Where Did Circus Come From?
The history of the circus is an interesting story that spans many thousands of years, mixing entertainment, skill, and daring performances. We all associate the circus with colourful tents, thrilling acrobatics, and dazzling feats, however, its origins are essentially ancient and complex.
There has been some dispute about where “circus” began, you see its roots can be traced back to either Ancient Rome or 18th-century Europe. Both these periods have influenced circus today.
The Roman Circus
Basically, the Roman circus wasn’t the family friendly show we see today. This is because it was a grand, sometimes brutal, event held in enormous stadiums in front of tens of thousands of spectators.
The largest of these was the Circus Maximus in Rome, which could hold as many as 150,000 people. This circus didn’t have clowns or acrobats, no, they had dramatic chariot races, staged battles, and had displays of trained animals. The Roman circus sometimes even included gladiator combats and, would you believe, mock naval battles! While entertaining, these events were intense and, at times, deadly. The Roman circus was a way for emperors and leaders to demonstrate their power, awe the public, and ensure their favour by providing elaborate public spectacles.
Ancient Roman circuses didn’t have the elements of comedy or acrobatics that we associate with the modern circus, nor were they designed for children. Instead, these public festivals were meant to reinforce social order and celebrate imperial might.
The Birth of the Modern Circus in the 18th Century
In 1768, a former cavalry officer named Philip Astley, who was a skilled horseman with a love of the arts, opened an arena at Lambeth in London, where he showed horse-riding tricks. His arena had a circular performance space, this was so that spectators could sit around the action. This circular arena became the standard layout for circus ever since.
Astley’s ring measured 42 feet in diameter, a size still used in many modern circuses, as it provides an ideal balance between space for performers and closeness to the audience. His show of remarkable displays of horsemanship and trick riding quickly became popular. Inevitably, Astley came up with other acts, such as clowns and jugglers, so that he could keep his audience entertained between riding performances. This menu of assorted acts, all in a circular space soon became the basis of circus today.
Soon Astley took his circus across the Channel to France, where it became equally popular. Due to the success of his circus, he put together several circus buildings in countries across Europe. He made certain they were all built in his now classic circular style, and this is why they became known as “circuses.”
The Circus Crosses the Atlantic
The circus’s popularity spread quickly, which meant that in 1793, John Bill Ricketts, a British colleague of Astley, brought the circus to the United States by opening a show in Philadelphia. The American public took to Ricketts’ circus, which he took on tour, opening new locations and in the process established the circus in America.
To start with these circuses were in specially built permanent structures, but in 1825, an innovation emerged that would reshape the circus’s future: the large traveling tent.
The portability and flexibility of the tent meant they could move easily from town to town, allowing the circus to go to their audience rather than visa versa, with the result it reached many more people. The Circus tent became the symbol of the circus, bringing entertainment directly to the public.
The tented circus concept soon travelled back to Europe in 1838, which started the tradition of traveling circuses that have become the standard on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Rise of the “Big Top”.
As the circus got more popular, it inevitably grew in size, which led to the “Big Top”. This started in the United States, you see these travelling circuses began to grow, which resulted in the creation of large traveling shows that would eventually become household names. The most famous being “Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth.”
As always happens Barnum & Bailey’s success was the inspiration for many imitators, as other circuses adopted the Big Top and multi-ring format. By the start of the 20th century, the circus had become a colossal industry, with traveling shows featuring thousands of performers and staff, caravans of animals, and entire trainloads of equipment.
The Russian Influence.
By the early 20th century, the circus had become so popular in Europe that political leaders used it for their own ends. For example, in Russia, Lenin saw the circus’s political value and in 1919, he nationalized Russian circuses, changing them into state-sponsored institutions. His idea was to make circus performances accessible to the masses while at the same time promoting Soviet ideals.
The Soviet government didn’t stop there, in 1927, they established the State University of Circus and Variety Arts, now known as the Moscow Circus School. It provided formal training for circus performers, at the same time turning circus arts into a highly respected profession in the Soviet Union. The Moscow Circus School helped cultivate a unique style of performance, blending traditional circus arts with athleticism and precision. This influence led to the growth of the Moscow State Circus, which became one of the world’s most celebrated and respected circuses.
The Evolution of the Circus.
As the world changed, so did the circus.
The golden age of the traveling circus, with its massive Big Tops and exotic animals, lost popularity in the mid-20th century. There were many reasons, rising costs, changing public tastes, and concerns about animal welfare led many circuses to downsize or unfortunately, close.
Nevertheless, the art of circus performance continued to thrive and was adapted, the best example being the Canadian circus company, Cirque du Soleil, who in the 1980s revolutionized the circus.
It was started by two street performers, Guy Liebert and Gilles Ste-Croix, who brought a new, artistic approach to circus performance. Basically, they removed the animals and focused on human acrobatics, creativity and theatrical storytelling, thereby reinventing the circus for modern audiences. Their shows were a combination of dance, music, and visual arts, creating dazzling, narrative-driven experiences that appealed to adult audiences as much as to children.
Cirque du Soleil’s success was due to a strong emphasis on performance and artistic expression, allowing them to include dance, theatre, and multimedia effects into their shows. While this might appear many miles from the traditional circus, they share the same feeling of wonder, creativity, and skill in the audience that has always been at the heart of circus.
Circus Today
Nowadays, the circus remains an important event, though it has developed along with changing social attitudes and artistic trends. Some traditional circuses continue to operate, celebrating the legacy of acrobatics, clowning, and skill that have defined the circus for centuries. At the same time, contemporary circuses like Cirque du Soleil have brought the circus into new artistic realms, emphasizing the beauty and athleticism of the human body.
The history of the circus is one of constant adaptability and enduring appeal from the ancient Roman circuses all the way through to todays sophisticated productions of Cirque du Soleil, it has constantly changed while keeping that spirit of spectacle, excitement, and skill. Its journey from ancient arenas to modern stages reflects the human desire for wonder, adventure, and connection, a tradition that shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
Isn’t the history of circus fascinating?
10 investigative questions to explore for a deeper understanding of the history of the circus:
- What were the key social and political factors that influenced the development of the Roman circus, and how did they shape public life?
- How did Philip Astley’s creation of the modern circus in the 18th century differ from earlier forms of entertainment in Europe?
- What made the circular arena format so successful, and why has it remained standard in circuses worldwide?
- How did the American innovation of traveling tents in the early 19th century transform the circus, and what impact did this have on public accessibility?
- What were the cultural impacts of Barnum & Bailey’s “Big Top” on circus entertainment, and how did it influence the industry globally?
- In what ways did the Russian government’s nationalization of the circus in 1919 impact the artistry and perception of circus in the Soviet Union and beyond?
- How did Cirque du Soleil’s animal-free, theatrical approach in the 1980s challenge traditional circus practices and contribute to a broader cultural shift?
- What role has technology played in the evolution of the circus, especially in terms of visual effects and multimedia?
- How have changing views on animal welfare influenced modern circuses, and what alternatives have circuses pursued to maintain audience appeal?
- What elements of the ancient Roman circus still resonate in today’s circus performances, and how do these reflect our enduring fascination with spectacle and performance?
To learn more about circus:
http://www.circopedia.org/SHORT_HISTORY_OF_THE_CIRCUS