Staff Manager - Avril Barton hails from the rocky shores of Cornwall, in Southwest England. Trained as a teacher, she taught elementary school there for several years before deciding to run away and join the circus in 2001. She had heard about Bruce's program in the early '90s from her niece who worked with him at an Adirondack summer camp, but it wasn't until the year 2000 that Avril actually saw a COTK performance. "I was absolutely blown away by what Bruce was doing," she says. "Having worked with young children, I knew how much hard work and talent were required to get those kids to such a high standard in such a short time." Once she saw the show, Avril knew she had caught the bug. She went home, quit her job, moved to the U.S. and adopted a totally new lifestyle. In addition to helping recruit, train and manage the circus staff, Avril also assists with coaching and administrative duties. Her ultimate goal: To return to England one day and run a CIRCUS OF THE KIDS branch in the U.K.

Office Manager - Roslyn Pfeffer, Bruce's mom, makes sure everything stays shipshape at the home office while the troupe is on the road. Besides being their biggest booster, she makes sure all souvenir mail orders are filled, forwards mail and information requests, and attends to the books.

In addition to the stalwarts, we maintain a staff of 10-12 people at all times, the number varying with our projects. Many are former students who loved CIRCUS OF THE KIDS so much they ran away and joined us! Others were teachers or entertainers in a former life. Most have college degrees and some have teaching certificates. All are skilled professionals, experienced with circus routines and equipment as well as working with kids of all ages. While they're with us, they must adhere to a strict dress and behavior code.