Meet the Rodriguez Family

The NY Post's blog "Tempo Espresso" ran a great story about the Rodriquez Family- Danny Rodriguez our Operations Manager, his wife Lilliana our House Manager and their 12-year-old daughter Alia.

Along with our performers, there are so many people like the Rodriguez Family who have wonderful stories, plus their interview gives some insight about the circus life. You'll find out that Danny and Lilliana are former performers themselves and Alia has the performing bug!

Enjoy


NY Post Tempo Espresso
One Happy-Family To Go

Traveling around the world with a couple hundred people who are into clowning around, dozens of wild animals and a few truckloads of equipment may seem like mayhem to you, but for the Rodriguez Family, it’s life. Danny Rodriguez, who has been the operations manager at the UniverSoul Circus for nearly six years, along with his wife and the circus’ House Manager Lilianna and their daughter Alia, spend most of the year on the road with the circus.

Q: What led you to get involved with the circus?

Danny: I’m a fifth generation circus kid, so it’s in my blood. I started out as performer. Both my mother and father were performers. I was born on the road, while my parents were traveling to do a show. You are either born to do this work or you’re not. Our oldest daughter, America, was not born to do this. She hates the traveling and decided to go to school in Sarasota, Florida.

Lilianna: I’m like him, but I’m seventh generation and I was born and raised in Mexico. I moved to the states when I was 6. We met in the circus, I was a performer, doing floor work and he was into the trapeze and aerialist. I didn’t like him at first, but it’s funny that, that is usually who you end up with.

Q: Why did you continue the tradition of joining the circus, instead of getting a typical 9-to-5 job?

You can do what you do and look at it as a job; I don’t because I love what I do. This life isn’t for everybody. You know, the traveling, every week you’re in a different city. It can drain you, but I love it. I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

Lilianna: It’s fun. You see a lot of different cities and great things. But, it’s still a job. You have to be responsible and stay on top of what you’re doing.

Q: Do you plan to perform with the circus, someday?

Alia: Yes, I love the circus so much. I love meeting people and [having] new experiences. I practice a lot. If I am not in school with the other performers, I am practicing. I want to be really good because a lot of my family members are still performing.

Q: How does your family get around?

Danny: We have an R-V that we live in on-site, during the tour. It pretty much has all the comforts of home, washer, dryer, microwave, flat-screen TV, refrigerator—everything you could want. It’s our home away from home.

Q: How do you spend your downtime?

We try to spend as much time together, as possible. It’s really difficult because my wife is the House Manager. She has shows and dealing with the crowds. We make sure to do something, maybe go out to dinner, catch a movie, or even sit down together and watch the King of Queens. It’s hard to do, but you have to make that time. In the two months that I have off, we take a vacation, usually a cruise, with no phones, computers or contact from the outside world—it’s just us.

To find out more about life in the circus or to purchase tickets to the UniverSoul Circus, in the Tri-state area March 26th through May 4th, visit universoulcircus.com. –Tichelle Porter