Circus

For other uses, seeCircus (disambiguation).

"Three-ring circus" redirects here. For other uses, seeThree Ring Circus (disambiguation).

Circus
Advertisement for theBarnum & Bailey Circus,1900
Types	Classical Circus, New Circus, Contemporary circus, Social Circus
Ancestor arts	Drama

Acircusis a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may includeclowns,acrobats,trained animals,trapezeacts,musicians,dancers,hoopers,tightrope walkers,jugglers,magicians,ventriloquists,andunicyclistsas well as otherobject manipulationand stunt-oriented artists. The termcircusalso describes the field of performance, training and community which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Although not the inventor of the medium, Newcastle-under-Lyme bornPhilip Astleyis credited as the father of the modern circus.

In 1768, Astley, a skilled equestrian, began performing exhibitions oftrick horse ridingin an open field called Ha'Penny Hatch on the south side of theThames River,England.In 1770, he hired acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers and a clown to fill in the pauses between the equestrian demonstrations and thus chanced on the format which was later named a "circus". Performances developed significantly over the next fifty years, with large-scale theatrical battle reenactments becoming a significant feature. The format in which aringmasterintroduces a variety of choreographed acts set to music, often termed 'traditional' or 'classical' circus, developed in the latter part of the 19th century and remained the dominant format until the 1970s.

As styles of performance have developed since the time of Astley, so too have the types of venue where these circuses have performed. The earliest modern circuses were performed in open-air structures with limited covered seating. From the late 18th to late 19th century, custom-made circus buildings (often wooden) were built with various types of seating, a centre ring, and sometimes a stage. The traditional large tents commonly known as "big tops" were introduced in the mid-19th century as touring circuses superseded static venues. These tents eventually became the most common venue. Contemporary circus is performed in a variety of venues including tents, theatres, casinos, cruise ships and open-air spaces. Many circus performances are still held in a ring, usually 13 m (43 ft) in diameter. This dimension was adopted by Astley in the late 18th century as the minimum diameter that enabled an acrobatic horse rider to stand upright on a cantering horse to perform their tricks.

A shift in form has been credited with a revival of the circus tradition since the late 1970s, when a number of groups began to experiment with new circus formats and aesthetics, typically avoiding the use of animals to focus exclusively on human artistry. Circus companies and artistes within this movement, often termed 'new circus' or 'cirque nouveau', have tended to favour a theatrical approach, combining character-driven circus acts with original music in a broad variety of styles to convey complex themes or stories. Since the 1990s, a more avant garde approach to presenting traditional circus techniques or 'disciplines' in ways that align more closely to performance art, dance or visual arts has been given the name 'contemporary circus'. This labelling can cause confusion based upon the other use of the phrase contemporary circus to mean 'circus of today'. For this reason, some commentators have begun using the term 21st Century Circus to encompass all the various styles available in the present day. 21st Century Circus continues to develop new variations on the circus tradition while absorbing new skills, techniques, and stylistic influences from other art forms and technological developments. For aesthetic or economic reasons, 21st Century Circus productions may often be staged in theatres rather than in large outdoor tents.

Etymology

First attested in English 14th century, the wordcircusderives fromLatincircus,which is theromanisationof theGreekκίρκος(kirkos), itself ametathesisof theHomeric Greekκρίκος(krikos), meaning "circle" or "ring".In the bookDe Spectaculisearly Christian writerTertullianclaimed that the first circus games were staged by the goddessCircein honour of her fatherHelios,the Sun God.

History

Sells Brothers Circuswith Great Danes

The modern and commonly held idea of a circus is of a Big Top with various acts providing entertainment therein; however, the history of circuses is more complex, with historians disagreeing on its origin, as well as revisions being done about the history due to the changing nature of historical research, and the ongoing circus phenomenon. For many, circus history begins with EnglishmanPhilip Astley,while for others its origins go back much further—to Roman Empire times.

Origin

In Ancient Rome, thecircuswas a roofless arenafor the exhibition of horse and chariot races, equestrian shows, staged battles, gladiatorial combat, and displays of (and fights with) trained animals. The circuses of Rome were similar to the ancient Greekhippodromes,although circuses served varying purposes and differed in design and construction, and for events that involved re-enactments of naval battles, the circus was flooded with water; however, the Roman circus buildings were not circular but rectangular with semi circular ends. The lower seats were reserved for persons of rank; there were also various state boxes for the giver of the games and his friends. The circus was the only public spectacle at which men and women were not separated.Some circus historians such asGeorge Speaighthave stated "these performances may have taken place in the great arenas that were called 'circuses' by the Romans, but it is a mistake to equate these places, or the entertainments presented there, with the modern circus".Others have argued that the lineage of the circus does go back to the Roman circuses and a chronology of circus-related entertainment can be traced to Roman times, continued by theHippodrome of Constantinoplethat operated until the 13th century, through medieval and renaissance jesters, minstrels and troubadours to the late 18th century and the time of Astley.

