Common Circus Acts - By: Justin Davis

Circus is one of the oldest form entertainments. Even in todays modern age, most people are still being entertained by watching circus. You will see in this article 5 of the most common stunts and acts that are performed by people in a circus.

Circus Stilt Walkers - Stilts are objects that are used by people or any structure that allow them to stand above the ground a higher level. Stilts could either be poles, pillars or posts. Walking stilts are the ones that are made from bamboo pole with wood or another bamboo attached to it for the feet to stand on to. They are the ones that the tall people you see in circus use, these people are called stilt walkers. Circus stilts are very much the same to the very first stilts ever used.

Fire Breathing – This is considered one of the most popular cirucs acts. We call the people who perform this act fire breathers. They make use of a special kind of fuel that only ignites if it is sprayed from the mouth into the air in tiny mist. The mist form of the fuel makes the fire bigger and looks thrilling. Fire breathing requires proper fuel and skill to succeed.

Toss Juggling – It is another very common and famous attraction in circuses. Toss juggling is the one that you see in many circuses and movies. The person who performs the said entertainment is called the juggler. The juggler uses balls, clubs, or rings as his props.

Animal Acts – This is also an all-time favorite, whether of kids or adult. Animal acts involve the trainer of a specific animal and the animal that the trainer trains. The animals that are used during animal acts are elephants, monkeys, sea lions, bears, lion, tigers, leopard, parrots, and other hard to tame animals. Because of its use of animals, many animal welfare and other environment organizations are against the use of animals for their show because of the many reported animal cruelty cases.

Sword swallowing – The sword swallowing act. This is considered an ancient art that is performed by having a sword pass through the mouth of the performer down over his esophagus and right towards his stomach. This is among the most dangerous stunts or acts in the circus.

This can lead to major injuries and possible death.

The stunts that these people do in circus are made possible through years of hard work and practice. Those things are done by professionals and should never be done at home. Among them all, stilt walking is considered the safest.

It is known that there were hundreds of circuses operating in mid Victorian times around 1850-1860. Circuses were a part of culture and a unique part of western culture and what is known as Victorian culture and Victorian culture had important influences on Modern Culture. The skills whether that of the performers or the specific engineering and design work done in preparing the circus were important. It is known that there were aquatic circuses where the circus ring was flooded with water. It is known too that in Roman times, amphitheatres were flooded with water so that mock sea battles could be staged. This article aims to describe the unique feel and culture of the time. It aims to elaborate on what is meant by the lewd and sometimes grotesque nature of circuses. Were circuses close to theatre and burlesque in some degree?
You can imagine the whole commercialism and excitement of Victorian circuses. The skills and daring involved was exciting and you can feel a strange freedom and beauty in this world. There was a certain American gentleman Richard Sands who ran a circus. He was an acrobat as well as what was known as a 'ceiling walker'. It is difficult to imagine ceiling walkers now. Firstly, the modern person might question whether such an ability is possible i.e. to walk on ceilings. Surely this can only be done through computers and some kind of illusionary effect. But Victorian circuses in this respect were not about illusion. They were about real skill and they aimed to evoke real excitement, a real circus effect. Richard Sands who it is known visited England from America in 1842 also brought a large stud of horses and equestrians. His circus was certainly well organised and its performers whether acrobats or equestrians were highly skilled. This was the 1840s, the early Victorian period. It is too difficult and presumptuous to mention circuses as part of a whole cultural development. The nineteenth century continued on the great Industrial Revolution and it is obvious that new inventions and developments were used in circuses to develop new skills as well as new ways of captivating and entertaining an audience yearning for such enthralling circus acts.

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