The Big Top of Billy Smart's Circus Cambridge 2004. Billy Smart Jr ( 15 October 1934 &ndash 23 May 2005) was widely known in Britain as a circus performer and Impresario The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England

A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, trapeze acts, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists. Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking is one of the Performing arts, and is also practiced as a Sport. Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by their Grotesque appearance colored wigs stylistic makeup, outlandish Costumes unusually Hooping generally refers to artistic manipulations of a Metal, Wooden or Plastic hoop with various parts of the body in a rhythmic fashion usually Juggling is a physical human skill involving the movement of objects usually through the air for entertainment (see Object manipulation) The word also describes the performance that they give, which is usually a series of acts that are choreographed to music. A circus is held in an oval or circular arena with tiered seating around its edge; in the case of traveling circuses this location is most often a large tent called the big top. A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope

History of the circus

In Ancient Rome the circus was a building for the exhibition of horse and chariot races, equestrian shows, staged battles, displays featuring trained animals, jugglers, and acrobats. The circus of Rome is thought to have been influenced by the Greeks, with chariot racing and the exhibition of animals as traditional attractions. The Roman circus consisted of tiers of seats running parallel with the sides of the course, and forming a crescent around one of the ends. The lower seats were reserved for persons of rank; there were also various state boxes, eg. for the giver of the games and his friends. In Ancient Rome the circus was the only public spectacle at which men and women were not separated.

The first circus in Rome was the Circus Maximus, in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills. The Circus Maximus ( Latin for greatest circus, in Italian Circo Massimo) is an ancient Hippodrome and mass entertainment Next in importance to the Circus Maximus in Rome was the Circus Flaminius, the Circus Neronis, from the notoriety which it obtained through the Circensian pleasures of Nero. The Circus Flaminius was a large circular area of land in Rome that contained a small race-track reserved for mysterious games and various other buildings and monuments A fourth, the Circus of Maxentius, was constructed by Maxentius; the ruins of this circus have enabled archaeologists to reconstruct the Roman circus. Circus of Maxentius (also known as the Circus of Caracalla is an ancient Roman circus built as part of a funerary complex by the emperor Maxentius. Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c 278 - 28 October 312) was Western Roman Emperor from 306 to 312

Following the fall of Rome, Europe lacked a large and animal rich circus. Itinerant showmen traveled the fair grounds of Europe. Animal trainers and performers are thought to have exploited the nostalgia for the Roman circus, traveling between towns and performing at local fairs. Another possible link between the Roman and modern circus could have been bands of Gypsies who appeared in Europe in the 14th century and in Britain from the 15th century bringing with them circus skills and trained animals. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins

In China's Eastern Han Dynasty scholar Zhang Heng was one of the first to describe acrobatic theme shows in the royal palaces in his writing "Ode to the Western Capital". The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. Zhang Heng ( (CE 78–139 was an astronomer, mathematician, inventor, geographer, cartographer, artist, poet A grand acrobatic show was held by Emperor Wu of Han in 108 BC for foreign guests^[1]. Background birth and years as crown prince Emperor Wu was the tenth child of Emperor Jing, and was born to one of Emperor Jing's favorite Concubines, Most western text describe the circus as a "Chinese Circus". The Far East generally see it as a separate performance art called Chinese variety art, and is not believed to be a direct predecessor to "Western Circus" despite many stunts and performances being similar. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. Chinese Variety Art (Chinese 雜技藝術 is the name giving to the collection of performances that include a wide range of Acrobatic, balancing acts and other spectacles