The first circus in the city of Rome was theCircus Maximus,in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills.It was constructed during the monarchyand, at first, built completely from wood. After being rebuilt several times, the final version of the Circus Maximus could seat 250,000 people; it was built of stone and measured 400m in length and 90m in width.Next in importance were theCircus Flaminiusand theCircus Neronis,from the notoriety which it obtained through the Circensian pleasures of Nero. Afourth circuswas constructed byMaxentius;its ruins have helped archaeologists reconstruct the Roman circus.

For some time after thefall of the Western Roman Empire,large circus buildings fell out of use as centres of mass entertainment. Instead, itinerant performers, animal trainers, and showmen travelled between towns throughout Europe, performing at local fairs, such as theBartholomew Fairin London during theMiddle Ages.

Modern format

Astley and early British circus

Astley's Amphitheatrein London, c. 1808

Circus Ronaldo

The origin of the modern circus has been attributed toPhilip Astley,who was born 1742 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England. He became a cavalry officer who set up the first modern amphitheatre for the display of horse riding tricks in Lambeth, London, on 4 April 1768.Astley did not originate trick horse riding, nor was he first to introduce acts such as acrobats and clowns to the English public, but he was the first to create a space where all these acts were brought together to perform a show.Astley rode in a circle rather than a straight line as his rivals did, and thus chanced on the format of performing in a circle.Astley performed stunts in a 42 ft diameter ring, which is the standard size used by circuses ever since.Astley referred to the performance arena as a circle and the building as an amphitheatre; these would later be known as a circus.In 1770, Astley hiredacrobats,tightrope walkers,jugglers,and a clown to fill in the pauses between acts.

Elephant trainer (1903)

Astley was followed byAndrew Ducrow,whose feats of horsemanship had much to do with establishing the traditions of the circus, which were perpetuated by Hengler's andSanger's celebrated shows in a later generation. In England circuses were often held in purpose-built buildings in large cities, such as theLondon Hippodrome,which was built as a combination of the circus, the menagerie, and the variety theatre, where wild animals such as lions and elephants from time to time appeared in the ring, and where convulsions of nature such as floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions were produced with an extraordinary wealth of realistic display.Joseph Grimaldi,the first mainstreamclown,had his first major role as Little Clown in the pantomimeThe Triumph of Mirth; or, Harlequin's Weddingin 1781.TheRoyal Circuswas opened in London on 4 November 1782 byCharles Dibdin(who coined the term "circus" ),aided by his partner Charles Hughes, an equestrian performer.In 1782, Astley established theAmphithéâtre Anglaisin Paris, the first purpose-built circus in France, followed by 18 other permanent circuses in cities throughout Europe.Astley leased his Parisian circus to the ItalianAntonio Franconiin 1793.In 1826, the first circus took place under a canvas big top.

Trapezeartists, in lithograph by Calvert Litho. Co., 1890

Ricketts and the first American circus

The EnglishmanJohn Bill Rickettsbrought the first modern circus to the United States. He began his theatrical career with Hughes Royal Circus in London in the 1780s, and travelled from England in 1792 to establish his first circus inPhiladelphia.The first circus building in the US opened on 3 April 1793 in Philadelphia, where Ricketts gave America's first complete circus performance.George Washingtonattended a performance there later that season.

Circus tent, Italy (1951)

Expansion of the American format

James Anthony Baliey

In the Americas during the first two decades of the 19th century, theCircus of Pepin and Breschardtoured from Montreal to Havana, building circus theatres in many of the cities it visited.Victor Pépin,a native New Yorker,was the first American to operate a major circus in the United States.Later the establishments of Purdy, Welch & Co., and of van Amburgh gave a wider popularity to the circus in the United States.In 1825,Joshuah Purdy Brownwas the first circus owner to use a large canvas tent for the circus performance. Circus pioneerDan Ricewas the most famous pre-Civil Warcircus clown,popularising such expressions as "The One-Horse Show" and "Hey, Rube!".The American circus was revolutionised byP. T. BarnumandWilliam Cameron Coup,who launched the travellingP. T. Barnum's Museum, Menagerie & Circus,the firstfreak show,in the 1870s. Coup also introduced the first multiple-ring circuses, and was also the first circus entrepreneur to usecircus trainsto transport the circus between towns. By the 1830s,sideshowswere also being established alongside travelling circuses.

