For more than 15 years, UniverSoul Circus has been coming to St. Louis, long enough for some families to share the experience across generations.
Candace Franklin is among those whose visits to UniverSoul Circus have become a family tradition.
“I came to UniverSoul Circus originally with my parents, the very first time when I was a kid, and I had an amazing time,” Franklin said. “And then I doubled back again for my son’s 5th birthday, and he had a great time, and now here we are again, almost 10 years later. He’s 14 and we’re back again.”
Franklin and her son traveled from Clarksville, Tennessee, for the St. Louis show, the closest stop to where she lives. She said the gospel portion of the show is one of her favorite parts.
The show features acrobats, ballet dancers, Caribbean Carnival performers, dirt bike riders performing aerial stunts, a hand-balancing act, a high-flying Russian swing act and fire-breathing stilt walkers.
But for some families, the appeal goes beyond the performances.
Sharon Richardson, a St. Louis native who has attended UniverSoul Circus about six times, said the experience has also become a family tradition. This year, she brought her daughter and niece. Richardson said she wanted the girls to gain more than memories of the performances.
“I definitely want them to learn something about the culture, of course, because it is, you know, a Black circus,” Richardson said. “So I want them to learn something about themselves.”
She said she wants the girls to recognize that their skin and hair are beautiful and to “be proud of who they are.”
Founded in 1994 by Cedric Walker, who wanted to create a circus where people of color could perform, UniverSoul Circus has grown into an international production. This year’s show includes performers from five continents and 12 countries, said Donald Long, also known as N.O., the circus’ lead ringmaster.
Performers and workers come from the United States, the Caribbean, Africa and other parts of the world.
Erica Rawlins, UniverSoul Circus’ artistic director and talent manager, said the circus creates opportunities for performers to grow while also providing jobs for residents in the communities it visits. The circus hires locals to usher, help set up and break down the tent and fill other positions, she said.
“There’s a good opportunity for young people,” Rawlins said.
Rawlins began her career as a dancer with the circus 21 years ago and later worked as a choreographer and costume designer before moving into management.
The circus also features local talent.
Mz. Louie Fresh, 17, is a St. Louis dancer and member of the local Fresh the Clowns group. She traveled to Atlanta to audition for Fresh the Clowns and performs with the group when UniverSoul Circus comes to St. Louis.
She said she incorporates St. Louis music and dance moves, including the heel-toe, into her performances. Her stage name is also a reference to her hometown.
For Tyrique Durant, the opportunity to join the circus came unexpectedly. After a video of him stilt-walking with a group in Trinidad and Tobago went viral on social media, a UniverSoul Circus performer reached out to him.
“I am in love with the stage,” Durant said. “I love to perform.”
Zakita Edimbrough has spent more than 10 years with UniverSoul Circus and performs multiple roles in the show. Known as its “Limbo Queen,” Edimbrough said she takes pride in incorporating a tradition from her home country into her performances.
“Limbo dancing was originated in Trinidad and Tobago,” Edimbrough said.
Edimbrough said performing the act gives her an opportunity to introduce audiences to a part of her culture.
That cultural exchange also takes place among those working with the circus.
Rawlins said one of the things that continues to fascinate her after more than two decades is watching people from different countries communicate. Members of the circus speak English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and other languages, yet they work, train and travel together.
“We communicate, whether it’s happiness, joy, whatever,” Rawlins said. “We communicate and we all understand each other.”
Solomon Snowden, a member of the Soul Skaters from Albany, Georgia, said people once questioned whether skating could become a career.
“You can’t skate for a living. You can’t get paid for skating,” Snowden recalled hearing.
Now, skating is part of his everyday job with the circus.
“We follow our dreams and we want everybody else to follow their dreams too, because anything is possible,” Snowden said.
Detroit artist Selena Ross joined the circus as a face painter in 2024. She said traveling with the circus has taken her to cities she had never visited and introduced her to people from Cuba, Mexico, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Russia and elsewhere.
“Meeting the people and building the relationships have been enriching,” Ross said.
“You’re being exposed to so many different cultures,” Ross said. “And that’s a blessing.”
For Ross, being part of UniverSoul carries another significance.
“It’s just wild just to be a part of a legacy,” Ross said. “And that’s what this is. It’s a legacy for our community.”