HULU Streams Cirque Series That Became Reality for Local Culver City, CA Teen

Los Angeles, CA – Culver City native Ellowyn Stanton now lives the life of the character she portrayed in the highly rated, original children's live-action scripted series Big Top Academy (BTA), produced by Cirque du Soleil Images, Discovery Kids, and Apartment 11 Productions. On January 11, 2020, HULU announced it would stream all 52 episodes in the United States. BTA has already aired in Canada, Latin America, Portugal, Africa, and will debut in the UK on POP on February 3, 2020. Ellowyn was the ONLY American cast in the series.

Set in a circus arts boarding school, Big Top Academy tells the story of an extraordinary group of young acrobats who dream of becoming professional circus artists. It's the first ever live-action series that brings Cirque du Soleil's exciting and colorful circus universe to kids.

At age 13, Stanton moved to Montréal, Québec, Canada to shoot BTA playing the principal role of tomboy, skate rat Phoenix who is accepted into a circus arts boarding school. Upon completing the 52-episode shoot, life began to imitate art as Stanton, now 15, auditioned for and was accepted into the prestigious École Nationale de Cirque (The National Circus School) in Montréal, known as the Harvard of Circus schools. Like her character Phoenix, Stanton now lives in a real circus boarding school where aspiring artists from all over the world come to train.

Stanton was born and raised in Culver City where she attended El Marino Language School and Culver City Middle School. At 5 years old, she began her athletic career at Broadway Gymnastic School. At 10, desiring to be more creative with her fearless, acrobatic talents, she transitioned to the world of cirque by joining the internationally recognized and multi award-winning Le PeTiT CiRqUe®, at Le Studio based in Inglewood, CA where gifted youths train and perform innovative and inspirational, humanitarian-based shows internationally. Le PeTiT CiRqUe is a junior version of Cirque du Soleil and have performed globally including the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, The Dalai Lama and royalty.

Stanton's aspirations are to one day travel the world and perform with Cirque du Soleil as well as perform stunts and act for TV/Film. Stanton performed all of her circus stunts in BTA, and she's thrilled her family and friends in the United States can finally watch the unique cirque series.

Stanton on social media: ellowynstanton.com and Instagram @ellowynstanton