Circus parade around tents, in lithograph by Gibson & Co., 1874

Touring

In 1838, the equestrianThomas Taplin Cookereturned to England from the United States, bringing with him a circus tent.At this time, itinerant circuses that could befitted-upquickly were becoming popular in Britain.William Batty's circus, for example, between 1838 and 1840, travelled from Newcastle to Edinburgh and then to Portsmouth and Southampton.Pablo Fanque,who is noteworthy as Britain's only black circus proprietor and who operated one of the most celebrated travelling circuses in Victorian England, erected temporary structures for his limited engagements or retrofitted existing structures.One such structure in Leeds, which Fanque assumed from a departing circus, collapsed, resulting in minor injuries to many but the death of Fanque's wife.Traveling circus companies also rented the land they set up their structures on sometimes causing damage to the local ecosystems.Three important circus innovators were the ItalianGiuseppe Chiarini,and FrenchmenLouis SoullierandJacques Tourniaire,whose early travelling circuses introduced the circus to Latin America, Australia, Southeast Asia, China, South Africa, and Russia. Soullier was the first circus owner to introduce Chinese acrobatics to the European circus when he returned from his travels in 1866, and Tourniaire was the first to introduce the performing art to Ranga, where it became extremely popular.

Lion tamer,in lithograph by Gibson & Co., 1873

After an 1881 merger withJames Anthony Baileyand James L. Hutchinson's circus and Barnum's death in 1891, his circus travelled to Europe as the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show On Earth, where it toured from 1897 to 1902, impressing other circus owners with its large scale, its touring techniques (including the tent and circus train), and its combination of circus acts, a zoological exhibition, and a freak show. This format was adopted by European circuses at the turn of the 20th century.

The influence of the American circus brought about a considerable change in the character of the modern circus. In arenas too large for speech to be easily audible, the traditional comic dialogue of the clown assumed a less prominent place than formerly, while the vastly increased wealth of stage properties relegated to the background the old-fashioned equestrian feats, which were replaced by more ambitious acrobatic performances, and by exhibitions of skill, strength, and daring, requiring the employment of immense numbers of performers, and often of complicated and expensive machinery.

Painting by VenezuelanArturo Michelena,c. 1891, depicting a backstage area at the circus

From the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, travelling circuses were a major form of spectator entertainment in the US and attracted huge attention whenever they arrived in a city. After World War II, the popularity of the circus declined as new forms of entertainment (such as television) arrived and the public's tastes changed. From the 1960s onward, circuses attracted growing criticism fromanimal rightsactivists. Many circuses went out of business or were forced to merge with other circus companies. Nonetheless, a good number of travelling circuses are still active in various parts of the world, ranging from small family enterprises to three-ring extravaganzas. Other companies found new ways to draw in the public with innovative new approaches to the circus form itself.

Russia

In 1919,Lenin,head ofSoviet Russia,expressed a wish for the circus to become "the people's art-form", with facilities and status on par with theatre, opera and ballet. The USSR nationalised Russian circuses. In 1927, theState University of Circus and Variety Arts,better known as theMoscow Circus School,was established; performers were trained using methods developed from the Soviet gymnastics programme. When the Moscow State Circus company began international tours in the 1950s, its levels of originality and artistic skill were widely applauded.

Freak showcircus

China

Circuses from China, drawing on Chinese traditions ofacrobatics,like theChinese State Circusare also popular touring acts.

New Circus

Main article:New Circus

Cirque du SoleilperformingDralioninVienna,2004

New Circus(originally known ascirque nouveau) is a performing arts movement that originated in the 1970s in Australia, Canada, France,the West Coast of the United States, and the United Kingdom. New Circus combines traditional circus skills and theatrical techniques to convey a story or theme. Compared with the traditional circus, this genre of circus tends to focus more attention on the overall aesthetic impact, on character and story development, and on the use oflighting design,original music, andcostume designto convey thematic or narrative content. Music used in the production is often composed exclusively for that production, and aesthetic influences are drawn as much from contemporary culture as from circus history. Animal acts rarely appear in new circus, in contrast to traditional circus, where animal acts have often been a significant part of the entertainment.