Development of the circus

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

The modern concept of a circus as a circular arena surrounded by tiers of seats, for the exhibition of equestrian, acrobatic, and other performances seems to have existed since the late 18th century. ^[2] The popularity of the circus in England may be traced to that held by Philip Astley in London, the first performance of his circus is said to have been held on January 9, 1768. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Philip Astley ( January 8, 1742 &ndash January 27, 1814) is regarded as the " father of the modern circus. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a One of Astley's major contributions to the circus was bringing trick horse riding into a ring, though Astley referred to it as the Circle. Later, to suit equestrian acts moving from one circus to another, the diameter of the circus ring was set at 42 feet (13 m), which is the size ring needed for horses to circle comfortably at full gallop. Astley never called his performances a 'circus'; that title was thought up by his rival John Hughes, who set up his Royal Circus a short distance from Astley's 'Amphitheatre of Equestrian Arts' in Lambeth, London. Astley was followed by Andrew Ducrow, whose feats of horsemanship had much to do with establishing the traditions of the circus, which were perpetuated by Henglers and Sangers celebrated shows in a later generation. Andrew Ducrow (1793 - 1842 was a British circus performer, often called the "Father of British circus Equestrianism " and "the Colossus In England circuses were often held in purpose built buildings in large cities, such as the London 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 have been produced with an extraordinary wealth of realistic display. The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square in the City of Westminster, London.

Trapeze artists, in lithograph by Calvert Litho. A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by two cords from a support to form a Trapezoid. Co. , 1890.

Antonio Franconi, the founder of the French circus, is credited by many to be a co-creator of the modern circus, along with Philip Astley. Antonio Franconi (1738 in Venice, Italy - 1836 in Paris, France) was an Italian Equestrian.

The first circus building in the United States opened in 1793 in Philadelphia with a performance by John Bill Ricketts^[3]. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə John Bill Ricketts, an Englishman who brought the first modern circus to the United States began his theatrical career with Hughes Royal Circus in London in the 1780s coming George Washington attended a performance there later that season^[4]. George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the In the Americas of the first two decades of the 19th century, The Circus of Pepin and Breschard toured from Montreal to Havana, building circus theatres in many of the cities they visited. The equestrian theatre company of Pépin and Breschard arrived in the United States of America from Madrid, Spain (where they had performed during the 1805 and 1806 Later the establishments of Purdy, Welch & Co. , and of van Amburgh gave a wider popularity to the circus in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In 1825 Joshuah Purdy Brown was the first circus owner to use a large canvas tent for the circus performance. Circus pioneer Dan Rice was probably the most famous circus and clown pre-Civil War, popularizing such expressions as "The One-Horse Show" and "Hey, Rube!". Dan Rice ( January 23, 1823 &ndash February 22, 1900) was an American entertainer of many talents most famously as a Clown "Hey Rube!" is Circus slang most commonly used in the United States with origins in the middle 19th century The American circus was revolutionized by P. T. Barnum and William Cameron Coup, who launched P. T. Barnum's Museum, Menagerie & Circus, a travelling combination animal and human oddities, the exhibition of humans as a freak show or sideshow was thus an American invention. Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5 1810 &ndash April 7 1891 was an American Showman remembered for Hoaxes and for founding the Circus that became the William Cameron Coup (1837 &ndash March 4, 1895) was a Wisconsin businessman who partnered with P Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus was started when the Circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P Generally considered in contemporary times as a highly inappropriate and dehumanizing term a freak show is an exhibition of rarities "freaks of nature" — such In America a sideshow is an extra secondary production associated with a circus, carnival fair or other such attraction Coup was also the first circus entrepreneur to use circus trains to transport the circus from town to town; a practice that continues today and introduced the first multiple ringed circuses. A circus train is a modern method of conveyance for circus troupes

In 1840 the equestrian Thomas Cooke returned to England from the United States, bringing with him a circus tent. Three important circus innovators were Italian Giuseppe Chiarini, and Frenchmen Louis Soullier and Jacques Tourniaire, whose early travelling circuses introduced the circus to Latin America, Australia, South East Asia, China, India, 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. Following Barnum's death his circus merged with that of James Anthony Bailey, and travelled to Europe as 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 the combination of circus acts, zoological exhibition and the freak show. James Anthony Bailey ( July 4, 1847 &ndash April 11, 1906) was the creator of the modern Circus. 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 dialog 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. In 1919, Lenin, head of the USSR, expressed a wish for the circus to become 'the people's art-form', given facilities and status on a par with theatre, opera and ballet. The USSR nationalized the Soviet circuses. When the Moscow State Circus company began international tours in the 1950's, its levels of originality and artistic skill were widely applauded, and the high standard of the Russian State circus continues to this day.

