Safety in Circus
Ashley Brophy, requested replies from first generation or new artists in his thread “Are we becoming Theater?”
This old Circus Dog couldn't resist the inspiration to start a similar thread. Many circuses, maybe even most these days, have taken the "theatrical path”. "Something big and dangerous or perceived to be dangerous" presented solely for the "danger" presentation, has lost its appeal to the general public. In view of such idiotic or moronic TV shows like "Fear Factor" and movies like "Jackass”: Danger for the sake of danger has, thankfully, gone by the wayside.
Today's kids do fantastic tricks on the trapeze, or the high wire, and even in the newer odd combinations of aerial apparatus, but they are not as well trained in basics as the older generation.
The irony of the newer "Safer Circus" is that more young artists are getting hurt than ever because they depend so much on mechanics, nets, crash mats, over use of rosin and any combination thereof, instead of basic training.
My father taught me to walk the high wire by making me walk a hundred lengths of the low practice wire; then run a hundred lengths of the wire; then sit down and get up in the middle of the wire a hundred times; every day until I could do it flawlessly. Then came the next step.
I cringe when I see the newer generation running across the high wire like Tinkerbelle, or flying across the ring catapulted by a Russian swing with a mechanic strapped around their waste, their hands and arms covered with rosin goo giving them a false sense of safety.
The newer accelerated training methods have brought about a generation of artists that do incredible tricks but, in view of their dependency on so called “Safety Apparatus”, the perception of danger is lost to the public making theatrical presentation a must.
Oddly, theatrical presentation has always been an integral element in circus: Thus, the “perception of danger”.
What would you rather see: An artist working confidently without a net, or an artist working recklessly with a net and mechanic?
Martin Lamberti
This old Circus Dog couldn't resist the inspiration to start a similar thread. Many circuses, maybe even most these days, have taken the "theatrical path”. "Something big and dangerous or perceived to be dangerous" presented solely for the "danger" presentation, has lost its appeal to the general public. In view of such idiotic or moronic TV shows like "Fear Factor" and movies like "Jackass”: Danger for the sake of danger has, thankfully, gone by the wayside.
Today's kids do fantastic tricks on the trapeze, or the high wire, and even in the newer odd combinations of aerial apparatus, but they are not as well trained in basics as the older generation.
The irony of the newer "Safer Circus" is that more young artists are getting hurt than ever because they depend so much on mechanics, nets, crash mats, over use of rosin and any combination thereof, instead of basic training.
My father taught me to walk the high wire by making me walk a hundred lengths of the low practice wire; then run a hundred lengths of the wire; then sit down and get up in the middle of the wire a hundred times; every day until I could do it flawlessly. Then came the next step.
I cringe when I see the newer generation running across the high wire like Tinkerbelle, or flying across the ring catapulted by a Russian swing with a mechanic strapped around their waste, their hands and arms covered with rosin goo giving them a false sense of safety.
The newer accelerated training methods have brought about a generation of artists that do incredible tricks but, in view of their dependency on so called “Safety Apparatus”, the perception of danger is lost to the public making theatrical presentation a must.
Oddly, theatrical presentation has always been an integral element in circus: Thus, the “perception of danger”.
What would you rather see: An artist working confidently without a net, or an artist working recklessly with a net and mechanic?
Martin Lamberti
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by SaSa on -
I agree implicitly with everything that Martin said with regard to the "new wave" vs the old guard.
I am consistently blown away whenever I drop in and see what the new circus world order has to offer in the way of entertainment. I , like Martin, believe that the evolution has sacrificed a lot of the tried and true methodology that we were trained to believe was the backbone of artisanship.
When I watch what I believe is the evolution of circus now, I am in awe of spectacles like "Cirque Du Soleil",etc. I take my hat off to them. They're discipline is astonishing and the finished product, beautiful. But, it is as far from anything I grew up with as it can get. I say that without judgement. It's just a fact.
I remember when we first started seeing artists with mechanics way back when. Everybody who was anybody knew that "you can do anything with a mechanic".To the "old pro", it diminished the accomplishment. It was not, in fact, even considered an accomplishment until you had the mechanic off. However, an element has been discarded in the training as Martin so eloquently writes. Nothing replaces repetition when learning something new and nothing makes you safer. You own it. Circus people didn't write the old adage "practice makes perfect", but for all the years I was growing up, they demonstrated it beautifully.
I replace the emphasis in Martin's final question with this one: what DO you think the people buying the tickets would rather see? We have become a world of desensitized "bottom lines", and ultimately while we were doing what we were doing, all those years for ourselves and our peers,rather than the audience, today it's a whole different highwire. Oh, hell, maybe we're just gettin' old!!
SaSa Armor
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Permalink Reply by Gypsy on -
I have to agree with Gary - also knowing and being friends with his wife for many years when I was travelling.
I was a first generation on my side Circus family and I was taught old school. Start on the ground - do your pull ups & push ups and build your strength.
Tricks were learnt with the trapeze only so high. When perfected - then be taken higher and higher.
Being 1st generation and learning tricks - my trapeze was average compared to some like Caroline, Ella and Bekki just to name a few. There were no dangerous tricks allowed in my performance.
No lunge was used and strength was relied upon. The old adage - practice makes perfect and safety do go hand in hand.
However saying that some girls do use lunges today and the acts look fantastic and some dangerous. However it is a worry if the lunge is relied totally on for preventing the fall. Safety is then in the hands of someone below and not in the hands of the person performing.
I think each aerialist must make his/her own personal choice in whether they use a lunge or not but I personally see the beauty and the hard work without the lunge.
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Permalink Reply by Ashley Brophy on -
Hello Martin
Great to see the different discussions my blog has created. I totally agree with you. When i was a kid my father also had me go out and practice the same trick for hours on end. Mind you I lived and breathed the tight wire then, so I didn't need much encouragement. Also when it was raining and windy dad would get me out there. I performed high wire in my early 20s. Did I use mechanics? Yes but only to learn the tricks, and over and over again until well and truly confident. Then it was without the harness and in the show. With the low wire I used the harness just on the somersaults on learning.
Will come back to this thread later, it will be interesting what people think. Good to see the comment my brother Gary made about his wife Caroline. Take care, Regards Ashley
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