Early pioneers of the new circus genre included:Circus Oz,forged in Australia in 1977 from SoapBox Circus (1976) and New Circus (1973);thePickle Family Circus,founded inSan Franciscoin 1975;Ra-Ra Zooin 1984 inLondon;Nofit State Circusin 1984 fromWales;Cirque du Soleil,founded inQuebecin 1984;Cirque PlumeandArchaosfrom France in 1984 and 1986 respectively. More recent examples include:Cirque Éloize(founded in Quebec in 1993); Sweden'sCirkus Cirkör(1995);Teatro ZinZanni(founded in Seattle in 1998); the West African Circus Baobab (late 1990s);and Montreal's Les 7 doigts de la main (founded in 2002).The genre includes other circus troupes such as the Vermont-basedCircus Smirkus(founded in 1987 byRob Mermin) and Le Cirque Imaginaire (later renamed Le Cirque Invisible, both founded and directed byVictoria Chaplin,daughter ofCharlie Chaplin).

The most conspicuous success story in the new circus genre has been that ofCirque du Soleil,the Canadian circus company whose estimated annual revenue exceeds US$810 million in 2009,and whosecirque nouveaushows have been seen by nearly 90 million spectators in over 200 cities on five continents.

Contemporary Circus

Main article:Contemporary Circus

The genre of contemporary circus is largely considered to have begun in 1995 with 'Le Cri du Caméléon', an ensemble performance from the graduating class of the French circus school Le Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC), directed by Joseph Nadj. In contrast to New Circus, Contemporary Circus (as a genre) tends to avoid linear narrative in favour of more suggestive, interdisciplinary approaches to abstract concepts. This includes a strong trend for developing new apparatus and movement languages based on the capacities, experience and interests of individual performers, rather than finding new ways to present traditional repertoire.

Social Circus

Main article:Social circus

Beyond the performance aspect of circus, is the Social Circus field, catalysed by Reg Bolton. Social Circus engages communities through circus practice and activity to provide health and well-being benefits.

Performance

A traditional circus performance is often led by aringmasterwho has a role similar to aMaster of Ceremonies.The ringmaster presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the show moving. The activity of the circus traditionally takes place within a ring; large circuses may have multiple rings, like the six-ringedMoscow State Circus.A circus often travels with its own band, whose instrumentation in the United States has traditionally includedbrass instruments,drums,glockenspiel,and sometimes the distinctive sound of thecalliope.Performers have been traditionally referred to as artistes, although in recent years the term artists has also come into regular use. To some performers from multi-generational circus families, the term artiste is still preferred as it is considered to confer higher status than artist. Conversely, some performers from the circus school training route taken by many of the newer generations prefer the term artist as it is considered to be less pretentious than artiste. The physical and creative skills that circus artist/es perform are known as disciplines, and are often grouped for training purposes into the broad categories of juggling, equilibristics, acrobatics, aerial and clowning. These disciplines can be honed into individual acts, which can be performed independently and marketed to many different prospective circus employers, and also used for devising solo or collaborative work created specifically for a single project.

Acts

See also:List of circus skills

Worldwide laws on animal use incircuses

Nationwide ban	Partial ban
Ban on import/export	No ban
Unknown

Common acts include a variety ofacrobatics,gymnastics(includingtumblingandtrampoline), aerial acts (such astrapeze,aerial silk,corde lisse),contortion,stilt-walking,and a variety of other routines.Jugglingis one of the most common acts in a circus; the combination of juggling and gymnastics that includes acts likeplate spinningand therolling globecome under the categoryequilibristics,along with more classical balance disciplines such as tightwire, slackline and unicycle. Acts like these are some of the most common and the most traditional.Clownsare common to most circuses and are typically skilled in many circus acts; "clowns getting into the act" is a very familiar theme in any circus. Famouscircus clownshave includedAustin Miles,theFratellini Family,Rusty Russell,Emmett Kelly,Grock,andBill Irwin.The title clown refers to the role functions and performance skills, not simply to the image of red nose and exaggerated facepaint that was popularised through 20th Century mass media. While many clowns still perform in this styling, there are also many clowns who adopt a more natural look.

Daredevilstunt acts,freak shows,andsideshow actsare also parts of some circus acts, these activities may includehuman cannonball,chapeaugraphy,fire eating,breathing,anddancing,knife throwing,magic shows,sword swallowing,orstrongman.Famous sideshow performers includeZip the PinheadandThe Doll Family.A popular sideshow attraction from the early 19th century was theflea circus,where fleas were attached to props and viewed through aFresnel lens.