The International Circus Congress held in Madrid over the 4th to 6th October 1988 issued the following statement: (1) That each country be asked to recognize that the circus arts are a valuable cultural manifestation and form an essential part of the culture and history of humanity. (2) That the circus is an entertainment worthy of protection in each country, to conserve the circus arts and the way of life of its performers. (3)That the real identity and quality of the circus should be defended in order to avoid its degradation. (4) That the setting up of circus schools be encouraged and that places there be available to students from other countries. (5) That animals are an integral part of the circus.

Full details of the above Congress meeting appeared in the Circus Fans of Great Britain 'King Pole' Magazine December 1988 issue.

Contemporary circus

Cirque du Soleil performing Dralion in Vienna, 2004

In the 1960s and 1970s, the circus began to lose popularity as people became more interested in alternative forms of entertainment. Cirque du Soleil (French for "Circus of the Sun" in English sɜrk duː soʊˈleɪ is an entertainment company Dralion (pronounced Drah-lee-on is a touring production of Cirque du Soleil. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Some circuses have stayed afloat by merging with other circus companies. There are numerous circuses that maintain a mix of animal and human performers, these include Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, the Moscow State Circus, Circus Krone[1] from Munich, Circus Royale from Australia and the Big Apple Circus. Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus was started when the Circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P The Great Moscow State Circus ( Большой Московский государственный цирк на проспекте Вернадского is an auditorium in Moscow Circus Royale is an Australian Circus troupe owned by Damian Syred The Big Apple Circus is a Circus that is located in New York City. Circus Circus is a Las Vegas circus themed casino and the largest permanent big top in the world also presents human and animal performances. This article is about the Circus Circus hotel and casino in Las Vegas Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally

Cirque nouveau / New Circus is a performing arts movement that developed in the 1970s, simultaneously in France, Australia the West Coast of the U. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. S. and the U. K . There are no animals used in this type of circus and influences are drawn as much from contemporary culture as from circus history. Examples include Circus Oz forged in Australia in 1977 from SoapBox Circus and New Circus, both founded in the early 70's, The Pickle Family Circus[2] founded in San Francisco in 1975, and more recently Circus Burlesque from the U. Circus Oz is a contemporary Australian circus group It was founded in 1978 through the amalgamation of two groups Soapbox Circus and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city K in 1980 and Nofitstate circus[3] in 1984 from Wales, Cirque du Soleil founded in Quebec, Canada in 1984, Archaos in 1986, Club Swing in 1994, through to more recent examples such as Teatro ZinZanni, founded in Seattle in 1998, Quebec's Cirque Éloize, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, also know as The 7 Fingers [4], and the West African (French Guinea - Guinée) Circus Baobab[5] in the late 90's. Cirque du Soleil (French for "Circus of the Sun" in English sɜrk duː soʊˈleɪ is an entertainment company Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Archaos was a French circus created by Pierrot Bidon in 1984 It was an alternative circus (no animals with a dangerous theme involving stunts like Chainsaw juggling Fire Teatro ZinZanni is a Circus Dinner theater that began in the neighborhood of Lower Queen Anne in Seattle Washington. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Cirque Éloize is a Quebec based Cirque nouveau (contemporary circus troupe Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea The form includes other circus troupes such as the Le Cirque Imaginaire, later renamed Le Cirque Invisible both founded and directed by Victoria Chaplin, granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, the Tiger Lillies, Circus Monoxide, Acrobat, Dislocate[6], RANGA Circus[7] (now CIRCA), and Throwdown, while The Jim Rose Circus and The Happy Sideshow are both interesting takes on the sideshow. Victoria Chaplin (born May 19 1951) is an American actress the daughter of actor/comedian Charlie Chaplin and Oona Chaplin O'Neill The Tiger Lillies are a three-piece band formed in 1989 and based in London. The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (or CIRCA or Smile LiberAtion Front) is a United Kingdom -based anti-authoritarian Left-wing Activist The original Jim Rose Circus is a modern-day version of a circus Sideshow. In America a sideshow is an extra secondary production associated with a circus, carnival fair or other such attraction

