Bailey Circus

David Wisniewski, winner of the prestigious Caldecott Award given annually to the most distinguished American picture book for children, never had any formal training in art. In college, he majored in drama. Author and or illustrator of 10 children's books, the Maryland resident spent time as a puppeteer and as a clown in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus before beginning his writing career.Wisniewski's books are visually appealing. His method of illustrating with cut paper results in a realistic, three-dimensional look.

What's your idea of a "top hat and tails" night out? Is it a visit to a '40s-style martini lounge, complete with a Frank Sinatra impersonator crooning tunes? Maybe a little time spent in a classy casino? Or perhaps Irish fiddlers putting you in fine fettle? You could find all of the above, and then some, at Mercy Medical Center's gala, "Hats Off to Mercy!" at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.Among the 500 in this cosmopolitan crowd were Tom Mullen, president and CEO of Mercy Health Services Inc.; Dr. Lauri Kane and Rosemary Wahler Mullen, event co-chairs; Sister Helen Amos, executive chair of Mercy's board of trustees; Dr. Sheri Rowen, Dr. Bernie Chang and Dr. Neil Rosenshein, directors in the Mercy Center for Women's Health and Medicine; Ron Briggs, WBAL-TV account executive; Michele Emery, director of managed care for Park West Medical Center; Tom Giannopoulos, president and CEO of Micros Systems Inc.; and Jim Chakedis, director of international transportation for Ringling Bros.

Towson University's dance faculty, graduates and friends are in the spotlight this weekend at the Maryland Arts Festival."Making Headways in Dance" features ballet, modern, jazz and tap works by faculty member Jaye Knutson; Priscilla Kaufhold, artistic director of Kinetics Dance Theater in Ellicott City; Cara Anderson Etris, director of its school; and Scott Rink, a dancer with the Lar Lubovitch Company and founder of his own troupe, Dance Rink. He will bring dancer Lenna Parr from his company.

Two nationally known members of Boston University's board of trustees have resigned amid the crisis gripping the university over whether Daniel S. Goldin will be allowed to take the president's office. Kenneth Feld, owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a founder of the Hollywood studio DreamWorks SKG, both resigned last week, BU confirmed yesterday. The two were among the highest-profile members of the board and represented some of its deepest pockets.

At Bryn Mawr School, Maggie Dipentima, Ali Ordonez and Melissa Rolls were named semifinalists in the 1991 Merit Scholarship competition. Erika Eason, Beth Panuska, Katie Pollard, Kirsten Prettyman, Megan Reitz, Cammy Roberson, Meredith van den Beemt and Sara Wilcoxson were commended in the competition. In addition, Ms. Ordonez is a semifinalist in the National Hispanic Scholarship Award Program, and Ms. Eason and Ms. Roberson are semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program for Outstanding Negro Students.

Bob Brown Puppets do some clowning around Next week, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus rolls into town to perform at the Baltimore Arena. To get in the three-ring mood ahead of time, check out Bob Brown Puppets - the classic kind on strings. On Saturday, they'll perform a show called "Clowning Around" at the Loch Raven Mini-Library in Towson. The show features antics by "trick" marionettes; they can roller skate, juggle and swing from trapezes. But the main attraction is the skill with which the puppeteers bring their subjects to life.

Alexis Ayala, 15, is the youngest in a hair-hanging sister act in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.When the Yak met Alexis earlier this fall, he asked her if hair-hanging hurts.Yup, it does, Alexis says. "But I don't think about the pain when I'm performing."What does she think about? "I concentrate on doing the tricks," she says.While Alexis and her two big sisters are hanging about 30 feet above the floor, they perform acrobatic movements and amazing spins. They even juggle fire.

Children often follow their parents and go into the family business. Nothing unusual about that -- unless the "family" is the circus. And the business is training wild animals, being a professional clown or flying through the air.When Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to the Baltimore Arena this month, there will be several children following in their parents' footsteps. How could they possibly choose any other life? The circus, they say, is in their blood."I've been training for my own act since the day I was born," says Mark Oliver Gebel.

Past a small woman delicately balancing eight spinning plates on the ends of long metal rods stands Mark Oliver Gebel, holding steadfast to the only rope keeping two acrobats suspended 20 feet from the floor during morning practice.The only son of animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams, Mr. Gebel has had the task of taking the reins after his father's early retirement from circus performance in 1990. Now, in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus' first visit to Baltimore in more than four years, he takes part in nearly every aspect of the show's preparation.

RINGLING RETURNS: After a four-year absence, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus returns this week to the Baltimore Arena. Shows are scheduled Thursday through Sunday, this week and next -- 21 performances in all.But if you just can't wait for the opening performances at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday to see a little circus action, you can at least see a few of the animals and perhaps some clowns as the menagerie takes a stroll to the Arena about 6...