‘I RAN AWAY TO THE CIRCUS’
This is the little girl who is living every child’s wildest dream
Like many youngsters, Bella Grosse had always dreamed of one day running away to join the circus. But in the case of the 11-year-old Sydneysider, the dream has become a reality.
‘I always thought it would be cool to be part of a circus and now I am – and I absolutely love it,’ says Bella with a laugh.
Bella was only six when she first attended a performance by Webers Circus with her dance school. And the rest, as they say, is showbiz history!
‘Bella had been taking circus classes with her dance school and they happened to be invited to a workshop in the big top,’ recalls Bella’s mum Brooke.
‘Everything Bella does, she puts her whole heart and soul into, so she went down there and must have stood out to them. They took Bella, me and my husband David under their wing and, over the years, they became like family to us.’
After intensive training sessions with Webers, Bella first performed under the big top on New Year’s Day 2014 – wowing the crowd with her trapeze and aerial skills.
Since then, the young animal lover has also worked as a horse trickster with ponies.
‘Bella’s been given so many really amazing opportunities,’ says Brooke.
During the week, Bella attends a regular school, performs with Webers on weekends when they’re in New South Wales, or tours with the performance group in other parts of Australia during the school holiday period.
‘There’s a lot of training involved, and learning new skills,’ says Bella. ‘In the holidays, I train almost every day for an hour or two.’
For her debut on smash TV hit Little Big Shots, Bella performs tricks with miniature horse Comet, with her bulldog Arnie by her side.
‘We do some tricks together,’ Bella says with a smile. ‘It’s so much fun!’