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The Raluy Historical Circus , founded in Catalonia in the 70s, ended in Castelldefels (Barcelona) on March 9 with the intention of presenting its new show three days later. Its title, Vekante , means waking up in Esperanto. The 30 workers were given time to set up the tent, but the premiere, scheduled for two days before the application of the state of alarm due to the impact of the coronavirus, was suspended. Two weeks later, the circus is trapped sine die in Castelldefels by the Covid-19 crisis .

The circumstances are exceptional in a camp where large vintage wagons stand out, comfortable for the accommodation of private traveling artists, isolated on an esplanade in front of two secondary schools. Today, the 15th day of confinement for the members of the company, one of its managers, William Giribaldi , has attended this newspaper while he was making his purchase from a Carrefour located one hundred meters from the tent. "We are passing seclusion like the rest of the people. With the advantage that there is a little more outdoors in the circus, but everyone is in his caravan watching television and using social networks, "explains the Italian juggler based in Catalonia, married to Rosa Raluy , daughter of the founder of the company, Luis Raluy , with whom he has two daughters: acrobats Jillian and Kimberley .

Giribaldi's voice sounds tipsy and hopeful on the other end of the phone. The procession goes inside. The problem, as always, is the economy. Many people depend on him and Rosa. «For us, the biggest drama is the economic part. Everything suddenly stopped, but many people depend on us and no income comes in, "says the man. “Leisure is the first thing people take off in a crisis. It is normal but it scares us that, when the coronavirus peak passes, fear remains between them. We are concerned that the brake continues for many months in our sector. Some circus companies will not get out of trouble. It is ugly but it is so ».

The artist had breakfast this morning with a news that removed him. Cirque du Soleil , the largest contemporary circus producer, cut off 95% of its staff as a result of the pandemic. "Everyone on the street, except the office workers," laments the juggler, who is crossing dates on his agenda. “We had appointments and they have been canceled, like an important one in Terrassa that we went to in May, one of those that allows us to live the rest of the year. Back to work? No one knows when.

Coming from Mataró (Barcelona), the members of the Raluy Historical Circus arrived at Castelldefels without knowing that they were going to face the greatest difficulties of their career. «It is very complicated for everyone. In the sector, they tell us that they are paralyzed and that they have reached agreements to apply a temporary employment regulation file, ”says Giribaldi, one of the 22 people who lives in the camp together with colleagues from Italy, Latvia, Ukraine, Chile and Spain . Most are installed in the 15 motorhomes that flank the tent. They take turns rehearsing six issues of a show that they renew every two years. Almost everyone complains in a low voice about having lost contact with people, but they celebrate as a small victory that yesterday they could carry out an exceptional function.

Live, from Castelldefels to the world. Historical Circus Raluy offered the show Vekante through YouTube and its channels on social networks. It was an awakening of magic, and the circus reached thousands of houses. Specifically, to 350,000 homes in dozens of countries. "Many are from Catalonia, but we have reached half the world, an audience far removed from the 850 people who usually come to see us," says Giribaldi with a cheerful tone. Making a show exclusively online was a detail of the circus for the public that began as a joke on their social media accounts. Someone will see, the artists told themselves. And the thing went off. "It is a positive thing, it was an hour live, a reduced show, with 12 people and numbers without physical contact. It went very well.

The Raluy Historical Circus, trapped in Castelldefels «until this happens», has words of thanks for the City Council: «He is behaving very well. We had paid the occupancy rate of the space, and passed the security check prior to the premiere, but in two days measures were issued prior to the state of alarm. They let us stay here, because we could not move, due to the measures. And we are still confined ».

Few penalties, beyond the economic disaster, Giribaldi transmits. "We do not complain because all citizens are the same, we are all in the same boat," says the son-in-law of the mythical Luis Raluy. In Reus, the rest of his wife's circus family, members of Circo Raluy Legacy , have been trapped for ten days, a name that they acquired in 2016 when the historic company split in two.

The circus tours last almost a year, with breaks in June and July, unfriendly months of the circus. "But now we are going to rethink it," says Giribaldi. "This spring may be our unemployment months."

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