As I was sewing yesterday I started thinking about contemporary circus.There are so many differences in traditional circus and contemporary circus . They all come from the same place or beginnings . Circus in Latin means circle or ring , we think the beginnings ( in modern times ) were a troupe or a herd or a bevy of horses directed by a ringmaster. Musicians were there because in civilized times we had a lot of live musicians playing and accompanying the acts or bits . Acrobats were there for a little variety , we are talking 1) a ring 2) magnificent 4 legged creatures 3) live music 4) a master of the ring . Clowns broke up the flow and created a laugh or released a little tension, acrobats filled in and were variety .No matter what , every spectacle or act had a FINALE , there were fanfares and entrances. A beginning , a middle and end . In contemporary circus the big thing I notice is many performing spaces are NOT TENTS (which are very expensive so I am not being judgy ) . Many of the compositions are deep and dark and personal . There is NOT a lot of smiling and tada . There is not a big entrance or a finish and that confuses me . The connection to the audience is not very connected . The irony here is while these artists are yearning to express themselves and have an important meaningful piece they lose the primal basic connection to their audience .
Now this is not everyone in the modern modern world .I have seen some delightful performance by my Bindles and that charming tenter that plays the parks in Chicago and recently Vague de something . Without an audience it is not a performance . Without an audience it is an exercise . I will praise the startling strength and skills of some of my contemporary circus darlings . I will praise their passion . I wish people would accept the fact that it is their physical feats and humanity that captures an audiences heart .
It is about the performance , selling tickets and entertaining the masses . It is all about watching animals executing behaviors that are so obvious yet amazing ,it is about watching humans taking risks , flipping , balancing , extending and manipulating themselves while hopefully working to music , wearing a costume and having lighting that draws you in to the experience.It is about the audience getting that high one gets when you connect to something so pure and you know that a piece of you is that performer and you are rejuvenated and ready for the world . Sometimes there is a message or a story , that is theater sleeping with the circus .
