UNDER THE BIG TOP; CIRCUS VARGAS ARRIVES FOR A FOUR-DAY RUN.

Byline: Cynthia Teed Daily News Staff Writer

Under a big blue tent festooned with international flags, ponderous pachyderms, juggling clowns and Russian acrobats prepared Tuesday for the evening's Circus Vargas performance at the Saugus Speedway.

``I love it, I love it, the circus gets all these people together,'' said Circus superintendent Vittorio Arata from Ferrara, Italy. ``The circus, it's like a small village.''

Arata, clad in a black tuxedo and ready to meet his public, comes from five generations of circus performers - from aerialists to jugglers. He knows this competitive business inside-out.

Good circus acts are hard to find today, he said, because all circuses around the world want them and will pay the performers well.

Long a European tradition, it is no mystery the circus and its performers are more in demand abroad than in the U.S.

Because of the difficulty in finding top performers, a big circus like Vargas must reconfigure its acts every two years, sometimes radically, if need be.

Pointing out that plans change daily, Arata said the 13 rare white tigers on display during this year's circus sojourn won't perform under the big top because trainer Susan Lacey broke her foot tripping over a cable.

Overseeing a circus crew of 80 performers and support personnel presents enough headaches for the polyglot Arata, who now subcontracts his animal acts; and he still must comply with state regulations for the animals' safekeeping while under contract.

The circus opened Monday and runs through Thursday with performances at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $5 to $20. About 2,500 people are expected during the four-day local run.

Many of the Circus Vargas performers are from Portugal and Germany, with some of the most exciting new circus talent coming from Russia, the superintendent said.

Russian acrobat Elena Shochina, 31, joined a circus troop 15 years ago while a student at Moscow's Sports School and has never regretted her decision.

``It was a surprise for me to be an acrobat,'' Shochina said.

The muscular young mother of an 8-year-old boy performs with her husband Lyudwig, also an acrobat with the Circus Vargas.

The Shochinas learned English while working in a circus in England the past three years.

Like other international performers, the young Russian couple sends videotapes of their performances to their agent, who finds jobs for them in circuses around the world.

But Circus Vargas, one of the largest, suits them just fine for now.

Elena entertains thousands of people a week with her intricate twists and acrobatic turns, a trademark of Russian gymnasts, then practices new routines with her husband.

Later she cooks huge Russian meals for him on a tiny stove in their trailer.

One of the few complaints she has about being an international circus performer is having to deal with her telephone bill.

Elena calls home to check on their son, Dima, who stays with her mother in Moscow during the school year.

``Oh, I call at least twice a week to Moscow,'' she said, laughing.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Circus Vargas superintendent Vittorio Arrata checks tent cables on the big top Tuesday afternoon at the Saugus Speedway.

(2--Color) A Circus Vargas worker makes the big top clean as a whistle for Tuesday's show.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News