Inside the Havana School for Cuban Circus Performers

While balancing atop a precarious stack of bolsters and tables, a young juggler sends four bright balls up into the air. A fellow performer stands on the floor nearby, observing the skillful toss against the backdrop of a wall-mounted tent in bright, primary colors.

Veiled in a warm glow, the photo by Constanze Han offers a rare glimpse into a practice session at Escuela Nacional de Circo, Havana’s center for circus performance. “Founded after the Cuban Revolution, the school was part of a broader effort to make professional arts education accessible to young people across the island,” Han shares. “With Soviet support in the late 1970s, it blended technical rigor with Cuban creativity and style, shaping a distinct circus tradition that continues today.”

Circuses have an enduring role in Cuban culture, one that began in the 16th century “as a family-run, traveling tradition, especially in the countryside,” the photographer adds. Combined with Soviet styles following the revolution, the circus became a distinctive blend of “rumba, Cuban folklore, and Afro-Cuban influences.”

Han has worked on several projects in Cuba in the past few years, often in collaboration with her friend Karla Batte. While staying in Havana for a residency at Casa Cache, a connection from an earlier project that centered around the iconic Tropicana Nightclub introduced Han to the school.

During a week-long visit, she created Circus of a Revolution, which documents a group of ambitious, dedicated artists and offers a timely glimpse of youth culture in a country that has been experiencing a mass exodus of its youngest generations. Cuba lost nearly 20 percent of its population between 2022 and 2023 alone, and one in four residents is currently over age 60.

Han notes that amid the country’s dire economic situation, Circus of a Revolution provides an alternate look at the people defining its cultural output. Whether a posed portrait or candid snapshot, the photos echo the intimacy and focus of the performers, while capturing the beauty of creative expression and how it flourishes amid enormous difficulties.

“Because a lot of the equipment is older and manually operated, performers rely heavily on discipline, teamwork, and each other. This creates a strong sense of community, camaraderie, and mutual support within the practice,” she adds.

Han’s work has taken her around the world, from Tegucigalpa to Taipei, where she’s photographed often unseen communities and ways of life. Find more on Instagram.

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