Why teen trio are right at home as seasoned circus performers
Countless kids dream of running away to join the circus, but for Cassius West, Shakira West and Talira West-Smith, the big top has always been home.
NSW
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Countless kids dream of running away to join the circus, but for Cassius West, Shakira West and Talira West-Smith, the big top has always been home.
The teen cousins have spent their formative years under the striped tent as part of their family’s travelling Stardust Circus, taking to the stage alongside their parents.
While most one-year-olds are focused on landing their first steps, learning to defy gravity was an equally important milestone for the West children, who learnt to balance precariously on their uncle’s hands as part of the family’s teeterboard act in their first taste of onstage action.
“That was my first memory,” Cassius, now aged 19, told The Saturday Telegraph.
“It’s kind of like a rite of passage for all the babies in the family. You’re thrown in, literally, and that’s how it starts.”
The trio are now seasoned performers in the family-run troupe of 40 who take their breathtaking acrobatics and daring aerial stunts around Australia. Stardust was formed just over 30 years ago when circus veterans Jan West and Lindsay Lennon bought and rebranded the R & A Perry Bros Circus.
Their children, already seasoned pros across the likes of trapeze, juggling, clown acts and animal shows, brought their spouses into the fold over the years.
Stardust’s performer line-up is now made up of six of Jan’s seven children, 16 grandkids and four great-grandchildren.
“There’s nothing like it – the rush you get when the audience is cheering, holding their breath, or clapping like crazy,” Cassius said.
“That feeling is addictive. It reminds me why I love what I do, even on the hardest days.”
The circus families each share a motorhome equipped with all the creature comforts of a standard bricks and mortar house – down to the dishwasher, clothes dryer and shower.
All the children are homeschooled through distance education, squeezing in lessons around rehearsals, but while their routine might sound exciting to non-circus students, there’s a trade-off for the Wests – giving up their school holidays for a busy schedule of performances.
Growing up with the circus as their playground, the West cousins didn’t just perform for strangers – they made the big top their own.
Their fondest memories involve crafting elaborate shows that went far beyond the usual living room antics of most kids.
“We’d come up with tumbling and stunt routines to perform for our parents under the big top,” 18-year-old Shakira recalled.
“Some of our ideas were even good enough to make it into the actual show.”
Even with the magic of the big top, the cousins admit they have wondered what life beyond the circus might look like, with Talira, 16, briefly attending a local school.
“I thought I’d give it a shot, but I didn’t like it at all,” she said.
“I found myself straight back here. Sometimes you wonder what it’s like to have a more ‘normal’ life, but then you think about everything the circus has given us – the excitement, the creativity, and, most importantly, the bond we share as a family. It outweighs anything we might have missed.”
Shakira has at times weighed up opportunities from either side of the ring.
“Growing up in the circus is pretty amazing, but it’s also different.” she said.
“You don’t have the same childhood experiences as other kids – like going to school formals, sleepovers, or just having a regular weekend off.
“However, you get to travel all over the country, meet incredible people, and the circus community feels like a giant extended family.”
And that’s not the best part. Among the cousins, friendly rivalry seems to be the fuel that lights their fire, and pushing each other to perfect new stunts is where the fun starts.
“There’s definitely some competition, but it’s what we love – it makes us better,” Shakira said.
“It drives us to push harder, and in the end, it makes us stronger performers.”
For Shakira, who specialises in aerial silks and flying trapeze, that competitive drive has been instrumental in mastering her craft.
“Trapeze is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she said.
“I’ve been working on a double somersault since I was 12, and only now do I feel like I’m close to nailing it.
“Having Talira learning the same stunts definitely pushes me. Deep down, you always want to be the first one to land it.”
But beyond the rivalry, the West cousins cherish the unique bond their circus life has given them.
They are not just family, but built-in best friends.
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