Zhang Fan began training in slack wire when he was ten years old and showed great potential from the start. Four years later, he won the gold award at Cirque de Demain in 2003 and was immediately engaged by the Swiss Circus Knie for the 2004 season. When he returned to China, he joined the China National Acrobatic Troupe, with which he toured Israel in 2005. He followed the tour with a two-year stint in the United States before traveling with Stardust Circus International’s touring circus in the Netherlands. In 2011, Zhang returned for a season with the Circus Knie. He has appeared on television shows in Italy and China, including CCTV’s Chinese New Year’s Eve Show. This is Zhang’s premiere season with the Big Apple Circus.