Swedish nouveau circus company Cirkus Cirkör was founded 1995. U. S. Company PURE Cirkus [8] under the Genre of Cirque Noir, was founded in 2004, and in Northern England, (United Kingdom), combining punk, rap, dance music, comedy, and daring stunts, Skewed Circus delivers "pop-circus" genre entertainment to young urban audiences who have not had the opportunity to visit traditional circuses. Northern England, The North, The North of England or (less commonly The North Country refers to the parts of England north of an ill-defined line

Circuses from China, drawing on Chinese traditions of acrobatics, like the Chinese State Circus are also popular touring acts. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking is one of the Performing arts, and is also practiced as a Sport. The Chinese State Circus is a touring Circus which aims to present the Chinese circus arts to European audiences

The International Circus Festival of Monaco[9] has been held in Monte Carlo since 1974 and was the first of many international awards for circus performers. Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously

The circus performance

Fire breathers risk burns, both internal and external, as well as poisoning in the pursuit of their art. Safety While not a difficult skill to learn initially it is the most dangerous of all the fire arts and not just due to the obvious risk of serious burns

Female animal trainer and leopard. Animal training refers to Teaching Animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Human performers in Big Cat acts such as these are often referred to by the misnomer "Lion tamers". The term big cat is used to distinguish the larger cat species from smaller ones Lion taming is the practice of taming Lions either for protection whereby the practice was probably created or more commonly entertainment particularly in the Animal rights activists allege that these acts involve cruel training methods. "Animal liberation" redirects here for other uses see Animal liberation (disambiguation. Cruelty to animals refers to the infliction of unnecessary Suffering or Harm to animals

A traditional circus performance is led by a ringmaster who has a role similar to a Master of Ceremonies. The ringmaster or ringleader is often the most important and most-visible performer in the modern Circus. The ringmaster presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the show moving. The activity of the circus takes place within a ring; large circuses may have multiple rings, like the six ringed Moscow State Circus. A circus traditionally has its own band.

Circus acts

Main article: Circus skills

Common acts include a variety of acrobatics and gymnastics including tightrope walking, aerial acts such as trapeze and cradle, and a variety of floor routines. Circus skills are a group of pursuits that were traditionally used as a form of entertainment in Circus, Sideshow, Busking or variety / Vaudeville Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking is one of the Performing arts, and is also practiced as a Sport. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by two cords from a support to form a Trapezoid. A cradle is an aerial Circus act where acrobats act as either catchers swinging other performers back and forth on a large rectangular frame or flyers those being swung Juggling is also a common act in circuses; the combination of juggling and gymnastics is called equilibristics and include acts like plate spinning or the rolling globe. Juggling is a physical human skill involving the movement of objects usually through the air for entertainment (see Object manipulation) Equilibristics refers to a number of ' Circus arts ' and Juggling skills characterised by balancing or maintaining a moving equilibrium or balance of opposing Plate spinning is a circus manipulation art where a person spins plates, bowls and other flat objects on poles without them falling off The Rolling Globe is a circus skill where the performer balances atop a large sphere often taller than the performer

Clowns are 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. Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by their Grotesque appearance colored wigs stylistic makeup, outlandish Costumes unusually Famous circus clowns have included Austin Miles, the Fratellini Family, Emmett Kelly, Grock and Bill Irwin. The Fratellini Family was a famous Circus family in the late 1900s and 1920s Emmett Leo Kelly ( December 9, 1898 &ndash March 28, 1979) a native of Sedan Kansas, was an American circus performer Grock ( January 10 1880, Reconvilier, Switzerland - July 14 1959, Imperia, Italy) original name William Mills "Bill" Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American Actor and Clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American

