WhatWhat isis aa ?circus?

AA circuscircus isis aa companycompany ofof performersperformers thatthat maymay includeinclude ,clowns, acrobats,acrobats, trainedtrained animals,animals, trapezetrapeze acts,acts, musicians,musicians, hoopers,hoopers, tightropetightrope walkers,walkers, jugglers,jugglers, unicyclistsunicyclists andand otherother objectobject manipulationmanipulation andand stuntstunt-- orientedoriented artists. artists. CircusCircus historyhistory

•• TheThe modernmodern circuscircus waswas developeddeveloped inin EnglandEngland byby thethe sonson ofof aa cabinetmakercabinetmaker andand veneerveneer cutter.cutter. •• PhilipPhilip AstleyAstley (1742(1742-- 1814)1814) waswas aa formerformer SergeantSergeant MajorMajor inin thethe FifteenthFifteenth LightLight DragoonDragoon RegimentRegiment andand anan outstandingoutstanding horsehorse trainer.trainer. CircusCircus historyhistory

InIn 1768,1768, AstleyAstley settledsettled inin LondonLondon andand openedopened aa ridingriding--schoolschool nearnear WestminsterWestminster Bridge,Bridge, wherewhere hehe taughttaught ridingriding inin thethe morningmorning andand performedperformed amazingamazing "feats"feats ofof horsemanship"horsemanship" inin thethe afternoon.afternoon. CircusCircus historyhistory

TheThe schoolschool hadhad aa circularcircular arenaarena thatthat AstleyAstley calledcalled hishis circle,circle, oror circus,circus, whichwhich wouldwould laterlater bebe knownknown asas thethe ring.ring. CircusCircus historyhistory

ByBy 1770,1770, AstleyAstley hadhad recognisedrecognised thatthat hehe neededneeded toto bringbring somethingsomething newnew toto hishis performances.performances. Acrobats,Acrobats, roperope--dancersdancers andand jugglersjugglers werewere addedadded toto hishis equestrianequestrian displaysdisplays butbut Astley'sAstley's realreal triumphtriumph waswas identifyingidentifying thethe circus'scircus's needneed forfor clowns.clowns. ClownsClowns

ThroughoutThroughout thethe MiddleMiddle AgesAges andand earlyearly Renaissance,Renaissance, jestersjesters oror foolsfools playedplayed anan importantimportant rolerole inin thethe socialsocial cultureculture ofof MedievalMedieval Europe.Europe. TheyThey alonealone couldcould answeranswer backback toto authority.authority. ByBy makingmaking funfun andand satirisingsatirising socialsocial customscustoms andand more,more, jestersjesters werewere oftenoften catalystscatalysts forfor socialsocial changechange ClownsClowns

•• ItIt waswas duringduring thisthis periodperiod thatthat thethe colourfulcolourful costumescostumes associatedassociated withwith today'stoday's clownsclowns hadhad theirtheir beginnings.beginnings. •• DuringDuring thisthis period,period, JestersJesters adoptedadopted aa fairlyfairly standardstandard "uniform'"uniform' ofof brightlybrightly colouredcoloured –– oftenoften greengreen andand saffronsaffron colouredcoloured coats,coats, twotwo colouredcoloured hosehose andand aa hoodedhooded capcap whichwhich waswas toppedtopped byby littlelittle bellsbells thatthat rangrang wheneverwhenever thethe wearerwearer moved.moved. ClownsClowns

•• FromFrom thethe 1500's1500's toto thethe 1700's1700's spontaneousspontaneous ItalianItalian theatretheatre thrivedthrived andand gavegave birthbirth toto aa hosthost ofof comediccomedic characterscharacters whichwhich tilltill survivesurvive today.today. •• TheseThese includeinclude Harlequin,Harlequin, withwith hishis patchworkpatchwork costume,costume, andand Pierrot,Pierrot, oneone ofof thethe earliestearliest clownsclowns toto useuse whitefacewhiteface makeup.makeup. ClownsClowns

FrenchFrench clownsclowns beganbegan thethe typetype ofof funnyfunny clownclown wewe seesee inin circusescircuses nowadays.nowadays. TheyThey performedperformed ,juggling, tightropetightrope walking,walking, andand tumblingtumbling showsshows inin frontfront ofof fairgroundfairground theatres.theatres. TheseThese performancesperformances werewere usedused toto enticeentice fairgoersfairgoers toto paypay toto seesee thethe mainmain showshow insideinside thethe fairgrounds.fairgrounds. CircusCircus tenttent

•• InIn Europe,Europe, thethe travellingtravelling circuscircus andand menageriemenagerie reachedreached itsits peakpeak betweenbetween WorldWorld WarWar II andand II.II. •• InIn thethe largerlarger cities,cities, tentedtented circuscircus showsshows werewere veryvery rarerare asas circuscircus performancesperformances werewere stillstill presentedpresented inin permanentpermanent buildings.buildings. CircusCircus tenttent

ByBy thethe endend ofof thethe nineteenthnineteenth century,century, thethe smallersmaller tentstents ofof thethe oneone--ringring showshow hadhad givengiven wayway toto thethe "big"big--top"top" andand thethe circuscircus enjoyedenjoyed aa goldengolden age.age. LionLion TamerTamer

LionLion tamingtaming isis thethe tamingtaming andand trainingtraining ofof lionslions forfor ,entertainment, particularlyparticularly inin thethe circus.circus.

TheThe termterm oftenoften appliesapplies toto thethe tamingtaming andand displaydisplay ofof otherother bigbig catscats suchsuch asas ,tigers, ,leopards, ,jaguars, cheetahscheetahs andand .cougars. TrapezeTrapeze artistartist

AA trapezetrapeze isis aa shortshort horizontalhorizontal barbar hunghung byby ropesropes oror metalmetal strapsstraps fromfrom aa support.support. ItIt isis anan aerialaerial apparatusapparatus commonlycommonly foundfound inin circuscircus performances.performances. TrapezeTrapeze actsacts maymay bebe static,static, swingingswinging oror flying,flying, andand maymay bebe performedperformed solo,solo, double,double, tripletriple oror asas aa groupgroup act.act. UnicyclistUnicyclist

AA unicycleunicycle isis aa humanhuman-- powered,powered, pedalpedal--driven,driven, singlesingle--tracktrack vehiclevehicle havinghaving oneone fixedfixed wheelwheel attachedattached toto aa frameframe withwith aa saddle.saddle. HoopingHooping HoopingHooping isis movementmovement andand dancingdancing withwith aa hoophoop (or(or hoops)hoops) toto music.music. ModernModern hoopershoopers useuse heavierheavier andand largerlarger diameterdiameter hoops,hoops, andand frequentlyfrequently rotaterotate thethe hoophoop aroundaround partsparts ofof thethe bodybody otherother thanthan thethe waist,waist, includingincluding thethe hips,hips, chest,chest, neck,neck, shoulders,shoulders, thighs,thighs, knees,knees, arms,arms, hands,hands, thumbs,thumbs, feetfeet andand toes.toes. AcrobaticsAcrobatics

AcrobaticsAcrobatics isis thethe performanceperformance ofof extraordinaryextraordinary featsfeats ofof ,balance, agility,agility, andand motormotor coordination.coordination. CircusCircus skillsskills

Nowadays,Nowadays, companiescompanies offeroffer circuscircus skillskill workshops,workshops, teachingteaching linkslinks toto manymany curriculumcurriculum areas,areas, suchsuch asas PE,PE, Art,Art, Music,Music, LiteracyLiteracy andand Numeracy.Numeracy.