Katie Bakken lives a quiet life as a substitute teacher in Williamsburg with her husband, son, cat and dog.
Today, her life is a far cry from the world she once knew, where most of her interactions involved clowns, trapeze artists, highwire acts, elephants, and, at one point, even a Russian hippopotamus named Zusha.
Bakken, 54, spent five years in the mid-1990s with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Initially, she toured with the circus crew as a tutor for the young performers, but later worked her way up to assistant performance director.
“My first year, I worked with 22 kids from six different countries, including Mongolia and Russia,” Bakken said. “I lived on the train with the circus and would tutor the kids in the buildings where they performed, mostly in sports arenas. I worked with the elementary students in the morning and the secondary students in the afternoon. I learned to count to ten in Mongolian and learned the Cyrillic alphabet in Russia. I am still in touch on Facebook with some of the kids I taught.”
Later, as assistant performance director, Bakken’s role was mostly as a concierge for circus staff and performers. She prepped dressing rooms, coordinated press events and scheduled performers’ personal appointments and rehearsals for the show.
“I also blew the whistle to start off each show,” she said. “That was neat.”
So was working with the circus animals.
“I love cookies, and one day I had an Oreo in the pocket of my tuxedo,” Bakken said. “One of the elephants came over, and I gave her the cookie. She would later come back to me, and show me her trunk because she expected me to give her another cookie. I would give her an Oreo or some Tick Tacks every day. That is one of my favorite memories.”
Bakken also worked circus shows that involved a hippo on loan from Russia, as well as tigers and sea lions.
“They were all just real fun,” she said. “My job was never dull.”
After five years with the circus, Bakken moved on to Las Vegas, where she took a job with the famous Cirque du Soleil entertainment company. She started on New Year’s Eve in 1999 as assistant company manager, with duties including scheduling and keeping tabs on performers as they rotated in and out of the shows.
“I acted as a concierge again, making everyone feel comfortable and welcome,” Bakken said.
Bakken met her husband, John, through Cirque du Soleil, where John worked as a carpenter and stagehand for the company.
After the couple’s son was born, Bakken sought a more conventional life outside of the entertainment business. Bakken and her husband relocated to Williamsburg three years ago after John took a job at Busch Gardens.
Despite her lifestyle change, Bakken still loves working with animals and children. She volunteered with the horses at Dream Catchers at the Cori Sikich Therapeutic Riding Center when she first moved to Williamsburg.
More recently, Bakken was lured back into the classroom as substitute teacher. She’s slowly integrating herself into the community and has fallen in love with the area, especially Colonial Williamsburg.
“We are enjoying Williamsburg,” she said. “There is still an entertainer in me, and my dream job is to be a costumed interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. I love working with people, performing, and history. What better job is there?”
