Author: Ernest J. Albrecht
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813013640
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
In the 1970s a group of men and women with few ties to the circus emerged from the counterculture revolution and took to the streets, where they discovered how to entertain an audience. At a time when the Big Top was beset by shabby excess, escalating costs, and competition from movies and TV, the young performers dedicated themselves to skill and intimacy, beginning the movement Ernest Albrecht describes as the "new American circus", a reinvention of the circus as an authentic form of art. The first - and most radical - aspect of this movement was its revival of the traditions of the great one-ring shows of Europe and Russia. Focusing on artistry, not spectacle, the new American circus incorporated such allied arts as music and dance and embraced a notion of ensemble that was compatible with the communal ethic of the seventies. Working from interviews and other primary sources, Albrecht traces this history to the present (including current controversies over animal performers and efforts to secure subsidies), sketching the leading players in the new circus and profiling the shows they founded.
The New American Circus
Author: Ernest J. Albrecht
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813013640
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
In the 1970s a group of men and women with few ties to the circus emerged from the counterculture revolution and took to the streets, where they discovered how to entertain an audience. At a time when the Big Top was beset by shabby excess, escalating costs, and competition from movies and TV, the young performers dedicated themselves to skill and intimacy, beginning the movement Ernest Albrecht describes as the "new American circus", a reinvention of the circus as an authentic form of art. The first - and most radical - aspect of this movement was its revival of the traditions of the great one-ring shows of Europe and Russia. Focusing on artistry, not spectacle, the new American circus incorporated such allied arts as music and dance and embraced a notion of ensemble that was compatible with the communal ethic of the seventies. Working from interviews and other primary sources, Albrecht traces this history to the present (including current controversies over animal performers and efforts to secure subsidies), sketching the leading players in the new circus and profiling the shows they founded.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813013640
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
In the 1970s a group of men and women with few ties to the circus emerged from the counterculture revolution and took to the streets, where they discovered how to entertain an audience. At a time when the Big Top was beset by shabby excess, escalating costs, and competition from movies and TV, the young performers dedicated themselves to skill and intimacy, beginning the movement Ernest Albrecht describes as the "new American circus", a reinvention of the circus as an authentic form of art. The first - and most radical - aspect of this movement was its revival of the traditions of the great one-ring shows of Europe and Russia. Focusing on artistry, not spectacle, the new American circus incorporated such allied arts as music and dance and embraced a notion of ensemble that was compatible with the communal ethic of the seventies. Working from interviews and other primary sources, Albrecht traces this history to the present (including current controversies over animal performers and efforts to secure subsidies), sketching the leading players in the new circus and profiling the shows they founded.
Fall of the Big Top
Author: David Lewis Hammarstrom
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476608350
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 239
Book Description
Once an eagerly awaited spectacle, the traveling circus—that miracle of red wagons, trumpeting elephants and spangled trapeze artists that slipped into town at dawn and disappeared by midnight—has all but vanished from the American landscape. This work explores circus history from 1793 to the present and addresses the forces of modern culture (such as the popularity of Cirque du Soleil, and pressure from the animal rights movement) that are pushing big top shows toward what the author calls “circus ballet.” Numerous photographs and in-depth interviews conducted with show owners, performers and directors enrich the narrative. Overall, the book reveals a sobering contrast between circuses of yesterday and today, even as it honors the outstanding performers who created, and have sustained, the enduring appeal of the circus.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476608350
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 239
Book Description
Once an eagerly awaited spectacle, the traveling circus—that miracle of red wagons, trumpeting elephants and spangled trapeze artists that slipped into town at dawn and disappeared by midnight—has all but vanished from the American landscape. This work explores circus history from 1793 to the present and addresses the forces of modern culture (such as the popularity of Cirque du Soleil, and pressure from the animal rights movement) that are pushing big top shows toward what the author calls “circus ballet.” Numerous photographs and in-depth interviews conducted with show owners, performers and directors enrich the narrative. Overall, the book reveals a sobering contrast between circuses of yesterday and today, even as it honors the outstanding performers who created, and have sustained, the enduring appeal of the circus.
