4 Best Performing Arts in Paris, France

Ready for a variation on the circus theme? If you're lucky enough to be visiting during the two months Zingaro performs at home (usually in late fall), you'll have the chance to witness a truly unique spectacle. Since 1985, France's foremost horse whisperer, who goes by the name of Bartabas, has created captivating equestrian shows that mix theater, dance, music, and poetry. The 500-seat theater-in-the-round on the outskirts of Paris is part of a caravan, where trainers and their families, 45 horses, and Bartabas himself live and work. The horses perform in close proximity to the audience in astonishing displays of choreography and acrobatic skill. If you can't make it for Zingaro, there is a consolation prize: in 2003, Bartabas created the Académie du Spectacle Équestre at the royal stables of Versailles (Grandes Écuries). Audiences can catch a decidedly more elegant show there on weekends (Saturday at 6 pm, Sunday at 3 pm) and on certain weekdays during school holidays. Expect to pay €34 to €57 for tickets.

Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione brings together two famous circus institutions: the beautiful Cirque d'Hiver hall, constructed in 1852, and the Bouglione troupe, known for its rousing assembly of acrobats, jugglers, clowns, trapeze artists, tigers, and house cats that leap through rings of fire. Shows run mid-October to March, with a new production each season.

Parc de la Villette is home to Espace Chapiteaux: a circus-tent complex that hosts guest circus troupes several times a year, as well as students from the National Circus Arts Center.

Formerly the Cirque National Alexis Gruss, Les Folies Gruss remains true to the Cirque à l'Ancienne philosophy, featuring a traditional circus with showy horseback riders, trapeze artists, and clowns. The large-scale production runs mid-October through early March, with performances twice daily at 3 pm and 9 pm. Tickets cost €20 to €80.