Daredevil stunt acts and sideshow acts are also parts of some circus acts, these activities may include human cannonball, chapeaugraphy, fire eating, breathing and dancing, knife throwing, magic shows, sword swallowing or strongman. In America a sideshow is an extra secondary production associated with a circus, carnival fair or other such attraction The human cannonball is a performance in which a person (the "cannonball" is ejected from a specially designed Cannon. Chapeaugraphy, occasionally anglicised to chapography, is a Panhandling trick in which a ring-shaped piece of Felt is manipulated to look like A fire eater is an Entertainer, often a Street artist or part of a Sideshow. Safety While not a difficult skill to learn initially it is the most dangerous of all the fire arts and not just due to the obvious risk of serious burns Fire dancing (also known as " fire twirling," " fire spinning," " fire performance," or " fire manipulation Impalement arts are a type of Performing art in which a performer plays the role of human target for a fellow performer who demonstrates accuracy skills in disciplines Sword swallowing is a Performance art, in which the performer inserts a Sword into his or her Mouth and down the Esophagus towards the Stomach Famous sideshow performers include Zip the Pinhead and The Doll Family. Zip the Pinhead, born William Henry Johnson (1842/1843 in Liberty Corner New Jersey – April 9, 1926 in New York City, The Doll Family was a group of four Midget Siblings from Germany who were popular performers in circuses and Sideshows in the United States from A popular sideshow attraction from the early 19th century was the flea circus, where fleas were attached to props and viewed through a Fresnel lens. A flea circus refers to a circus Sideshow attraction in which Fleas are attached (or appear to be attached to miniature carts and other items and encouraged A Fresnel lens (pronounced or) is a type of lens invented by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel.

Animal acts

A variety of animals have historically been used in acts. While the types of animals used vary from circus to circus, big cats, elephants, horses, birds, sea lions and domestic animals are the most common. The term big cat is used to distinguish the larger cat species from smaller ones Elephants ( family: Elephantidae) are large land Mammals of the order Proboscidea. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. For other uses of the term "sea lion" see Sea lion (disambiguation.

The earliest involvement in animals in circus was just the display of exotic creatures. 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. ^[5] The first true animals acts in the circus were equestrian acts. Soon elephants and big cats were displayed as well. Isaac A. Van Amburgh entered a cage with several big cats in 1833, and is generally considered to be the first wild animal trainer in circus history. ^[6] Mabel Stark was a famous female tiger-tamer. Mabel Stark, whose real name was Mary Haynie ( December 9, 1889 - April 20 1968) was the world's premier tiger trainer of the

Recently the use of animals in the circus has been a matter for controversy, as animal-welfare groups have documented multiple instances of animal cruelty, used in the training of performing animals. Cruelty to animals refers to the infliction of unnecessary Suffering or Harm to animals Elephants in particular have been of some problem recently as is demonstrated by "Tyke" (1974 – August 20, 1994)^[7] a circus elephant who on August 20, 1994 in Honolulu, Hawaii, killed her trainer, Allen Campbell, and mauled her groomer, Dallas Beckwith causing severe injuries during a Circus International performance before hundreds of horrified spectators at the Neal Blaisdell Center. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U Allen Campbell ( 1953 - August 20, 1994) was an elephant trainer for The Hawthorn Corporation The Neal S Blaisdell Center in Downtown Honolulu near Waikīkī is the premier community center for the City & County of Honolulu. Tyke then bolted from the arena and ran through downtown streets of Kakaako for more than thirty minutes. Kakaako is the name of a commercial and retail district of Honolulu Hawai{{okina}}i between Ala Moana near Waikīkī to the Police fired 86 shots at Tyke who eventually collapsed from the wounds and died.

In 1998 in the UK, The Circus Animal Working Party, chaired by MP Roger Gale, studied animal conditions and treatment in UK circuses. All members of this Party agreed that a change in the law was needed to protect circus animals. Mr Gale, Conservative MP for Thanet North, 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 as come for that practice to end. " Also cited in the study were concerns about boredom and stress, as well as noting that an independent study by a member of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University "found no evidence that circuses contribute to education or conservation. " ^[8]

Sweden, Austria, Costa Rica, India, Finland, and Singapore have restricted the use of animals in entertainment. The UK and Scottish Parliaments have committed to ban certain wild animals in travelling circuses. In response to a growing unease from the public about the use of animals in entertainment, the formation of animal free circuses have begun cropping up around the globe, and animal free circuses have begun to be more wide-spread. ^[9].

