Circus alumnus has dream job as Gamma Phi director

“Most people never thought I could make a career out of circus performing, and it’s just amazing that I get paid to do this. It’s phenomenal,” Director of Gamma Phi Circus Marcus Alouan said.

Although this is Alouan’s first year as director, he is no stranger to Illinois State or its on-campus circus. He performed while an undergraduate prior to receiving his bachelor’s degree in middle-level math education in 2001.

“I came in to Gamma Phi with no experience. I was a soccer player, but it was a natural fit for me,” he said.

After training Alouan began performing on the tight wire, which has always been his favorite but not his only act. He discovered something he loved even more than balancing on a thin wire several feet above the ground.

“I started to get out in front and work off the crowd, and that just became the thing I loved the most about the circus—to see the awe in the audience’s faces,” Alouan said of his experience as emcee.

During his time at Gamma Phi Alouan also learned juggling, unicycling, the German Wheel, acrosport, adagio, flying trapeze, fire breathing, and fire eating. He mastered the flying trapeze at a circus camp. Once Gamma Phi obtained flying trapeze equipment, Alouan was able to help teach others how to perform on it.

“I knew I wanted to coach, and I wanted to stay involved in circus,” he said.

After graduating Alouan travelled to the University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska to pursue his other passion—volunteering for campus ministries. After two years he came back to Illinois to teach in the Peoria Public School District.

Alouan had already decided to return to Illinois State to begin working on his master’s degree when the founder and director of the Junior Gamma Phi Circus, Tom Romance, retired. The new director did not have circus experience, so Alouan became the Junior Gamma Phi assistant director in 2007. Shortly after Al Light, former director of Gamma Phi, departed and recommended Alouan take the job.

Alouan has many goals for Gamma Phi. One is for it to become such a well-known campus entity that the University uses the program to recruit potential students, which worked in Christian Stoinev’s case. Other priorities include involving alumni.

“One of my goals as an alumnus of circus is to really reach out to our circus alumni. There has kind of been a period of time where we have lost contact, or people have pulled themselves out of the loop for a while,” Alouan said. “I’m really hoping to bridge some gaps, get our alumni back involved, and let them know that they are a very important part of our family.”

Gamma Phi is working on developing an alumni section of their website so that former circus members can reconnect and see what their friends have been doing since their crowd pleasing days. Gifts of support can be made at IllinoisState.edu/giving.

“We’re really hoping to reach out to our alumni as much as possible,” Alouan said. “They have been so important.”