A NEW circus that brings a modern twist to a traditional art is visiting Bradford this week.

Circus Sallai (pronounced Chall-ay) is visiting the UK for the first time and is the largest travelling circus in the nation currently.

This circus family opened their doors to Bradfordians for the first-time last night at Peel Park, showcasing its modern take on a tradition that celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2018.

The circus boasts artists from all over the world including Hungary, Argentina, Italy and even Old Blighty.

Nineteen-year-old Ring Mistress, Angel Sallai, is the daughter of the circus owner - who both have Hungarian heritage - and is in her sixth year in her current role but has been part of the circus all her life, a 10th generation performer.

She said: “There’s a strange feeling everyone gets on the first night in a new place. It’s butterflies – the adrenaline when the curtain opens.”

Ms Sallai has also developed a soft spot for their current location.

She said: “The park is absolutely beautiful so hopefully business is good, so we can return.”

Salvatore, a trapeze artist, said: “We’ve never been here before, so we’re looking forward to the Bradford crowd.“We’re a new circus and have a European and Continental style – it’s nothing like the usual. Our lighting system is one of the most unique.”

He added that Circus Sallai doesn’t have traditional clowns, instead it uses a comedian who is funny in a different way.

One of the most unique acts is Chloe the Hairhanger, which taps into traditions from deepest South America and is a rarity in the UK.

Chloe, 27, is clipped to a rope hanging from a metal pole via a metal ring that is tied tight in her hair. At a glance it seems as if Chloe is floating, but this is a skill that requires a lot of strength and a high pain threshold to begin with.

She has done the act for three years now and spends the entire day of a performance ensuring her hair is soaked wet and is tied into the perfect ponytail without any kinks so that she can hang without any problems.

She added: “I worked in Argentina with a family and it was part of their heritage. Before, I was a dancer and a fire breather, but they taught me this.

“There was pain originally, but it goes away – now the hardest thing is trying to respect the tradition but also keeping the act modern.”

Salvatore said the overall performance itself was a surprise and he wouldn’t reveal any specific details.

But he said: “It will be satisfactory – we’ve not had one bad review or complaint since we started in March.”

The artist who describes himself as a “cloud-swinger”, has also had his fair share of danger.

He said: “There’s falls and jumps, so there’s always a chance it could go wrong – it’s destiny then.”

Circus Sallai will run every day until its closing show on Sunday afternoon and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress will attend on Friday. Tickets are available at a number of start times depending on the day with a special price of £10 for all seats. For more info visit the onsite box office between 10am-8pm or book at circus-sallai.co.uk