Circus music, films and plays

See also: Circus music

The atmosphere of the circus has served as a dramatic setting for many musicians and writers. Circus music is any sort of music that is played to accompany a Circus, as well as music written that emulates its general style The famous circus theme song is actually called "Entrance of the Gladiators", and was composed in 1904 by Julius Fučík. " Entrance of the Gladiators " or " Entry of the Gladiators " ( Czech: Vjezd gladiátorů, German: Einzug der Gladiatoren Julius Ernst Wilhelm Fučík ( 18 July 1872 &ndash 15 September 1916) was a Czech Composer and conductor of military 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".

Plays set in a circus include the 1896 musical The Circus Girl by Lionel Monckton, Polly of the Circus written in 1907 by Margaret Mayo, He Who Gets Slapped written by Russian Leonid Andreyev 1916 and later adapted into on of the first circus films, Caravan written in 1932 by Carl Zuckmayer, the revue Big Top written by Herbert Farjeon in 1942, Top of the Ladder written by Tyrone Gutheris in 1950, Stop the World, I Want to Get Off written by Anthony Newley in 1961, and Barnum with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics and book by Mark Bramble. Lionel John Alexander Monckton (18 December 1861 – 15 February 1924 was an English writer and Composer of Musical theatre. Margaret Mayo may refer to Margaret Mayo (playwright (1882&ndash1951 American playwright and actress Margaret Mayo (novelist (born Leonid Nikolaievich Andreev (Леонид Николаевич Андреев – September 12, 1919) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer Carl Zuckmayer ( December 27, 1896 &ndash January 18, 1977) was a German Writer and Playwright. Anthony George Newley ( September 24, 1931 &ndash April 14, 1999) was an English Actor, Singer and Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. For the fictional principal Seymour Kaufman see Room 222. Cy Coleman ( June 14, 1929 - November 18, 2004) was an American Mark Bramble (born December 7 1950) is a Broadway director and Scriptwriter.

Following the First World War circus films became popular; in 1924 He Who Gets Slapped was the first film released by MGM; in 1925 Sally of the Sawdust (remade 1930), Variety, and Vaudeville were produced, followed by The Devil's Circus in 1926 and The Circus starring Charlie Chaplin, Circus Rookies, 4 Devils; and Laugh Clown Laugh in 1928. He Who Gets Slapped is a 1924 film starring Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, and John Gilbert. The Circus is a 1928 silent Film which finds Charlie Chaplin 's Little Tramp character being chased by a police officer at a Circus 4 Devils (also known as Four Devils) is a 1928 silent Drama film directed by German Film director German film Salto Mortale about trapeze artists was released in 1930 and remade in the United States and released as Trapeze starring Burt Lancaster in 1956; in 1932 Freaks was released; Charlie Chan at the Circus, Circus (USSR) and The Three Maxiums were released in 1936 and At the Circus starring the Marx Brothers and You Can't Cheat an Honest Man in 1939. Trapeze is a 1956 circus film directed by Carol Reed and starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida, making Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique Freaks is a 1932 Horror film about Sideshow performers directed and produced by Tod Browning with a cast mostly composed of At the Circus is a 1939 Marx Brothers Comedy Film in which they save a circus from Bankruptcy. The Marx Brothers were a popular team of sibling Comedians who appeared in Vaudeville, stage plays film and television Circus films continued to be popular during the Second World War, The Great Profile starring John Barrymore was released in 1940, the animated Disney film Dumbo, Road Show and The Wagons Roll at Night in 1941 and Captive Wild Woman in 1943. John Sidney Blyth Barrymore ( February 15 1882 – May 29 1942) was an American Actor, frequently called the greatest Walt Disney Animation Studios (as Walt Disney Feature Animation is a key element of The Walt Disney Company, and the oldest existing Animation studio in the world Dumbo is a 1941 Animated feature Film produced by Walt Disney and first released on October 23 1941 by RKO Radio Pictures. The Wagons Roll at Night is a 1941 circus film starring Humphrey Bogart as Travelling carnival owner Nick Coster Sylvia Sidney as