Animal acts

Femalelion tamerand leopard

Elephantsfrom Cole Brothers Circus parade through downtown Los Angeles, 1953

Circushorseact

A variety of animals have historically been used in acts. While the types of animals used vary from circus to circus,big cats(namelylions,tigers,andleopards),foxes,wolves,polecats,minks,weasels,camels,llamas,elephants,zebras,horses,donkeys,birds(likeparrotsanddoves),sea lions,bears,monkeys,and domestic animals such ascatsanddogsare the most common.

The earliest involvement of animals in circus was just the display of exotic creatures in amenagerie.Going as far back as the early eighteenth century, exotic animals were transported to North America for display, and menageries were a popular form of entertainment.The first true animals acts in the circus were equestrian acts. Soon elephants and big cats were displayed as well.Isaac A. Van Amburghentered a cage with several big cats in 1833, and is generally considered to be the first wild animal trainer in American circus history.Mabel Starkwas a famous female tiger-tamer.

Controversy and laws

Circus baby elephant training

Elephant act at a 2009 circus inPachuca,Hidalgo,Mexico. In December 2014, as a response to reports of animal mistreatment, theMexican Congresspassed a law banning the use of animals in any circus in the country.The law set fines for violations and required circuses to submit lists of the wildlife they possessed, which would then be made available to zoos interested in taking the animals.

Animal rightsgroups have documented many cases ofanimal crueltyin the training of performing circus animals.The animal rights groupPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA) contends that animals in circuses are frequently beaten into submission and that physical abuse has always been the method for training circus animals. It is also alleged that the animals are kept in cages that are too small and are given very little opportunity to walk around outside of their enclosure, thereby violating their right to freedom.

United States

According to PETA, although the USAnimal Welfare Actdoes not permit any sort of punishment that puts the animals in discomfort,trainers will still go against this law and use such things as electric rods andbullhooks.According to PETA, during an undercover investigation of Carson & Barnes Circus, video footage was captured showing animal care director Tim Frisco training endangered Asian elephants with electrical shock prods and instructing other trainers to "beat the elephants with abullhookas hard as they can and sink the sharp metal hook into the elephant's flesh and twist it until they scream in pain ".

On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands,Wageningen Universityconducted an investigation into the welfare of circus animals in 2008.The following issues, among others, were found:

• 71% of the observed animals had medical problems.
• 33% of tigers and lions did not have access to an outdoor enclosure.
• Lions spend on average 98% of their time indoors.
• An average enclosure for tigers is only 5 m².
• Elephants are shackled in chains for 17 hours a day on average.
• Elephants spend on average 10 hours a day showingstereotypic behaviour.
• Tigers are terrified of fire but are still forced to jump through fire rings.
• Since 1990 there have been over 123 cases of lion attacks at circuses.
• Animals are trained through discipline.

Based on these findings, the researchers called for more stringent regulation regarding the welfare of circus animals. In 2012, the Dutch government announced a ban on the use of wild circus animals.

In testimony inU.S. District Courtin 2009,Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey CircusCEOKenneth Feldacknowledged that circus elephants are struck behind the ears, under the chin and on their legs with metal tipped prods, called bullhooks. Feld stated that these practices are necessary to protect circus workers. Feld also acknowledged that an elephant trainer was reprimanded for using an electric shock device, known as a hot shot or electric prod, on an elephant, which Feld also stated was appropriate practice. Feld denied that any of these practices harm elephants.In its January 2010 verdict on the case, brought against Feld Entertainment International by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals et al., the Court ruled that evidence against the circus company was "not credible with regard to the allegations".In lieu of aUSDAhearing,Feld Entertainment Inc.(parent of Ringling Bros.) agreed to pay an unprecedented $270,000 fine for violations of the Animal Welfare Act that allegedly occurred between June 2007 and August 2011.

A 14-year litigation against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus came to an end in 2014 whenThe Humane Society of the United Statesand a number of other animal rights groups paid a $16 million settlement to Feld Entertainment; however, the circus closed in May 2017 after a 146-year run when it experienced a steep decline in ticket sales a year after it discontinued its elephant act and sent itspachydermsto a reserve.

On 1 February 1992 at the Great American Circus inPalm Bay, Florida,an elephant named Janet (1965 – 1 February 1992) went out of control while giving a ride to a mother, her two children, and three other children. The elephant then stampeded through the circus grounds outside before being shot to death by police.Also, during a Circus International performance inHonolulu, Hawaii,on 20 August 1994, an elephant calledTyke(1974 – 20 August 1994) killed her trainer,Allen Campbell,and severely mauled her groomer, Dallas Beckwith, in front of hundreds of spectators. Tyke then bolted from the arena and ran through the streets ofKakaakofor more than thirty minutes. Police fired 86 shots at Tyke, who eventually collapsed from the wounds and died.

