Are we becoming Theater?
I would love to hear comments on this from new circus people or first generation. Years ago if you wanted to earn the big money as a performer in Circus you had to do something big and dangerous or perceived to be dangerous that is the trick. Having run a Circus School myself I have been involved first hand with what we can and don't dare teach people. This wasn't such an issue when I was growing up in my Circus family. It seems much of the danger element is going out of Circus which is what it was famous for, replaced by artistic elements from theater or dance. Don,t get me wrong the artistic element is great but it would be sad if the danger element was lost. If this happened wouldn't we become theater?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by andres on -
Hola Ashley, recibe un cordial saludo.
Me parece que ya hace algún tiempo que la cuestión que tu planteas merece no sólo discusión, sino una seria reflexión. Tal vez del curso que tome ese debate, dependerá la forma en que se conceptualize y desarrolle el circo en el futuro.
Por lo pronto, me gustaría que intercambiemos ideas y comentarios acerca de versiones y propuestas que ya se han presentado en publicaciones al respecto. Por ejemplo, el libro titulado:
"Fall of the Big Top. The vanishing american circus", del autor David Lewis Hammarstrom, editorial McFarland & Company, publicado en el año 2008.
Me resultaría de gran interés conocer tu opinión con respecto a lo que este libro plantea: un proceso de paulatina ausencia del circo tradicional y una mayor presencia de alternativas más teatrales, incluyendo la posible conversión de empresas grandes de circo a circos pequeños y de base familiar.
Agradezco de antemano tu atención y quedo en espera de tu respuesta.
Saludos.
Andrés Atayde
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Permalink Reply by Ashley Brophy on -
Hello Andres and thanks for your reply. Unfortunatly I don't speak Spanish... I really wanted to know what you wrote. Can anyone translate for Andres.
Ash
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Permalink Reply by KRIZIA CARR International Trapeze & Fashion Star! on -
Hello Ashley, receive a warm greeting.
It seems to me that already for some time the question that you've raised has been deserving not only discussion but a serious reflection. Perhaps the course that the debate will take will depend on the form in which it will conceptualize and develop the circus in the future.
So far, I would like it if we interchanged ideas and commentaries about versions and proposals that already have appeared in publications on the matter. For example, the titled book:
"Fall of the Big Top. The vanishing American circus", by David author Lewis Hammarstrom, McFarland editorial & Company, published in 2008.
It would be of great interest to me to know your opinion with respect to the topic which this book raises: a process of gradual absence of the traditional circus and a greater presence of more theater alternatives, including the possible conversion of great companies of circus to small circuses and family based.
I appreciate your attention beforehand and I am awaiting your answer.
Greetings.
Andrés Atayde
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Permalink Reply by andres on
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Hola Krizia:
Recibe un cordial saludo. Agradezco te hayas tomado el tiempo de traducir mi mensaje.
Me resultaría interesante que intercambiaramos ideas y puntos de vista acerca de la discusión en cuestión sobre la conceptualización actual del circo y sus posibilidades a futuro.
Espero que sigamos en contacto.
Un saludo para ti y tu familia
Andrés
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Permalink Reply by robert perry on -
i Guess you are correct Ashley but what is the benfit of doing something that makes you a cripple
Merv King used to say pratice makes perfect and what do you do when you are perfect. it is a shame
but future kids will not know a real circus of yeaster year i was in hong kong when Elvin Bale Missed the net in the human cannon what a talent.
Robert Perry
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Permalink Reply by Ashley Brophy on
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Your right in that Robert. No one wants to be a cripple from any performance. As you know I have performed in a lot of different acts and I have to say when you do a performance in an act and everything gos well and you know you did a good job the other acts don't have a fraction of the adrenalin rush you get with the danger element. I still book the wire because I can still do it and I make time for it because of the kick i get out of it. I have a bad back because of the wire but I wouldn't swap my wire for a good back. Yes I know what you would say to that. That would be another story. Ash
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Permalink Reply by robert perry on
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Ashley
The wire act is a tough act i have seen my brother get some shocking busters more so in the winter that is why very few artists take it on i think it is only other wire walkers who who know how tough it is my dad spent 3 weeks in a perth hospital back in the 30s from a wire buster. keep upthe good work. look foward to seeing you wednesday night will get all Bernice family to vote for you
Robert Perry
Former Wire Watcher (to tough an act for me)
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Permalink Reply by Bambolina-and-Dodo on -
Hi Ashley, my wife and I are first generation and we have a little second generation with us, he has taken his first steps on the wire and in the future will dance upon it like we have seen few people do since yester year!
Danger is still here, risk is still here, what we see is a lot of artists or people who perform and of course the standard of what they give not only to the public but to themselves vary. I think some people even look at the ring or wherever it takes place as a job!
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Permalink Reply by Ashley Brophy on
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Hi Bambolina and Dodo. If ever we cross paths I will be glad to teach your son some wire. Check out my vids. Ash
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Permalink Reply by andres on
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It seems that some time ago, the question you mentioned deserves a serious discussion. Perhaps the course this discussion takes, will have an important effect or influence to the circus conception and development.
In first aproach, I would like to begin by comment about some ideas or versions that have been published. For example, the following book: "Fall of the big top. The vanishing american circus" (2008). The author is David Lewis Hammarstrom.
I hope you will find it interesting.
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Permalink Reply by Circus Radieschen on -
Hi!
To me the connection is with music. The orchestra.
A juggler and a violin.
a clown and a trumpet.
Things change.Circus Flic Flac in germany...
the tent is not round! No animals.
no live music and even money isn`t what it used to be..
Circus is an art form in itself.
Our youth circus performs on stage in a new built music hall.
We do everything to minimize danger. With fire and aerial technical stuff.i.e.
In Europe there is an university where you can study circus arts.
of course ballet is around the corner,but that is not new.
Russians haven`t had opera so they had ballet and circus...
maybe here you find some answers.
balance and harmony
..
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Permalink Reply by robert perry on
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i would like to reply to circus radieschen
that balance & harmony would be great but some non animal circuses in australia openly
gloat that they have no animals because it is political correct if a show does not want to have animals that is fine but some use it as an advertising ploy we must never forget that the name circus comes from the great animal circuses of the world any dictionary states that a circus troupeof performers, & animals Robert Perry Australia
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