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Circus arts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Circus Arts refers to a body of performing arts featured in, based upon, derived from, or inspired by circus productions. Three similar terms are often confused here: circus arts, circus acts and circus skills. The difference lies in the level of specificity. Circus arts is the most general term, referring to all performance forms that relate to the circus (the arts of the circus). Circus acts are physical compositions which are performed in the circus, and circus skills are the techniques used to create and choreograph the acts.
There are two main genres of circus arts: traditional, often referred to as "Old Circus Arts" and contemporary, sometime called "Arts de Cirque Nouveaux ". Below is a table comparing several distinct aspects of traditional and contemporary circus arts.
| Traditional Circus Arts | Contemporary Circus Arts | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Performance Venues | Touring Big Top Circus, Arena Circus | Theatrical Production, Circus Theatre |
| Typically Performed By | Circus Families | Conservatory Trained Artists |
| Typical Acts | Animals, Clowning, Flying Trapeze, Wire Walking | Acrobalance, Aerial Acrobatics, Physical Comedy |
| Typical Staging Format | circular seating around three or more rings | Auditorium seating in front of proscenium stage |
| Typical Production Format | Series of spectacle style acts presided over by a master of ceremony | Series of theatrical style acts tied together by a central narrative or theme |
| Typical Music and Sound | Live band, recorded sound effects | Recorded score and sound effects, sometimes with live accompaniment |