The Greatest Show On Earth

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Bellobration is in town and has performances throughout this weekend as well as some other fun events planned. On Friday at 1:00pm, there will be an Elephant Wash in Triangle Park in the middle of downtown Lexington. Also, ninety minutes before each show there will be an Animal Open House in the back parking lot of Rupp Arena. Hit the jump to read more details. Read more

Circus Profile: America’s Best Clown, Bello

Agile, athletic and full of fun, that master of merriment Bello is back like you’ve never seen him before, bringing loads of laughs and daredevil hilarity to The Greatest Show On Earth®. Whether bungling into another performer’s thrill act and scaring himself silly or doing battle with a bouncy bungee, the madcap Bello always succeeds in making the perilous look funny. His hair-raising antics and lighthearted way with danger have won him the affection of audiences young and old. No wonder TIME Magazine named him “America’s Best Clown.”

Born in 1968 in Sarasota, Florida, this seventh-generation member of a Swiss circus dynasty brings excitement and comic appeal to the ring. Bello’s days of performing began at age three when he dressed as a clown for the first time and acted in a Dumbo circus routine.

At age six, Bello was cast to play Little Michael Darling in the touring version of Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby, and at age nine his family began performing in the Tommy Bartlett Thrill Show in Dells, Wisconsin, that is still playing today.

“I always want to capture the attention of children,” says Bello. “After my performance, adults will remember being a kid again.”

To stay energetic and inspiring to Children Of All Ages, Bello always remembers what his father taught him: “Never think you can’t improve — you can never learn enough.”

Bello married his high school sweetheart, Jenny, and has one son, Alex, two daughters, Amariah and Analiese. Bello feels very strongly about instilling the many morals he has learned from his family and he also influences his children with Bible stories.

DID YOU KNOW?
Bello acted in his first clown act on a nine-foot low wire at age nine and performed in his first tent show in 1998 for the Big Apple Circus.

Source: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus