This is a big surprise. I have a lot of friends in Ringling who are heartbroken. I agree with thenewgreen's assessment that circuses are going the way of Cirque du Soleil. I myself like to see smaller circuses with artistic performances and a storyline. Yes, I went to RBBBCC (Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College) in 1993 and toured part-time with Royal Hanneford circus as a clown the following year. Then I went back to school and was in the FSU Flying High circus for 3 years performing juggling, double-trapeze and slackwire. But alas that was 20 years ago and I have discovered that the muscle turns to fat. I still harbor a plan of putting together an artistic circus-style math show. We've recently applied for a cultural grant to put together such a show, and if approved we'll put together a 40-minute 3-person show where math will come alive with music, dance and visual deliciousness. We'd then perform 10-20 shows at schools or wherever.