American Circus
Author: John Culhane
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 9780805004243
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 504
Book Description
Traces the development of the circus in America since 1786, and looks at major circuses and their most prominent acts
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 9780805004243
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 504
Book Description
Traces the development of the circus in America since 1786, and looks at major circuses and their most prominent acts
The Contemporary Circus
Author: Ernest Albrecht
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
ISBN: 1461706548
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
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.
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
ISBN: 1461706548
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
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.
The Rise of the American Circus, 1716-1899
Author: S.L. Kotar
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487003
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 364
Book Description
To both young and old, the circus remains an icon of American entertainment, a wholesome pastime untouched by the passing years. But the modern circus, with its three rings, ringmaster, animals, and acrobats, is the product of nearly three hundred years of evolution. This intriguing work chronicles the history of the American circus from its roots in England through its importation to America to the end of the nineteenth century. It introduces the early pioneers of the circus, addresses business concerns such as management and training, and discusses the development of the show itself, including the incorporation of menageries, the need for animal training and care, the addition of circus music, the use of the tent, and the unique attractions of side shows and "freaks." Personal stories of those who made their lives under the "big top" are woven throughout the narrative, adding an intimate perspective to one of America's most enduring entertainments.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487003
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 364
Book Description
To both young and old, the circus remains an icon of American entertainment, a wholesome pastime untouched by the passing years. But the modern circus, with its three rings, ringmaster, animals, and acrobats, is the product of nearly three hundred years of evolution. This intriguing work chronicles the history of the American circus from its roots in England through its importation to America to the end of the nineteenth century. It introduces the early pioneers of the circus, addresses business concerns such as management and training, and discusses the development of the show itself, including the incorporation of menageries, the need for animal training and care, the addition of circus music, the use of the tent, and the unique attractions of side shows and "freaks." Personal stories of those who made their lives under the "big top" are woven throughout the narrative, adding an intimate perspective to one of America's most enduring entertainments.
Women of the American Circus, 1880-1940
Author: Katherine H. Adams
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786472286
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
During the years 1880 to 1940, the glory days of the American circus, a third to a half of the cast members were women--a large group of very visible American workers whose story needs telling. This book, using sources such as diaries, autobiographies, newspaper accounts, films, posters, and route books, first considers the popular media's presentation of these performers as unnatural and scandalous--as well as romantic and thrilling. Next are the stories told by circus women, which contradict and complicate other versions of their lives. Across America in those years an array of acts featured women, such as tableaux, freak shows, girlie shows, tiger acts, and aerial performances, all involving special skills and all detailed here. The book offers a unique and fascinating view of not just the circus but of what it meant to be an American woman at work.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786472286
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
During the years 1880 to 1940, the glory days of the American circus, a third to a half of the cast members were women--a large group of very visible American workers whose story needs telling. This book, using sources such as diaries, autobiographies, newspaper accounts, films, posters, and route books, first considers the popular media's presentation of these performers as unnatural and scandalous--as well as romantic and thrilling. Next are the stories told by circus women, which contradict and complicate other versions of their lives. Across America in those years an array of acts featured women, such as tableaux, freak shows, girlie shows, tiger acts, and aerial performances, all involving special skills and all detailed here. The book offers a unique and fascinating view of not just the circus but of what it meant to be an American woman at work.
Traveling Showmen
Author: Stuart Thayer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780963601919
Category : Circus
Languages : en
Pages : 135
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780963601919
Category : Circus
Languages : en
Pages : 135
Book Description
The Pickle Clowns
Author: Joel Schechter
Publisher: SIU Press
ISBN: 9780809323579
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 200
Book Description
Theater and popular entertainment scholars interview clowns at the Family Pickle Circus and other clowns who have developed the same new kind of circus comedy over the last quarter of the 20th century. c. Book News Inc.
Publisher: SIU Press
ISBN: 9780809323579
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 200
Book Description
Theater and popular entertainment scholars interview clowns at the Family Pickle Circus and other clowns who have developed the same new kind of circus comedy over the last quarter of the 20th century. c. Book News Inc.
The American Circus
Author: Wilton Eckley
Publisher: Boston : Twayne Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Publisher: Boston : Twayne Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
The American Circus
Author: Susan Weber
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300185393
Category : Circus
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A showcase of the "golden age" of the circus in America
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300185393
Category : Circus
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A showcase of the "golden age" of the circus in America