We explain what the circus is, its history and its characters. In addition, we tell you what the circus arts are.
What is the circus?
the circus is a form of entertainment traveling theater, of very ancient origin, which presents to the public a variety of acts based on arts and talents such as acrobatics, juggling, illusionism, balancing, escapism, clown and contortionism. The traditional Western circus also usually included trained or tamed animals that interacted with the performers on stage.
the word circus comes from latin circuswhich means “circle.” This was the term used in Ancient Rome to refer to oval-shaped monumental buildings, which had a long central esplanade called “arena” and some lateral stands for the public. In the Roman circus, horse chariot races, games related to religious festivals, and other mass spectacles such as fights and demonstrations of trained animals were held.
Current circus shows usually take place inside a large circular tent, with decorations of intense and lively colors. Circuses usually travel to different cities or towns, where they settle for a time to offer their show.
See also: Performing arts
circus history
The roots of the circus go back to ancient traditions There are records of balancing, acrobatics and juggling acts thousands of years before our era. Ancient civilizations such as Rome and Greece held war games or athletic competitions in which animals brought from distant regions were exhibited. The largest circus built by the Romans was the Circus Maximus, 621 meters long.
Likewise, in ancient China, Mongolia and India, there were shows with contortionists and other similar artists who traveled in groups from town to town.
However, The most direct precursor of the circus as we know it today dates back to the Middle Ages a time when the troupes of mountebankstraveling groups that put on musical shows, which sometimes featured acrobatics and juggling, as well as puppets, pantomimes, theater and other forms of scenic expression.
The first modern circus was founded in England in 1768. by the British jockey and acrobat Philip Astley, in a small venue south of London which he called Riding House. This experience helped him later open a second circus, Astley's Amphitheater, where he exhibited trained animals, acrobats and clowns.
The popularity of these shows grew and other acts began to be organized with the so-called freak shows (“freak shows”), in which people with physical deformities or extraordinary abilities were exposed to entertain the public. These shows were banned at the beginning of the 20th century.
In recent decades, bans have also been lifted in many countries around the world against the exploitation of animals in circuses. For these and other reasons, Traditional forms of circus have lost popularity to give way to more current versions which are usually large shows with a lot of production and a plot staged through music, dance, acrobatics and other arts.
What are the circus arts?
Circus arts are forms of bodily expression that come from the tradition of the circus. They combine elements of the performing arts with demonstrations of physical skill in a creative and playful way.
circus artists
Among the artists who usually perform in circuses are:
- Clowns. They are humorous and quirky characters, dressed in an ornate and funny way, with bright colors, wigs, hats and a lot of makeup, whose role is to make the audience laugh. They usually appear among the main functions of a show.
- Magicians or illusionists. They are artists of deception, connoisseurs of sleight of hand tricks (sleight of hand), disappearance and other illusions, whose routine consists of convincing the public that they can perform magic, that is, prodigious and inexplicable acts.
- Trapeze artists. They are acrobats who usually perform in groups and perform pirouettes and physical skills on trapezes at great heights. They also perform acts of tightrope walking, with balance and precision.
- Jugglers. They are artists capable of moving their hands very quickly and keeping different types of objects in the air, without hurting themselves or dropping them. Balls, hoops or skittles are usually juggled, but knives, torches and other dangerous objects are also used.
- bullet men. They are acrobats that are inserted into a cannon specially designed to shoot them from one side of the circus tent to the other, like a bullet, without suffering damage. They usually fall on a large net suspended in the air.
- Fire Eaters and Saber Eaters. They are individuals capable of inserting a burning sword or staff into their mouth or throat without injuring themselves. Normally, their show is usually accompanied by juggling with fireballs or other risky elements.
- Pampering. They are actors who transmit images and stories through expressions, gestures, postures, movements and interactions with imaginary objects (ropes, walls, swords), without saying a single word. This form of communication with the public is called pantomime.
- Strongmen. They are people with great strength or corpulence, capable of lifting enormous weights, resisting strong blows and performing feats that require extraordinary physical strength.
- Escapists. They are magicians or illusionists who lock themselves in cages or boxes with chains and padlocks, or expose themselves to apparently very risky situations, from which they must escape alive.
References
- Coxe, ADH, Parkinson, RL, Saxon, AH and Hoh, LG (2024). Circus. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Pascal J. (2024). Cirque Chronology. L'Encyclopédie des Arts du Cirque. https://cirque-cnac.bnf.fr/
- Theodore, K. (2024). The cirque is more than a number. Cirque du Soleil Blog. https://blog.cirquedusoleil.com/fr/
