Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents “The Greatest Party On Earth,” May 21 to May 24, PPL Center, Allentown.

For more than 100 years, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has entertained millions. The circus closed in 2017 because of falling ticket sales and animal rights concerns.

In 2023, the “Greatest Show on Earth” evolved beyond the “Big Top” era and entered a new age, relaunching with an “animal-free format.”

“The Greatest Party On Earth” celebrates global talent, presenting never-before-seen acts in a cast of 65 performers from 17 nations.

The family-friendly two-hour show includes the extraordinary skills of world-class aerialists, contortionists, acrobats and trapeze artists.

There is a musical collaboration with teen pop-country star Maddox Batson, who appears via video, and a robot puppy that interacts with the audience.

The show’s soundtrack has contemporary hits and Ringling Bros. favorites.

The stage design features a massive LED screen that captures performance angles and shows fan reactions in real-time.

Ashley Zimmerman, Aerialist and Dance Trapeze Artist in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, says her training in jazz and modern dance aided in the transition to aerial performance.

“I had a cruise ship contract as a dancer from 2018 to 2019. That was my first exposure to circus [performance.] I thought, ‘Wow!, what they’re doing is so cool.’ I can see how dance can be a transferable skill over to aerial,” Zimmerman says in a phone interview.

“I started working professionally as an aerialist in 2022. What I do is called Dance Trapeze. It’s more of a solo act.”

Zimmerman performs spins, splits and other dazzling aerial feats. There are three primary aerialists in the show, as well as harness performers and hoop and strap artists.

Raised outside of Philadelphia and now residing in New York City, Zimmerman received a BA in Dance from Point Park University, Pittsburgh.

She joined Ringling Bros. in January 2025.

Zimmerman agrees that this is not your grandparents’ circus. The show is fast-paced, multi-cultural and multi-genre.

“It’s more upbeat. It’s more fun. We’re using modern music, trying to appeal to all generations. Our show is ‘The Greatest Party on Earth,’ so we want people to be dancing in their seats.

“We want you to hoot and holler and be part of the energy. There’s lots of lights and colors, and it’s bright and vibrant. The intention is that we’re all having fun together.”

Zimmerman performs in six to eight shows per week:

“It’s pretty go, go, go. We’re in a new city every week and will be finishing up in December.”

She works out to stay in shape between performances:

“I go to the gym and lift weights three times a week. We have Act Practice onstage once a week and, depending on the space of the venue, we have an aerial rig set up backstage.”

To avoid the risk of injury, practice, skill and precautions are a must:

“We train really hard, and we put in skills that we feel confident doing, especially at 20, 25, 30 feet in the air. We have safety procedures in place.

“We have an athletic trainer on the floor and EMTS in the building. As often as we can, we go over safety procedures,” Zimmerman says.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, “The Greatest Party on Earth,” 7 p.m., May 21, May 22; 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. May 23; noon, 4 p.m. May 24, PPL Center, 701 Hamilton St., Allentown. Tickets: Ticketmaster.com; PPL Box Office; 610-224-4625; https://www.pplcenter.com