Island (5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota). Show times vary (Wednesday-Saturday at 7 p.m., Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m., Sundays and Monday, February 20 at 1 and 5 p.m.). Tickets are $20-$75. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit CircusArts.org or call the Box Office at 941-355-9805.

Pictured: Chu Chuan-Ho will present his thrilling brand of Tempo Diabolo. Photo courtesy of Circus Sarasota.