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Circus History > Semester 1 Test > Flashcards

Semester 1 Test Flashcards

1
Q

Golden Age of Circus

A 
1875 - 1900
High artistic status
High acrobatic level
Grand venues
Both aristocratic and nouveau riche audiences (fueled by Ind. Rev.)
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2
Q

Downfall of circus

A

cinema
cars
sports

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3
Q

Origins of Circus

A

Shamanic rituals
Animal mimicry, e.g. “swallow play”
Fools at court in ancient times, Roman Greek and Egypt

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4
Q

Phillip Astley

A

Born 1742
Father of circus
Joined cavalry at 17, trained horses during 7 Years War
Horse master, street performances in fields
Built total of 19 circus buildings

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5
Q

Phillip Astley’s Riding School

A

Started in 1768
First classical circus
Added ropewalkers, trained bees (Scenes in the Circle) in 1769

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6
Q

Early circus venues

A

A) Circus buildings: First built in 1779 (Astley called it an Ampitheater)
- notable: Astley’s Ampitheatre, Hughes’s Royal Circus, Franconi’s CIrque Olympique
B) Fields or travelling b/w fairs (pre-1779)

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7
Q

Charles Hughes

A

Started his own riding school with Charles Dibdin in 1773
Student of Philip Astley
Worked for Catherine the Greate
She built him first circus building in Russia

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8
Q

Birth of Circus

A

Between 1768 and 1774

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9
Q

Charles Dibdin

A

Playwrite and composer

Coined name “The Royal Circus” for the building that he and Hughes used for riding school

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10
Q

Astley brought circus to France

A

1774

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11
Q

Format of early circus shows

A

Hippodrama - 3 hrs
Scenes in the Circle - 45 mins
Burletta or Pantomime or Melodrama - 1 hr
*Performers usually had multiple roles in shows

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12
Q

John Bill Ricketts

A

Brought circus to America in 1792 (Starting in Philadelphia)
Died at sea
Student of Charles Hughes

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13
Q

Circus and theater

A

Largely related for first 50 years of circus
Shared venues when no ampitheater
No speaking rules for theater in some places
Slow disappearance of theatrical acts during 19th cen.

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14
Q

Phillip Lailson

A

Swedish
Invented circus parade in 1796
This became an important feature of American circus from 1850s to early 1900s
His enterprise failed

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15
Q

Joshua Purdy Brown

A

Created circus tent in 1825
First circus to tour in a tent starting 1826 –> living in caravans, more mobile shows, possiblity to visit smaller towns & shorter visits

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16
Q

Circus buildings in USA

A

No more built after 1836

Replaced by circuses touring in tents

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17
Q

Phineas Taylor Barnum

A

Creator of the American Museum in New York
Added freakshow displays in 1840s
Added “lecture room” in 1850s –> respectable theater
Added 2nd ring to circus in 1872
Added 3rd ring in 1881
Most famous man on Earth at time of death, 1891

18
Q

James A. Bailey

A

Joined with Barnum in 1881

Bought Barnum’s circus after his death

19
Q

American Circus

A

Traveling menageries that added performers
Vaudeville shows
Size and spectacle over quality
Circus parades

20
Q

European Circus

A

Shows with performers that added animals

21
Q

Henri Martin

A

First lion-tamer, 1831

22
Q

Origins of Clowning

A

Indigenous societies
Esp. native americans
modelled after archetype of “fool” - someone who cannot judge the consequences of their actions
Important social role - political critique

23
Q

Commedia dell’arte

A

Improvised theater originating in the 16th century (Italian Rennaisance, 1500s)
Set characters and loose plotlines
Professional actors kept same role for whole career
Acrobatics heavily featured (
ea. character with specific tricks, but not recorded)
Influenced modern clown characters and costumes

24
Q

Pantomime

A

2 parts:
A) Fairy tale or story
B) Long chase scene with acrobatics, illusions, slapstick, physiccal comedy

25
Q

Joseph Grimaldi

A 
1778 - 1837 
White face makeup
Most famous clown of all time
Influenced early circus clowns' makeup and mannerisms
Never in circus
Performer in pantomime
26
Q

US Clowns

A

Talking and singing clowns
Dan Rice - most famous talking clown, 1860s height of fame
Eventually, when circus at max size, reduced to physical gags

27
Q

Role of clowns

A

Interjected into performances

Parodied acts

28
Q

European clowns

A

In UK, originated from theater character of “clown”

In UK: commonly Shakespearean jester

29
Q

Auguste

A

Invented by Tom Belling in 1869
Opposed with the more respectable whiteface clown
Used in pairs - e.g. Footit and Chocolat

30
Q

Fratellinis

A

Became extraordinarily famous
Based in Paris
Added second Auguste –> Clown trio format which is popular to this day
Second Auguste had monstrous makeup

31
Q

Timeline of Russian communist circus

A

Created after Russian Revolution
Committee decided to keep circus in 1919
Moscow school founded in 1927

32
Q

Features of Russian communist circus

A

Meaning
Circus spectacles
Mostly Russian artists
Longes
Worked for the state
Innovation (new disciplines, apparatuses)
Animal training methods (intended to be classical conditioning rather than cruelty

33
Q

Timeline of Chinese Acrobatic Theater

A

> 3000 year history
Popularized as performing art at court from 221 BC - 230 AD (Qin and Han Dynasties) = “Show of 100 Skills”
High regard - Tan and late Qing Dynasties
Low regard - Song Dynasty
Constant presence
Influenced circus in other countries throughout Asia
Travelled to European fairgrounds 16th and 17th cent.
Decline after end of empire and during occupation by Japanese, from 1911 - 1949
Revival from 1949 when became communist country
Influenced by Russian communist circus
Last 15 years, modern revolution in C.A.T. (inc. influence by C.D.S., e.g. Drallion)

34
Q

Features of Chinese Acrobatic Theater

A

Extreme refinement
Regional specialties, styles, disciplines
No animals
Performed on stage

35
Q

Variety Theater

A

USA - Vaudeville
England - Music hall
France - Salon-concerts
Combined many forms of entertainment both high and low
Ended with invention of cinema at turn of 20th cen.
Many performers became actors (inc. Keaton, Chaplin)

36
Q

Jerome Thomas

A

French juggler
Cubic juggling
First full-length show with just one discipline

37
Q

Modern Circus

A 
Stage shows
Full length with one or two disciplines
Self expression 
Started in 1970s
Influenced by reaction against elitist theater
Socio-political climate
38
Q

Cirque Bonjour

A

First modern circus, 1971
Founded by Jean-Baptiste Thierree and Victoria Chaplin
Performed at Avignon Festival for the Arts

39
Q

Archaos

A

Founded by Pierre Bidon

40
Q

Other notable early modern circus companies

A

Les Puits aux Images
Cirque Amour
Cirque de Barbarie (women only)

41
Q

Cirqe a l’Ancienne

A

Alexis Gruss, 1974

Celebration of 200 years of circus in France (Phillip Astley brought it)

Circus History (1 decks)

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