THE EXTREME ESPANAS

It's all about family. Ask any of the Españas, the spectacular, multitalented troupe performing in the all-new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Hometown Edition, and that's what they'll say. Sure, they love the edge-of-your-seat stunts and the awestruck audiences, but for them, the circus is truly all about family.

Noe, Ivan and Ramon Jr. are brothers who grew up in the circus, and Vivien, Noe's wife, is part of a famous Italian circus troupe, the Larible family. Each España carries on the tradition and artistry of previous generations while elevating the action in their acts, raising the bar for the next generation.

NOE, IVAN AND RAMON
The España men are fifth-generation performers who were raised to think that flying through the air at spectacular speeds and performing daredevil stunts for stunned on-lookers was just a normal part of growing up. They performed as part of their uncle's circus in Mexico, starting on a trampoline but quickly moving up - way up! - to become accomplished trapeze artists while just in their teens.

Their award-winning career has taken them around the globe, including important bookings in Mexico and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. Then they were asked to join The Greatest Show On Earth® in 1983. As Noe puts it: "A dream come true."

Their high-wire, high-octane performances include the spectacular Skywheel and the gasp-inducing Globe of Death, each featuring a breathtaking combination of skill, speed and thrill-seeker overload. The brothers believe in knowing and honoring the history that made the circus great, while using their innovation and creativity to update traditional acts, making them even more exciting for a new generation of fans.

Pushing the envelope while defying gravity is risky business. "It's a lot of work and it's dangerous, but there is something that pushes you to want to accomplish it," says Noe. "You have to be a little afraid. You have to respect heights." Adds Ivan, "You have to dedicate yourself to whatever you do in life. It's what we know, it's our way of life."

The España brothers see themselves as entertainers and athletes as well as lucky custodians of a valued heritage. They work tirelessly to improve their performances and give the audience the unforgettable experience of seeing live, death-defying feats that owe nothing to the special effects of video games or television. "It's different than just going to see a movie. There's no substitute for seeing it live," Ivan states with pride.

VIVIEN
Like all the Españas, Vivien grew up in the circus. As did her parents, grandparents, great-grandparents - and their great-great grandparents! Vivien and her siblings represent the seventh generation of a proud circus family. She is the youngest of four children who follow in the footsteps of their dad, the great circus aerialist Eugenio Larible who once performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in the height of its popularity. (Her brother David headlines as The Prince of Laughter in the 134th Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth®.)

As a child she made her circus debut as part of her father's signature aerial act, the challenging Washington Trapeze. Now Vivien performs that same act for today's amazed audiences: High above the ground, more than 25 feet in the air, Vivien balances on her head on a narrow bar as the trapeze rotates around the ring while it spins. It requires extraordinary skill and coordination, not to mention nerves of steel. This is not your typical family tradition!

Like all circus performances, the trapeze requires continued practice to stay in top shape and keep the skills honed. Even after all this time, Vivien says, "If I haven't been in the ring for a while, just a couple of days, I get dizzy. But," she is quick to add, "after one time I'm fine again." It's obvious that being high in the air with her father when she was a child is paying dividends: "I started to perform at age seven, so I don't really get scared."

Performing with her dad was only one perk of growing up in the circus. The best part of circus life, Vivien says, "is that you can always be with your family. When I was a child I was lucky that I could always be with my parents. Now I'm a mom, and I feel very lucky that I can spend most of the day with my children." And since the entire Ringling Bros. circus is like an extended family, she says that even when performing or training, "I don't have to leave them with strangers."

THE NEXT GENERATION
So, will the next generation of Españas perform for new generations of circus-goers? Bet on it. Zore and Sian (Ivan's children) and Noemi and Elan (Noe and Vivien's two) travel with their parents, watch them perform and have already shown an interest in the family business. "It makes you proud that the children want to do what you do," comments Vivien, adding, "If they change their minds that's okay, too."

All the parents agree that they would support whatever decision the children make, but can't help hoping that they will continue the tradition. After all, says Noe, "It's a great life."

They may travel around the country without stopping long in any one town but, as Noe says, "Your home is where your family is."