Indian circus

The Indian circuses reflect an atavistic and compassionate life, which Mary Ellen has depicted with disturbing honesty and compelling affection. Who are most of the acrobats? They are children, mostly girls; for many of them, the alternative to this life would have been begging (or starving) or prostitution. And what is the circus life for them? It is three performances a day, every day. To bed about midnight, up about six. Yet there is only one photograph of an acutual performance in this book, for the real life here is not seen in performing; rather it is seen in the daily life in the troupe tents and in the dusty aisles between the tents--it is best seen as a life of practice, and rest, and more practice.If you think you work hard, you should see what a day in the life of an Indian circus is like. I spent only a week at the Great Royal Circus in Junagadh; merely to observe the work that they do is exhausting--almost as exhausting as watching Mary Ellen