Look who’s joined the circus

These kids not only have their act together, they take it on the road.

The Russian American Kids Circus on Stage, which features no adults, elephants or clowns, visits the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts this weekend, featuring performances by athletic youth who juggle, balance and soar through the air.

The performers-- ages 4 to 15 -- are the cream of the crop of the New York-based New Way Circus Center Inc., a nonprofit academy that has been teaching circus skills to children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. The school was co-founded in 1994 by Alex Berenchtein, a former star of the Moscow Circus, with his wife, Regina, and his mother-in-law, Olga Patrigal.

“All circuses, whether they are tent or animal, buy their talent,” Regina says. “But we build our talent from scratch.”

The program -- which teaches skills such as walking a tightrope, riding a unicycle and showmanship -- is as much about discipline and self-esteem as it is physical abilities. “The kids set goals and learn about teamwork,” Regina says. “These are things they can use in their schoolwork and later in life.”

Advanced students get the chance to travel and perform in the U.S., Canada and the Virgin Islands. Tours are scheduled around school breaks, and Regina says that even though the kids work hard, “they have a lot of fun. We’re like their second family to them when we are on the road. It can be exhausting but we all have a good time.”

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-- Brenda Rees

Russian American Kids Circus on Stage, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday. $19 adults, $12.50 12 and younger. (562) 916-8500; www.rakidscircus.org.