Video: Stark Students Gather in Columbus Park for Circus Sneak Peek

Second graders from in Glenbrook received a special treat Tuesday afternoon: a special sneak peek at just one of the performances the city will see when the Big Apple Circus returns to town on June 7.

Sponsored by , the not-for-profit Big Apple Circus returns to town with an all-new show called "Dance On!" which feature acts from China, Kenya and Ethiopia. Mongolia is where Tuesday's performers — the X Bud Roses — hail from.

Mayor Michael Pavia, Chris Wearing, chairman of the Board of Directors, UBS, members of the Mill River Collaborative and Sandy Goldstein, president of the Stamford Downtown Special Services District, were also on hand for the special preview.

The season runs through July 4 and will include a Stamford Community Day, where children from local community based organizations, including the and the , will be able to attend a show at no cost on June 14. In addition, the 12:30 p.m. performance on June 11 will benefit the Mill River Collaborative and the Stamford Downtown Special Services District.

Residents won't necessarily have to come to the Big Top to see the circus performers because this year, the circus is making more of an effort to go out into the community.

"This year, our sponsor has really made an effort to make sure that the circus isn't just downtown, but is reaching out to the community, including some homeless shelters, hospitals and children's programs," Gavin Berger, the Big Apple Circus' executive director, told Patch.