Circus (performing art) ::: Project ETERNITY

A circus is usually a travelling show that includes acrobats, animal trainers (though this is being phased out with the influence of animal rights groups), clowns and other novelty acts. However, there are circuses today with a permanent venue that do not travel, and some circuses do not have animal acts at all.

History of the circus

The first modern circus was staged by Philip Astley in London on January 9, 1768. The famous circus theme song is actually called "Entrance of the Gladiators," and is also known as "Thunder and Blazes." It was composed in 1904 by Julius Fucik.

List of famous circuses and circus owners

List of famous circus performers

List and brief description of the various circus arts

Acrobatics

Aerial acts

Trapeze

Clown

Juggling

Juggling can refer to dozens of arts in which various objects are tossed, swung, flipped, balanced or manipulated in some other way. Juggling most often refers to the tossing and catching two or more objects into the air, and some object manipulators like card and coin flourishers, prefer terms other than juggling to describe their art.

Juggling typically requires (or creates) good eye-hand coordination, balance, and muscular control. Juggling therapy has been successfully used as a rehabilitative tool in cases of injury, as juggling teaches, and enhances the coordination it requires.

Contact juggling

Most common form of this skill is the manipulation of a single large, fairly heavy ball, often silver or transparent, to disguise the rotation of the ball. The ball is manipulated, as the name implies, in contact with the juggler's body - typically the ball will be swirled between the hands, rolled up and down the arms, across the back, or shoulders, etc., all while remaining in contact with the ball. The ball is rarely tossed or thrown.

Juggling cups

a set of heavy weighted tapered metal cups is manipulated, tossed and caught inside each other or on top of each other. The 'feel' of this is said to be similar to cigar-box manipulation.

A modern form of cup juggling, Cup stacking is used in schools and youth organisation as a fun way to develop speed and coordination. This is more of a sport than a juggling art, and there are rules, timers, coaches, teams etc.

"Chinese yo-yo"/Diabolo

a prop made of two discs connected by an axle is manipulated using a cord connecting two control sticks... the lifting of one stick, and the simultaneous lowering of the other stick creates friction between the cord and axle, causing rotation. Diabolos are often tossed, sometimes quite high into the air, and are then caught on the cord, all the while the spin of the prop is maintained by constant input using the sticks to pull the cord. Diabolos are sometimes juggled, sometimes juggled between two or more partners, using 2, 3, or 4 diabolosand tossing them in patterns quite similar to toss juggling patterns.

Cigar Box

Cigar box manipulation uses, typically, a set of 3 'cigar boxes' or props shaped to resemble such boxes. These are stacked, balanced, tossed, spun, caught atop or in between the other boxes. It is a widely held belief that this originated with W.C. Fields, however it is much more likely that he merely popularized it. Cigar box manipulation probably began in Vaudeville performances, and not in the circus.

Equilibristics

any of the juggling arts characterised by balancing or maintaining a moving equilibrium or balance of opposing forces.

a couch or other longish object is first balanced (typically on the performer's feet while lying on his/her back) is first flipped end-for-end, then again and again until a smooth rotation occurs. This skill has to be seen to be believed, and is akin to acrobatics and strongman stunts as much as it is a juggling art.

Plates are spun, balanced at their center atop thin flexible upright poles or wands, more and more plates are added, and the performer must respin plates to keep them moving, while adding more plates to more poles. More rarely, plates are balanced on smaller wands held in the hands or feet or teeth, sometimes spun directly on parts of the performer's body.

similar to and overlapping hula-hoop skills, sometimes using smaller rings or juggling rings... numerous hoops are twirled on various parts of the body.

Toss juggling

In toss juggling, objects -- such as balls, bean bags, fruit, etc... -- are thrown or tossed into the air and caught. Multiple objects may be thrown in succession, so that at a given point, some are in the air, going up, some are falling back towards the juggler's hands, some are being caught and some are being thrown.

Side-show Arts

Hat tricks can include juggling with hats, balancing hats, etc., but 'Chapeaugraphy' is more similar to mime or mimicry. Chapeaugraphy uses a circle or donut of felt, sometimes other shapes, which is twisted, turned, flopped or bent, and put on the head to resemble some other type of hat or character.. or animal for that matter. The same felt circle is used to create dozens of different styles, in a Chapeaugraphy performance

fire is placed inside the mouth, on the tongue, or even swallowed similarly to a sword swallower.

fuel is expirated or 'blown' out of the mouth, forcefully, across a flame or ignition source held at arm's-length, causing a cloud of fire - seemingy erupting from the firebreather's throat. Exposure to volatile fuels creates a toxic hazard, as well as the more obvious risk of immolation.

fire, used as a prop, in a performance akin to rhythmic gymnastics and dance. The performer may perform inside a circle of flames, may wave fire wands, torches, batons, twirl, toss, and touch flames on any number of firedancing apparatus.

and other hoop or ring spinning skills can include dance, juggling and other skills as well as the more familiar undulating-hip-type hula, the hoop or hoops may be spun around the nexk, arms, legs, hips, chest etc. Can include contortion/gymnastic techniques as well.

Physical punishment has long been the standard training method for animals in circuses. Some species are less able to adapt to training techniques than others, and as a result suffer great stress during training sessions. Some animals are drugged to make them "manageable," and some have their teeth removed. The AWA puts no restrictions on what training methods may be used, and, according to former animal trainer Pat Derby, "After 25 years of observing and documenting circuses, I know there are no kind animal trainers." Circus patrons are often shocked to discover that even renowned trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams has been videotaped whipping animals.

The tricks that animals are forced to perform--bears balancing on balls, apes riding motorcycles, elephants standing on two legs--are physically uncomfortable and behaviorally unnatural. The whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, bullhooks, and other tools used during circus acts are reminders that the animals are being forced to perform. These superficial "performances" teach audiences nothing about how animals behave under natural circumstances. Animals in circuses are often portrayed as either ferocious or stupid compared to their "brave" or "commanding" human counterparts; their true nature is never seen.

Animals forced to perform usually end up fighting back. In 1994, Tyke, an African elephant, ran amok in Hawaii, killing her trainer and injuring 13 others before police shot her to death. Five days earlier, Elaine (another elephant with the same circus) pinned eight children and their parents under a fence that separated the first row of spectators from the circus rings. In April of 1994, Sue, an Asian elephant with the Jordan Circus, picked up her trainer, Rex Williams, tossed him, and then stepped on him, while she was giving rides to two children. In May of 1993, while on the Ringling Bros.' elephant farm in Gainesville, Fla., a circus trainer died of internal injuries after an elephant knocked him down and stepped on his chest. In fact, since 1990, at least 11 people have been killed and numerous others injured by captive-elephant attacks.

During the winter off-season, animals used in circuses may be kept in traveling crates or in barn stalls; some are even kept in trucks. Few circuses have the funds or the desire to put much money into comfortable winter shelters, since off-season housing is used for only a few months per year. Such unrelieved physical confinement has very harmful physical and psychological effects on animals: A study conducted by the Born Free Foundation found that confined elephants spend 22% of their time in abnormal actions, such as repeated head-bobbing or swaying, and confined bears spend about 30% of their time pacing.

After circuses are done with animals, they are either permanently relegated to winter quarters (often cages) or are sold to other circuses, zoos, private menageries, game farms (to be shot for recreation or for exotic meat), or even research laboratories.

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