The film Tromba, about a tiger trainer was released in 1948 and in 1952 Cecil B. de Mille's Oscar winning film The Greatest Show on Earth was first shown. Cecil Blount DeMille ( August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director The Greatest Show on Earth is a 1952 Drama film set in the Ringling Bros Released in 1953 were Man on a Tightrope and Ingmar Bergman's Gycklarnas afton released as Sawdust and Tinsel in the United States; Life is a Circus; Ring of Fear; 3 Ring Circus and La strada an Oscar winning film by Federico Fellini about a girl who is sold to a circus strongman; Fellini made a second film set in the circus called The Clowns in 1970. Ernst Ingmar Bergman ( pronounced) (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007 was a nine-time Academy Award -nominated Swedish film, stage 3 Ring Circus is a film comedy starring Martin and Lewis. The movie was filmed from February 17 - March 31 1954 and released on December 25 1954 Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( January 20 1920 &ndash October 31 1993) was an Italian Film I clowns (also known as The Clowns) is a 1971 film by Federico Fellini about the human fascination with Clowns and Circuses It Films about the circus made since 1959 include B-movie Circus of Horrors, musical Billy Rose's Jumbo, A Tiger Walks a Disney film about a tiger that escapes from the circus and Circus World starring John Wayne. A B movie is a motion picture made on a low or modest budget Originally the term was used for films intended for distribution as the less-publicized second half of a Double Circus of Horrors is a 1960 British Horror film directed by Sidney Hayers. Billy Rose's Jumbo ( 1962) is a Musical film, produced by MGM and starring Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, Martha Raye For the defunct Florida theme park see Circus World Circus World, also known as Samuel Bronston's Circus World John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American

In the film Jungle Emperor Leo, 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. is a 1997 animated movie focusing on the last half of Osamu Tezuka 's epic Manga, Jungle Taitei (known in earlier US productions as Kimba the White

Circus Buildings

In some towns, there are circus buildings. The best known are

• Circus Krone Building in Munich
• Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard in Moscow
• Shanghai Circus World in Shanghai
• Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Cirque d'Hiver, Paris
• Budapest Circus
• Blackpool Tower Circus
• Hippodrome Circus, Great Yarmouth

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, the Circus Schumann in Copenhagen, Denmark or Cirkus in Stockholm, Sweden. The Circus Krone Building is the headquarters and main winter venue for Circus Krone in Munich, Germany. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoi Boulevard was the only Circus in Moscow between 1926 and 1971 and still remains the most popular one Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Shanghai Circus World (上海马戏 is a big permanent indoor Circus in the city of Shanghai. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Cirque du Soleil (French for "Circus of the Sun" in English sɜrk duː soʊˈleɪ is an entertainment company Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a Coastal Town in Norfolk, England. Cirkus (Cirkus Arena och Restaurang AB is an arena in Djurgården, Stockholm, that holds 1650 people

See also

• List of famous circuses and circus owners
• Circus skills
• Acrobatics
• Aerobatics
• Animal training
• Benposta
• Cirque du Soleil
• Dog and pony show
• Hartford Circus Fire
• Spanish web
• Wheel gymnastics
• Teatro ZinZanni

Notes

References

• Croft-Cooke, Rupert and Cotes, Peter. 1976. Circus: A World History. Elek. London ISBN 0-236-40051-7
• Johnson, William M. 1990. The Rose-Tinted Menagerie. Iridescent Publishing
• National Museum of Performing Arts, Theatre Museum. Circus Guided Tour

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

External links

• Circus at the Open Directory Project
• Dictionary of Circus Slang (American and British/European)
• directory of circus performers