Marty LaSalle, who grew up in Kennett Square, is now the CEO of Big Apple Circus.

Kennett Square’s Marty LaSalle fulfilled his lifelong dream when he took over the reins of Big Apple Circus, one of the most prestigious circuses in the world, two years ago, writes Marty LaSalle for The Wall Street Journal.

LaSalle and his twin brother, Jake, knew they wanted to be a part of a circus since they first saw The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth in Philadelphia when they were kids.

They learned gymnastics at the age of 8 in Kennett and later learned how to juggle — and soon realized they could combine the two. They started performing on the street and in small, amateur shows before moving on to theaters, cruise ships, and smaller circus companies worldwide.

In 2007, after graduating from college, they joined Big Apple Circus, which revolutionized circus in America.

At 24, they decided to retire from performing. Marty worked at a talent agency for several years, but when he was offered a job as Big Apple Circus CEO, he could not refuse.

“It’s a crazy job, but I have reasons to feel optimistic about the circus and its place in the culture in 2024 and beyond,” wrote Marty.

Read more about Marty LaSalle’s adventures with Big Apple Circus, one of the most prestigious circuses around, in The Wall Street Journal.