Pushing Limits

The circus itself is a manifestation of taking risks, but there are some ways the circus has done this without the use of precarious tightrope acts.

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In many ways, the emerging spectacle of the circus unveiled the possibility of testing societal norms. Through this identity of being a spectacle, the circus has redefined cultural norms and connected with communities throughout history. The circus has always interacted with its audience through its outrageous acts that make societal statements. In Kavanagh's review entitiled “Circus as Multimodal Discourse: Performance, Meaning, and Ritual. By Paul Bouissac," the nature of the circus is a flexible art form: “Circus is an evolving, live art, not merely a historical curiosity" (93). Although the circus has a heavy history, it is important to keep in mind its modern identity and how it continues to evolve. Its many genres, and its most powerful genre of performing, creates a rhetorical discourse among members of the audience and performers as the circus tests the limits of cultural norms.

P.T. Barnum's Spectacle

“The museum featured freak shows that fascinated its audience. The freak show expanded the known range of of human forms. Its freaks displayed the limits of body size, interrogated gender differences, demonstrates cultural constructions of the body, blurred the boundary between human and animal, and questioned individuality. The freaks required interpretation from their audience, challenging it to decipher their grotesque human forms as a part of the social body” (Winkiel 9).

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P.T. Barnum’s circus, or “freak show” tested the cultural norms of that time, in more ways than just the performances. The audiences were ethnically diverse as well as varied in class because of the casual set-up of the circus-- it embodies a non-conversational, audience-performer discourse. Performers served as a spectacle, and the audience as speechless, watching in amazement (Winkiel 20-22). The circus was a counter-cultural statement in its early days, and this theme continues in its performances today. This is important in terms of recognizing the importance of the cultural perception that the circus is a “spectacle,” and this term embodies the identity of the circus.

FSU's Acts of Ambiguity

In attending the FSU Flying High Circus, I found an act that was somewhat controversial-- the devil tightrope act. The fact that they had a devil performer caught my attention, as the devil represents all that is evil in the world, as well as the underworld. This association is especially relevant for those more inclined to religious beliefs. These tightrope performers put on an incredibly impressive show through their awe-inspiring performing skills. There were two characters in this act, the devil and his devil mistress. They had a playful and suggestive relationship as revealed in their performing and nonverbal communication. This daring manifestation of a dark figure in the circus demonstrates how the genre of costumes and performing can be used to push traditional social expectations.