The Contemporary Circus

The Contemporary Circus PDF

Author: Ernest Albrecht

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2006-10-10

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1461706548

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The fun, energy, and hard work integral to the exciting world of the circus is lovingly captured in The Contemporary Circus: Art of the Spectacular, an in depth look at the creative process of today's circuses. Through numerous personal interviews with directors, designers, composers and performers, author Ernest Albrecht provides a unique inside view of the journey through which the most innovative and exciting modern circuses are produced, from the director and production team to the performers, and from designing the circus to setting it to music. Case studies of specific productions by the Big Apple Circus, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and Cirque du Soleil illuminate the artistic give-and-take necessary in such a collaborative process, proving the circus a true art form, one as artistic as theatre or dance. A variety of performers such as animal trainers, dancers, and clowns discuss their approach to their individual specialties, and the text concludes with an examination of the world's circuses and schools and their methods for training circus artists. A full photo spread of 30 beautiful photos will help inspire and enlighten artists and fans alike.

Contemporary Circus

Contemporary Circus PDF

Author: Katie Lavers

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-07-08

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1317190130

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In this volume, twenty-four creators come together with three scholars to discuss Contemporary Circus, bridging the divide between practice and theory. Lavers, Leroux, and Burtt offer conversations across four key themes: Apparatus, Politics, Performers, and New Work. Extensively illustrated with fifty photos of Contemporary Circus productions, and extensively annotated, Contemporary Circus thematically groups and contextualises extracts of conversations to provide a sophisticated and wide-ranging study supported by critical theory. Of interest to both practitioners and scholars, Contemporary Circus uses the lens of ‘contestation,’ or calling things into question, to provide a portal into ways of seeing today’s circus performance. Conversations with: Lachlan Binns and Jascha Boyce (Gravity and Other Myths), Tilde Björfors (Cirkus Cirkör), Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers (Hot Brown Honey), Shana Carroll (The 7 Fingers), David Clarkson (Stalker), Philippe Decouflé (Compagnie DCA), Fez Faanana (Briefs), Mike Finch (Circus Oz), Daniele Finzi Pasca (Compagnia Finzi Pasca), Sean Gandini (Gandini Juggling), Firenza Guidi (ElanFrantoio, NoFit State Circus), Jo Lancaster and Simon Yates (Acrobat), Johann Le Guillerm (Cirque Ici), Yaron Lifschitz (Circa), Chelsea McGuffin (Company 2), Phia Ménard (Compagnie Non Nova), Jennifer Miller (Circus Amok), Adrien Mondot (Compagnie Adrien M and Claire B), Charlotte Mooney and Tina Koch (Ockham’s Razor), Philippe Petit (high wire artist), and Elizabeth Streb (STREB EXTREME ACTION).

Circus in flux

Circus in flux PDF

Author: Tim Behren

Publisher: Verlag Theater der Zeit

Published: 2022-07-01

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 3957494486

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In den letzten fünfzig Jahren hat der Zirkus einen bemerkenswerten Wandel erlebt. Progressive Zirkusformen haben sich international als "Zeitgenössischer Zirkus" eine neue Position innerhalb der Gesellschaft erobert. Das Arbeitsbuch widmet sich dieser noch jungen Zirkusform und präsentiert Analysen, Interviews, Kommentare, umfangreiches Fotomaterial und künstlerische Positionen internationaler und deutscher Zirkuskünstlerinnen und -künstler. Mit der zusätzlichen Sondereinlage des VOICES Magazins "Re-thinking objects" taucht das Buch tief in den aktuellen zirkusästhetischen Diskurs über neue Materialismen ein und nimmt außerdem die Verbindungen zum zeitgenössischen Tanz auf.

Circus and the Avant-Gardes

Circus and the Avant-Gardes PDF

Author: Anna-Sophie Jürgens

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2022-03-15

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1000552365

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This book examines how circus and circus imaginary have shaped the historical avant-gardes at the beginning of the 20th century and the cultures they help constitute, to what extent this is a mutual shaping, and why this is still relevant today. This book aims to produce a better sense of the artistic work and cultural achievements that have emerged from the interplay of circus and avant-garde artists and projects, and to clarify both their transhistorical and trans-medial presence, and their scope for interdisciplinary expansion. Across 14 chapters written by leading scholars – from fields as varied as circus, theatre and performance studies, art, media studies, film and cultural history – some of which are written together with performers and circus practitioners, the book examines to what extent circus and avant-garde connections contribute to a better understanding of early 20th century artistic movements and their enduring legacy, of the history of popular entertainment, and the cultural relevance of circus arts. Circus and the Avant-Gardes elucidates how the realm of the circus as a model, or rather a blueprint for modernist experiment, innovation and (re)negotiation of bodies, has become fully integrated in our ways of perceiving avant-gardes today. The book does not only map the significance of circus/avant-garde phenomena for the past, but, through an exploration of their contemporary actualisations (in different media), also carves out their achievements, relevance, and impact, both cultural and aesthetic, on the present time.

