2023
William Borges grew up doing gymnastics at his parents’ gym. Around the age of 14, he began doing flying trapeze, and quickly fell in love with what the circus world had to offer. He began training other disciplines and then went on to spend three summers traveling with Circus Smirkus before coming to ENC and specializing in straps and hat juggling with a minor in hoop diving.
What does NCS represent to you?
The National Circus School, the place I have spent the last four years of my life. It’s the place where I pushed myself, where I trained, juggled, and danced. A place where I let myself fall, where I had to pick myself up and where I learned about myself. Most importantly, the National Circus School is where I spent the past four years with some of the best people I have ever met in my life.
What is your favorite memory in NCS ?
On March 14, 2020, after the School had just closed due to the rising pandemic, I had to come in in the evening to pick up my juggling hats. It was truly bizarre to see the School so completely abandoned. Everything was intensely quiet, all the lights were off, and I even had to turn on my flashlight to walk through the Chapiteau. In this moment, all my previous worries about being at the School and challenges I had faced seemed insignificant – I saw the School for what it was: a building. A structure filled with incredible people accomplishing incredible feats and an entire team of staff to help us become the circus artists we all dream to be. It was then that I knew this was truly where I was meant to be.