In December 2018, New Jersey became the first state in the U.S. to ban circuses, carnivals and fairs from featuring elephants, tigers, and other exotic animals.

England

In 1998 in the United Kingdom, a parliamentary working group chaired by MPRoger Galestudied living conditions and treatment of animals in UK circuses. All members of this group agreed that a change in the law was needed to protect circus animals. Gale told the BBC, "It's undignified and the conditions under which they are kept are woefully inadequate—the cages are too small, the environments they live in are not suitable and many of us believe the time has come for that practice to end." The group reported concerns about boredom and stress, and noted that an independent study by a member of theWildlife Conservation Research UnitatOxford University"found no evidence that circuses contribute to education or conservation."; however, in 2007, a different working group under the UKDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,having reviewed information from experts representing both the circus industry and animal welfare, found an absence of "scientific evidence sufficient to demonstrate that travelling circuses are not compatible with meeting the welfare needs of any type of non-domesticated animal presently being used in the United Kingdom."According to that group's report, published in October 2007," there appears to be little evidence to demonstrate that the welfare of animals kept in travelling circuses is any better or any worse than that of animals kept in other captive environments. "

A ban prohibiting the use of wild animals in circuses in England was due to be passed in 2015, but Conservative MPChristopher Choperepeatedly blocked the bill under the reasoning that "The EU Membership Costs and Benefits bill should have been called by the clerk before the circuses bill, so I raised a point of order". He explained that the circus bill was "at the bottom of the list" for discussion.TheAnimal Defenders Internationalnon-profit group dubbed this "a huge embarrassment for Britain that 30 other nations have taken action before us on this simple and popular measure".On 1 May 2019 Environmental Secretary Michael Gove announced a new Bill to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.TheWild Animals in Circuses Act 2019came into effect on 20 January 2020.

Wales

Abillto ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses inWaleswas introduced in June 2019, and subsequently passed by theWelsh Parliamenton 15 July 2020.Over 6,500 responses were made by the people of Wales, to the public consultation on the draft Bill, 97% of which supported the ban.

Scotland

The use of wild animals in travelling circuses has been banned in Scotland. The Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (Scotland) Act 2018 came into force on 28 May 2018.

Worldwide

Tigers in a transport cage in a travelling circus

There are nationwide bans on using some if not all animals in circuses in Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have locally restricted or banned the use of animals in entertainment.In response to a growing popular concern about the use of animals in entertainment, animal-free circuses are becoming more common around the world.In 2009, Bolivia passed legislation banning the use of any animals, wild or domestic, in circuses. The law states that circuses "constitute an act of cruelty." Circus operators had one year from the bill's passage on 1 July 2009 to comply.In 2018 in Germany, an accident with an elephant during a circus performance prompted calls to ban animal performances in circuses. PETA called the German politicians to outlaw the keeping of animals for circuses.

A survey confirmed that on average, wild animals spend around 99 to 91 percent of their time in cages, wagons, or enclosure due to transportation. This causes a huge amount of distress to animals and leads to excessive amounts of drooling.

City ordinances banning performances by wild animals have been enacted inSan Francisco(2015),Los Angeles(2017),andNew York City(2017).

Greece became the first European country to ban any animal from performing in any circus in its territory in February 2012, following a campaign byAnimal Defenders Internationaland the Greek Animal Welfare Fund (GAWF).

On 6 June 2015, theFederation of Veterinarians of Europeadopted a position paper in which it recommends the prohibition of the use ofwild animalsin travelling circuses.

Despite the contemporary circus' shift toward more theatrical techniques and its emphasis on human rather than animal performance, traditional circus companies still exist alongside the new movement. Numerous circuses continue to maintain animal performers, includingUniverSoul Circusand theBig Apple Circusfrom the United States,Circus Kronefrom Munich,Circus RoyaleandLennon Bros Circusfrom Australia,Vazquez Hermanos Circus,Circo Atayde Hermanos, and Hermanos Mayaror Circusfrom Mexico, andMoira OrfeiCircusfrom Italy, to name just a few.