360° Circus

360° Circus PDF

Author: Franziska Trapp

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-06-01

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1000889343

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This collection aims to map a diversity of approaches to the artform by creating a 360° view on the circus. The three sections of the book, Aesthetics, Practice, Culture, approach aesthetic developments, issues of artistic practice, and the circus’ role within society. This book consists of a collection of articles from renowned circus researchers, junior researchers, and artists. It also provides the core statements and discussions of the conference UpSideDown—Circus and Space in a graphic recording format. Hence, it allows a clear entry into the field of circus research and emphasizes the diversity of approaches that are well balanced between theoretical and artistic point of views. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of circus studies, emerging disciples of circus and performance.

Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts

Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts PDF

Author: Emily Scherb, D.P.T.

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2018-08-28

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1623172179

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An illustrated guide to anatomy and biomechanics for aerialists who want to optimize their performance and train safely Specifically designed for aerialists—including those who do trapeze, silks, and other aerial arts— Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts is an invaluable resource for those who want to optimize their performance and train safely. Using a biomechanical and movement-based approach, Emily Scherb—a physical therapist who specializes in the care, treatment, and education of circus performers—explains the anatomical rationale for progressions of learning and demonstrates simple movements to achieve the coordination, muscular control, strength, and fitness to hang with correct form, how to progress from hanging into a pull up, an inversion, and beyond with a strong center, precise muscle sequencing, and ease of movement. Aerialists will learn how bones, joints, muscles, and soft tissues allow for specific movements and gain an appreciation for concepts of proximal stability. This full-color illustrated guide lays a solid foundation for beginners and advanced students with a wealth of insights into their own performance as well as refreshers on fundamentals in warm ups and conditioning. It explains how to structure a training session, how to care for injuries, and best practices for basic self first aid.

Cirque Global

Cirque Global PDF

Author: Louis Patrick Leroux

Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP

Published: 2016-05-01

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 0773598707

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With a billion-dollar industry centred in Montreal, the province of Quebec has established itself as a major hub for contemporary circus. Cirque du Soleil has a global presence, and troupes such as Cirque Éloize and 7 doigts de la main are state-of-the-art innovators. The National Circus School of Montreal - the only state-funded elite training facility in North America - is an influential leader in artistry and technique. Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque du Monde supports arts for social change on many continents and is renowned for its social-circus training and research. Cirque Global is the first book-length study of this new variety of circus and its international impact. The contributors offer critical perspectives on this rapidly developing art form and its aesthetics, ethics, business practices, pedagogical implications, and discursive significations. Essays explore creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural forces that are shaping Quebec’s dynamic nouveau cirque. Lavishly illustrated with photographs from circus performances, the volume showcases Quebec circus’s hybrid forms, which have merged the ethos and aesthetics of European circuses with American commercial and industrial creativity. Cirque Global is the definitive study of the phenomenon of Quebec circus and is an important model for future research on contemporary circus.

The Many Worlds of Circus

The Many Worlds of Circus PDF

Author: Robert Sugarman

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2009-05-27

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 1443811777

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Acrobats and manipulators of objects, trained animals, and clowns – have been performing throughout history. In the eighteenth century, the invention of the circus ring provided a focus for the activities, and the modern circus was born. Once the circus was the most spectacular entertainment many Americans saw. When the supply of cheap labor disappeared and other forms of entertainment became available, the giant circuses shrank, and in the last quarter of the twentieth century new one ring circuses returned. The Circus and Circus Culture area of the Popular Culture Association has been examining circus history, circus life, the relationship of circus to society, and the impact of circus on the visual and literary arts since 1997. This book is a collection of papers from its annual conferences. "This fascinating collection showcases the transnational richness and cultural depth of the circus in an array of historical and contemporary settings. Strongly recommended for circus enthusiasts and students of popular culture, history, and theater." —Janet M.Davis, Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of American Studies, College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin, author of The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top