Read the full article on NPR here.

From the article: 

"Where I came from it's hard to know what would have happened to me on the streets" says Ndakrokra, who grew up in a part of Cape Town where gang violence is rife. "The circus gave me a platform to feel free and do something I enjoy. It gave me a place to belong." Now, as he walks out on stage to thunderous applause from the audience, spotlights following his every move, that past seems a long way away. It's late 2019 and Ndakrokra is about perform an intricately rehearsed aerial dance routine in what will turn out to be one of the last major pre-COVID performances of the Zip Zap circus, a Cape Town institution that's been wowing audiences since 1992.

Reference: Trenchard, T. D'Unionville, AM. 2020. "PHOTOS: South Africa's Zip Zap Circus Brings A Big Heart To The Big Top". NPR.