The circus has a certain quality that draws people in. Read more to explore why the circus never goes out of style.
The Flexibility of the Circus
The circus is timelessly attractive. This may be thanks to its variability; the circus presents a diversity of people, and a great variety of acts. The circus is a unique art form that “transcends all cultures” and attracts new audiences and walks of life with every performance. Its informal, alluring, and flexible atmosphere ensures that nobody ever tires of the magnificent show that is encapsulated within the big tent of the circus (Baltrop). The sustainability and said “magic” that arrives at the mention of the circus is important to keep in mind, as it is a long-lasting art form that not only is reminiscent of pre-technological entertainment, but also is an ever-changing and adapting art form that can allude to the future of humanity.
According to Richard Flint's "The Circus in America...," the circus had much of its public appeal in displays of fine horses and extraordinary feats of horsemanship. By the mid nineteenth century, acrobats and gymnasts became an increasingly prominent part of the circus program. Their popularity reflected the growing number of athletic clubs and gymnasiums found in cities, especially in the years following the Civil War” (Flint 11). The circus has expanded and changed to fit people's interests; this is one of the reasons for its longevity. The circus communities all around the world seem to share a common passion for this unique art, and all are eager to adapt in order to ensure a successful future for the circus. This allows the circus to utilize its genres, primarily performances and costumes, to communicate with the evolving communities it entertains.
Each Act Has its Fans
“Aerialists helped generate an atmosphere of fantastic glamour, wild, daring, and death-defying skill to gratify the thrill-seeking expectations of the circus audience” (Tait 4).
Whether you're a fan of the tightrope, the unicycle, the trapeze, the ballerinas, or the clowns, there is likely a part of the circus that speaks to you. The circus has something for everyone, and these acts are ever-changing with the tides of the culture (Flint 9). Some acts become more or less enthralling as people age, and people form new favorites from the variety of circus techniques, including juggling, equilibrium, and vaulting (Burgess 5). Therefore, the circus never grows old. The evolution of acts and our interest in them as we age creates an interesting perception of these incredible circus techniques, encouraging a discourse between the circus performers and society. Therefore, though members of audiences age, the circus never does. This validates the circus' reputation as a family-oriented performance because it is equally entertaining for each member of a family, no matter their age.
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