Circus fever hits Greenhills
The two hour show with 16 performers holds surprises for young and old.
Batmunkh Khorloo, 47, owner of the Mongolian Dream Circus that is currently in Randfontein has one goal for his circus and that is to make residents, young and old happy.
The Mongolian Dream Circus started in 1996 and has been entertaining people all over the country with their different performances such as the Strong man act; acrobatics; a contortionist; animals; clowns and much more. The two hour show with 16 performers holds surprises for young and old where the audience never leaves the tent without a smile.
Batmunkh himself does the Strong man act and was trained from young by the Mongolian Circus School. He also trains children and locals interested in the circus acts during the day and even holidays.
I love the circus, it is in my blood. It has been in my family for generations,” Batmunkh said.
Batmunkh added the performers are constantly practising their acts. Before they can perform, they have to be 100 percent confident and when they work in a team, trusting each other is extremely important.
Batmunkh also says it is very sad that the circus industry is dying. Children are more interested in technology and are constantly on their cellphones. They do not use there minds and bodies actively like in the olden days.
“The circus industry is a difficult industry and it is a lot of hard work and very costly. Setting up the tent can take five to six hours and breaking it up takes about three hours.”
Safety also has become a great concern as Batmunkh had two incidents were criminals attempted to steal their generator and other possessions.
Batmunkh is well aware of the stigma surrounding circuses.
“We do not keep wild animals or perform with wild animals. All circuses are different from each other. Unfortunately, people generalise and say all circuses are cruel, they use wild animals in their performances,” he said. Batmunkh is proud to say the animals they use for their show is in extremely good condition and that they do not participate in strenuous acts.
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