A circus consists of entertainment or spectacles that include trained animals and displays of human skill and daring.
The term “circus” is the same root as circumference and radius. This refers to the unique environment in which such entertainment is presented. It’s a circular performance area usually enclosed by a fence or “curb”. It can be enclosed in an arena or a structure designed for circus performances.
Circus shows can include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts and musicians.
The history of the circus is almost as old as civilization itself. The walls of Egyptian tombs were decorated with paintings of twirling acrobats. They date back to 1250 BC. Blood of man and beast washed the Circus Maximus in Ancient Rome. Rope walking in medieval was considered a form of sorcery, and it was banned by the Church.
The modern circus’s origin is attributed to Philip Astley, born in 1742 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, . On April 4 April 4, 1768, he was a cavalry officer and set up the first modern theatre to display horse riding tricks in Lambeth. Later, he added other acts to his performances, including acrobats and a clown. Charles Dibdin (a rival to Astley) coined the term “circus” to describe this type of exhibition. He opened The Royal Circus in
As circuses have evolved in performance styles since Astley’s time, so have the venues where they have performed. Modern circuses began in open-air venues with limited covered seating.
an Englishman, brought the first modern circus to the United States. In the 1780s, he began his career as a performer with Hughes Royal Circus in. He then travelled to Philadelphia in 1792 to start his first circus. On April 3 April 3 1793, Philadelphia opened the first circus building. Ricketts performeds first complete circus show. George was there for a later performance.
Victor Pepin was a native who was the first to run a major circus. The circus gained popularity in America with the establishments later of Purdy, Welch & Co. and van Amburgh.
1919. Lenin was the head of Soviet Russia. He wished the circus would become “the people’s art-form” with facilities and status comparable to the theatre, opera, and ballet. The USSR nationalized circuses. The State University of Circus and Variety Arts, also known as the Moscow Circus School 1927, was founded. It trained performers using techniques derived from Soviet gymnastics. The artistic talent and originality of the Moscow State Circus company were widely praised when it began international tours in 1950.
Circuses are popular touring acts that draw on Chinese traditions of acrobatics, such as the Circus.
Since 1974, the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo has been held in Monaco. It was the first of many international awards given to circus performers.
Contemporary Circus is an art form that uses traditional circus skills to convey a story or theme. This type of performance does not include animals.
Traditional circus skills are combined with a more character-driven approach. The contemporary circus approach is more focused than traditional circuses. It focuses on the overall aesthetic impact and sometimes character and story development. Costume design and lighting design are also used to convey thematic and narrative content.