Circus artiste Phạm Hướng has achieved numerous milestones throughout her career spanning nearly two decades, including the gold prize at the 2022 International Circus Art Festival in Saratov, Russia, and the Bronze Elephant at the 2026 Festival Internacional del Circ Elefant d’Or (Elefant d’Or International Circus Festival) in Girona, Spain.

Phạm Hướng spoke to the media about the challenges faced by circus performers.

Could you share some of the hardships of your work, the struggles and sacrifices that audiences rarely get to see behind the spotlight?

Circus has always been an extremely demanding profession, but for female performers, the pressure is even greater. A woman’s career in the circus is often shorter than in other performing arts because the profession relies heavily on physical strength, endurance and flexibility.

As women start families, have children or simply grow older, their bodies naturally change and their physical condition is no longer the same. The movements become harder to perform with the same softness and agility performers once had in their youth.

Audiences often see only a few dazzling minutes on stage, but behind that lies an extremely demanding training process. Some movements must be repeated hundreds of times before they can be perfected. Muscle pain and injuries are almost unavoidable for circus performers.

There are days when rehearsals end with bruises all over the body and exhaustion so intense that all you want to do is lie still. Yet the next morning, training begins again because stepping away for too long means losing your connection with the stage.

During your years of training and performing, have there ever been moments when you felt exhausted or wanted to give up?

I believe almost every circus artist has, at some point, thought about giving up. There are times when the body is in constant pain, injuries keep recurring or the pressures of daily life become overwhelming.

I have also gone through periods when I questioned whether I still had the strength to continue pursuing circus.

But every time I step onto the stage, hear the music begin and see the audience in front of me, all of that exhaustion seems to disappear. The feeling of performing is difficult to describe; it is as though I am truly living with my passion.

Encouragement and support from audiences are also a great source of motivation. Sometimes, even a single round of applause is enough to give me the strength to keep going. It is this love for the profession, together with the affection of the audience, that helps circus artists remain resilient.

You won the gold prize in Russia in 2022. What does this award mean to you?

It was a very special milestone in my career. I took part in the International Circus Art Festival in Saratov, Russia, with my swing performance and was fortunate enough to win the gold prize.

It was also the first time a Vietnamese circus artist had received the top prize at the competition, which made me feel incredibly emotional and proud.

When I received the prize on stage, I thought about all the difficult days of training, the injuries and even the moments when I had wanted to give up. For me, the prize was not only a personal achievement but also a great motivation to keep striving, proof that perseverance and dedication had finally been recognised.

In your view, what is the greatest challenge facing female circus artistes?

After getting married, I began to see the circus profession through a different lens. In the past, I focused solely on performing well and conquering difficult techniques. But once I had a family, I realised there were loved ones behind me waiting and worrying about my safety every single day.

Fortunately, my husband and I work in the same profession, so we understand and empathise with each other deeply. People outside the industry may find it difficult to grasp the nervousness before every performance or the pressure that comes with injuries, but those in the profession understand it very clearly.

That is why whenever one of us faces difficulties, the other is always there to encourage and support them so that the work can be carried out in the best possible way.

Has it been an advantage that both you and your husband are circus artists?

My husband and I always try to share responsibilities. Our work does not follow a fixed schedule, so both of us have to actively arrange our time to maintain a balance between our careers and family life.

We do not divide tasks into the husband’s job or the wife’s job. Whether it is taking care of the children, handling household chores or supporting each other professionally, whoever can do it simply steps in. There are days when we return home very late after performances, yet we still try to make time for our children and family.

I think the most important thing is mutual understanding. When both people truly understand the pressures of the profession, it becomes much easier to share, support and accompany each other through life and work.

Like other women with common jobs who are able to spend more time with their families, I have sometimes wondered what it would be like if my job were a little less demanding.

Circus is a physically demanding career. The income is not always stable or high and there is always the risk of injury. But what has kept me devoted to the profession is passion. I have always felt proud and happy to stand on stage. The feeling of completing a performance in front of an audience is something truly special, difficult to replace with anything else.

Perhaps for circus artists, the stage becomes a part of life itself. No matter how hard the profession may be, as long as we are still able to perform, we will continue to give it our all.

During difficult times or periods of injury, what has been your greatest motivation? How did you overcome these challenges?

What makes me feel most fortunate is always having my family and friends by my side. During times of injury or emotional exhaustion, the care and encouragement from loved ones have given me the strength to overcome those difficult moments.

My children have accompanied us to performances from a very young age, so they understand their parents’ work very well. For me, family is always the place I can return to after every pressure and challenge. Sometimes, simply having someone ask how I am doing or offer a few words of encouragement can be enough to make me feel immensely comforted.

If your children wanted to pursue a career in the circus in the future, would you and your husband support that decision?

I think I would respect their choice. Since my children have grown up in a circus environment, this profession is already very familiar to them. If they truly have the passion, courage and perseverance, I would still want them to try and develop their full potential.

Of course, I understand very clearly how demanding this profession can be, so I would also think carefully and accompany my children more closely along the journey. Circus requires not only talent but also tremendous determination. Without natural ability, it is very difficult to pursue it in the long term.

But whatever career my children choose, I hope they will be able to pursue what they truly love and always give their best to that choice. — VNS