11-1 The Circus - Part 1

The Evolution of the Circus

The institution known as the circus has been undergoing steady transformation from its modern origins in the mid-to-late sixteenth century to the present day. Beginning as an entertainment which was primarily a performance to demonstrate equestrian and quasi-military prowess, it has evolved into the spectacles of purely gymnastic feats of many of today’s best-known “contemporary” circuses. Throughout its history, though, the focus of the circus has always been on showmanship and the bravura of the performers.

“Circus” is the Latin word for “circle”. The ancient Romans held regular public events in great amphitheatres called circuses, but these events were not necessarily performances which resemble the circus of today. Rather, the name “circus” was a reflection of the approximate shape that these buildings took; it did not pertain to the events held within those forums. And unlike the modern circus, the variety of events held at Roman circuses was particularly wide-ranging, including political commemorations and ceremonies, battle reenactments, holiday fetes, animal shows, gladiator fights to the death, and public executions.

The modern circus began with horsemen who used circular arenas in order to showcase their talents for trick riding. Gentlemen cavaliers of the seventeen hundreds had developed a range of riding techniques, often while on military campaigns, which were considered quite daring and exciting to watch, so their “circuses” sprang up in England and around the Continent as venues for their shows. Eventually, many of the producers of these shows found it to be more profitable to travel from place to place, setting up their shows in temporary tents for shelter, rather than to establish themselves at one permanent site. So the travelling circus was born, and with it, the cultural icon of the circus as a definitive form of entertainment entered Western civilization.

Throughout the next centuries, there were constant additions made to the circus. Exotic, foreign animals began to accompany the circus, first only as manageries for display, and then eventually as performers, just as the horses had been and continued to be used. Acts featuring artists performing on trapeze at great personal risk became a favourite staple of the circus, along with clowns, who provided humour. Sideshows, the supplemental acts and frequently grotesque displays of human oddities that complemented the main attractions, began to proliferate. And throughout it all, music was used to highlight the performances.

The post-war years of the mid-twentieth century saw a sharp decline in circus attendance, as the entertainment form seemed to lose its relevance in the age of increased automation and telecommunication. Another pertinent factor that came into play was the increased public concern for animal rights in the latter half of the century, as more and more people realized that the animals used in the circus were more often than not subject to poor treatment.

However, a renaissance in circus arts occurred in the 1970’s in England, Europe, Eastern Canada and the Western United States, as a new form of circus, reliant almost exclusively on human physical skill, began to take shape. This is the “contemporary circus” of such troupes as the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, who combine tremendous gymnastic feats of strength, dexterity and skill with music, song, costuming and lighting effects to weave the various acts together into a tapestry of story-like themes.

Today, the circus continues to evolve and to develop new audiences as it moves forward into the 21st Century, once again creating its own niche as an entertainment form relevant to its time.

1. Have you ever been to a circus? Did you enjoy it?
2. Why do you suppose the circus lost its impact as a popular form of entertainment for thirty or forty years--”in the age of increased automation and telecommunication”--in the last century?
3. The “contemporary” circuses rarely use animal acts anymore, while there are a number of more “traditional” circuses that still use animals. Do you have an opinion on the use of animals in performing? Do you think it is appropriate to use animals for our entertainment as long as they are well-maintained and cared for?