Intricate Display Of Equesirian And Aerial Skills (NAPSA)—Equally adept on the ground with an exquisite equine or in the air on a thin trapeze, “Circus Siren” Sylvia Zerbini is one of the most versatile performers Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has ever known. Zerbini is a ninth-generation circus performer, the daughter of an exotic animal trainer and a celebrated trapeze artist. As a child, she followed her family into show business, first as an aerialist, but was eventually drawn to work with animals—specifically horses. Now, audiences witness her two loves in one daring act, which highlights her bond with the horses and her graceful trapeze abilities. In an elegant and intricate display, Zerbini defies gravity for the aerialist portion, and is then joined by her equine friends in a liberty act, which highlights the horses’ talents without the use of reins or any other apparatus. The display includes eight Arabian horses lead solely by Zerbini’s voice and subtle body movements. Having started in the circus as a child, it’s not surprising Zerbini has brought her daughter Ambra into the fold. “When I practice, she'll be watching the horses and Ambra will just know if one is thinking of running out of the ring. Then, she simply cues it to stay inside,” says Sylvia. “She’s learned the behaviors and mannerisms of horses. When I’m training, I know before they do how they’re going to behave. I see the sameinstincts in her.” “Horses don’t speak the same as we do. You have to watch the way they move, you have to learn how they use their bodies,” says 11- 7 F Zerbini puts her “horse sense” to the test under the big top. year-old Ambra, who has been traveling with her mother since age 2 and recently made her Ringling Bros. debut, in which she further displayed the family’s connection with animals: riding atop a pony during the show’s opening parade. “I’m happy because I get to live and work with the animals.” Ambraalso gets to spend a lot of time with her mom. Whether hanging from her heels high above the arena floor or orchestrating her eight stunning white Arabian liberty horses in a dreamlike display, Sylvia exhibits a preternatural physical poise: the tenderness of a natural born animal lover combines with the discipline and fluency of a prima ballerina. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is the only show business phenomenon to run in three consecutive centuries, and each year a new edition tours the country to delight adults and “children ofall ages.” To learn more about The Greatest Show On Earth, visit www.ringling.com.
