Founder, Founding Artistic Director and Artistic Advisor of the Big Apple Circus, and gifted performer, Paul Binder is the dedicated visionary behind the theatrical excellence and artistic intimacy of our one-ring circus. Mr. Binder was recently honored by ABC-TV World News with Charles Gibson as Person of the Week click here to watch the video. In July of 2009 Mr. Binder "stepped out of the ring" to pursue other areas of repsonibility on behalf of the Big Apple Circus.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Paul graduated from Dartmouth College and earned an MBA at Columbia University. While at Dartmouth, he performed as an actor with the Dartmouth Players and the Hopkins Center Repertory Theatre, an experience that led him to start his professional career in an environment closer to show business than corporate finance.

Stage to Stage

Boston, San Francisco, Paris, New York

Paul worked at WGBH-TV in Boston where he stage-managed for Julia Child's The French Chef, and as a talent coordinator for Merv Griffin, before heading west and learning juggling with the San Francisco Mime Troupe. There, he met Michael Christensen. They traveled Europe together and earned their living by juggling on street corners. Their talent landed them on the legendary stage of the Casino de Paris, on French television and, eventually, in the ring of Annie Fratellini's Nouveau Cirque de Paris.

The Dream In America

Dedication And Excellence

Paul returned to New York with a dream - to create an American circus with the same dedication to theatrical excellence and artistic intimacy that he and Michael had experienced in Europe. He found people who would share his dream and implement his vision and, in 1977, the Big Apple Circus was born.

Celebrated Leader

Living Landmark And Then Some

Paul has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Fine Arts from his alma mater, Dartmouth, the Pratt Institute, and Rhode Island College, and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Long Island University. In 2001 he was given the honor of "NYC Living Landmark," by the NYC Landmarks Conservancy. He is the proud father of Katherine, Max, Adam and Anais.