Buildings

Circus building

Paper postcard of the OldKharkivWood Circus

A tent ofSirkus Finlandia

In some towns, there are circus buildings where regular performances are held. The best known are:

• Blackpool TowerCircus
• Budapest Circus
• Circus Krone BuildinginMunich
• Cirque d'hiver, Paris
• Cirque Jules Verne inAmiens
• Hippodrome Circus,Great Yarmouth
• La Tohuin Montreal
• Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevardin Moscow
• Ciniselli Circusin Saint Petersburg
• Shanghai Circus WorldinShanghai
• Turkmen State CircusinAshgabat
• Riga CircusinRiga
• Belarus State Circus inMinsk
• "Globus" Circus inBucharest

In other countries, purpose-built circus buildings still exist which are no longer used as circuses, or are used for circus only occasionally among a wider programme of events; for example, theCirkusbygningen(The Circus Building) in Copenhagen, Denmark,Cirkusin Stockholm, Sweden, orCarré Theatrein Amsterdam, Netherlands.

International awards

TheInternational Circus Festival of Monte-Carlohas been held inMonacosince 1974 and was the first of many international awards for circus performers.

In art, music, films, plays, books, and video games

See also:Circus music

The Circus(1891), byGeorges Seurat

Erich Kästner's children's booksDer kleine Mann1963 (The Little Man) andDer kleine Mann und die kleine Miss1967 (The Little Man and the Little Miss) are largely set in a circus where the orphaned young protagonist grows up as a ward of the show'smagician.

The atmosphere of the circus has served as a dramatic setting for many musicians. The most famous circus theme song is called "Entrance of the Gladiators",and was composed in 1904 byJulius Fučík.Other circus music includes "El Caballero", "Quality Plus", "Sunnyland Waltzes", "The Storming of El Caney", "Pahjamah", "Bull Trombone", "Big Time Boogie", "Royal Bridesmaid March", "The Baby Elephant Walk", "Liberty Bell March", "Java", Strauss's "Radetsky March", and "Pageant of Progress". A poster forPablo Fanque's Circus Royal, one of the most popular circuses of Victorian England, inspiredJohn Lennonto writeBeing for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!onThe Beatles' album,Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.The song title refers toWilliam Kite,a well-known circus performer in the 19th century. ProducerGeorge MartinandEMIengineers created the song's fairground atmosphere by assembling a sound collage of collected recordings of calliopes and fairground organs, which they cut into strips of various lengths, threw into a box, and then mixed up and edited together randomly, creating a long loop which was mixed into the final production.Another traditional circus song is theJohn Philip Sousamarch "Stars and Stripes Forever",which is played only to alert circus performers of an emergency.

Plays set in a circus include the 1896 musicalThe Circus GirlbyLionel Monckton,Polly of the Circuswritten in 1907 byMargaret Mayo,He Who Gets Slappedwritten by RussianLeonid Andreyev1915 and later adapted into one of the first circus films,Katharina Kniewritten in 1928 byCarl Zuckmayerand adapted for the English stage in 1932 asCaravanby playwright Cecily Hamilton, the revueBig Topwritten byHerbert Farjeonin 1942,Top of the Ladderwritten byTyrone Guthriein 1950,Stop the World, I Want to Get Offwritten byAnthony Newleyin 1961, andBarnumwith music byCy Colemanand lyrics and book byMark Bramble,Roustabout: The Great Circus Train Wreckwritten by Jay Torrence in 2006.

Following World War I, circus films became popular. In 1924He Who Gets Slappedwas the first film released byMGM;in 1925Sally of the Sawdust(remade 1930),Variety,andVaudevillewere produced, followed byThe Devil's Circusin 1926 andThe CircusstarringCharlie Chaplin,Circus Rookies,4 Devils;andLaugh Clown Laughin 1928. German filmSalto Mortaleabout trapeze artists was released in 1931 and remade in the United States and released asTrapezestarringBurt Lancasterin 1956; in 1932Freakswas released;Charlie Chan at the Circus,Circus(USSR) andThe Three Maxiumswere released in 1936 andAt the Circusstarring theMarx BrothersandYou Can't Cheat an Honest Manin 1939. Circus films continued to be popular during the Second World War; films from this era includedThe Great ProfilestarringJohn Barrymore(1940), the animatedDisneyfilmDumbo(1941),Road Show(1941),The Wagons Roll at Night(1941) andCaptive Wild Woman(1943).

Tromba,a film about a tiger trainer, was released in 1948. In 1952Cecil B. de Mille's Oscar-winning filmThe Greatest Show on Earthwas first shown. Released in 1953 wereMan on a TightropeandIngmar Bergman'sGycklarnas afton(released asSawdust and Tinselin the United States); these were followed byLife Is a Circus;Ring of Fear;3 Ring Circus(1954),Tom and Jerry: The MovieandLa Strada(1954), an Oscar-winning film byFederico Felliniabout a girl who is sold to a circus strongman. Fellini made a second film set in the circus calledThe Clownsin 1970. Films about the circus made since 1959 include Disney'sToby Tyler(1960), theB-movieCircus of Horrors(also in 1960); themusical filmBilly Rose's Jumbo(1962);A Tiger Walks,a Disney film about a tiger that escapes from the circus; andCircus World(1964), starringJohn Wayne.InHanna-Barbera's first animated filmHey There, It's Yogi Bear!(1964),Cindy Bearis held captive in a circus where she is cruelly forced to perform untilYogiandBoo-Boorescue her.Mera Naam Joker(1970), a Hindi drama film directed byRaj Kapoorwhich was about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. In the anime filmJungle Emperor Leo(1997), Leo's son Lune is captured and placed in a circus, which burns down when a tiger knocks down a ring of fire while jumping through it.Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,aDreamWorks Animationfilm about zoosters escape from the evilanimal controlCapitan DuBois, was released in 2012.The Greatest Showman,a musical film loosely based on the life ofP. T. Barnum,was released in 2017.

The TV seriesCircus Humberto,based on the novel byEduard Bass,follows the history of the circus family Humberto between 1826 and 1924. The setting of the HBO television seriesCarnivàle,which ran from 2003 to 2005, is also largely set in a travelling circus. The circus has also inspired many writers. Numerous books, both non-fiction and fiction, have been published about circus life. Notable examples of circus-based fiction includeCircus Humbertoby Eduard Bass,Cirque du FreakbyDarren Shan,andSpanglebyGary Jennings.The novelWater for ElephantsbySara Gruentells the fictional tale of a circus veterinarian and was made into amovie with the same title,starringRobert PattinsonandReese Witherspoon.Science fiction writer Barry B. Longyear wrote a trilogy about a circus of the future: City of Baraboo;Elephant Song;andCircus World.

Circus is the central theme in comic books ofSuper Commando Dhruva,an Indian comic book superhero. According to this series, Dhruva was born and brought up in a fictional Indian circus called Jupiter Circus. When a rival circus burnt down Jupiter Circus, killing everyone in it, including Dhruva's parents, Dhruva vowed to become a crime fighter. A circus-based television series calledCircuswas also telecast in India in 1989 onDD National,starringShahrukh Khanas the lead actor.

In the third case of the video gamePhoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All,the main character,Phoenix Wright,investigates a murder at a circus, working as the defence attorney of an egotistical magician.

See also

• Animal training
• Chautauqua,tent shows that preceded American circus
• Circus clown
• Clown alley
• Circus skills
• Cirque du Soleil
• Clown
• Contemporary circus
• Dog and pony show
• Flea circus
• History of Indian circus
• International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo
• Traveling carnival
• Lion taming
• List of circuses and circus owners

Notes

References

• Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Circus".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 390–391.
• Speaight, George(1980).A History of the Circus.London: Tantivy Press.ISBN0-4980-2470-9.

Further reading

• Adams, Katherine H. (2012).Women of the American Circus, 1880-1940.McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers.ISBN978-0-7864-7228-4.
• Assael, Brenda, "Circus and Victorian Society", 2005, University of Virginia Press, CharlottesvilleISBN0-8139-2340-9
• Brooke, Bob (October–November 2001)."Step Right Up: Bob Brooke presents the history of the circus in America".History Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 4 January 2018.Retrieved4 September2010.
• Childress, Micah D.Circus Life: Performing and Laboring Under America's Big Top Shows, 1830-1920(University of Tennessee Press, 2018), p. 247online review.
• Dfening, Fred D. III (November 2007). "The American Circus in the 1870s: An Overview from Newspaper Sources".Bandwagon.51(6): 4–60.ISSN0005-4968.Provides an overview of "low-yield research" into the history of the American Circus as covered in "ragcontent newspapers [and] magazines [such as]White Tops"
• Johnson, William M. 1990.The Rose-Tinted Menagerie.Iridescent Publishing
• Nance, Susan.Entertaining Elephants: Animal Agency and the Business of the American Circus(Johns Hopkins University Press; 2013) 304 pages; elephants as "actors" or creatures of agency in the American circus from 1800 to 1940.
• Simon, Linda.The Greatest Shows on Earth: A History of the Circus(Reaktion Books, distributed by University of Chicago Press; 2014); 296 pages;

External links

• Dictionary of Circus Slang (American and British/European)
• History of American Circuses and Sideshows
• Circopedia