Acrobats, Clowning, all the Fun of the Circus

By Carol Rainbow

A circus is a company of performers who travel around a country putting on shows in the Big Top or circus tent. There are usually acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers and often people who per-form on horseback in a circus. Trained animals are still included in circus acts, gradually that is changing as it is considered to be cruel. All about the circus past to present, acts and animals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carol Rainbow
• Release date: Mar 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466187443

Carol Rainbow

Long time educator made redundant last year so spending time writing, teaching English and doing any work offered...Wife, mum, grandma...doggie walker, swimmer, reader, listener to music...Techie sort of person...Happy :-)I just love life basically :-D

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Acrobats, Clowning, all the Fun of the Circus

A circus is a company of performers who travel around a country putting on shows in the Big Top or circus tent. There are usually acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers and often people who perform on horseback in a circus. Trained animals are still included in circus acts but gradually that seems to be changing as it is considered to be cruel to the animals.

This picture of a big top has been shared by fsse8info on a CC BY 2.0 license it has been used with thanks and can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsse-info/4540343734/

Published by Carol Rainbow at Smashwords

Copyright 2012

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Contents

History of the Circus

PT Barnum

The Ringling Brothers

Animals and the Circus

Modern Style Circuses

Le Cirque du Soleil

Circus Oz

The Chinese State Circus

Big Apple Circus

Common Circus Acts

Acrobats

Tightrope Walkers and High Wire Acts

Unicycling

Clowns

Trapeze

Juggling

Globe Rolling

Human Cannonball

Knife Throwing

Strongman

Sword Swallowing

Fire Breathing

Magic and Illusion

Globe of Steel

Lions Tamers

Trained Elephants

Idioms and Sayings

Glossary

Circus Activities

A Circus Quiz

Learning to Juggle

Quiz Answers

Circuses date back to Roman times when they were held in the great amphitheatres and the round stage has stayed with us in the shape of the circus big top. One of the most famous places in ancient Rome was the Circus Maximus. It was a round stadium where Roman citizens gathered to watch races, games and violent fights. At times they may have had chariot racing and plays in the circus but this has increased to a wide range of circus acts that we are used today.

Circus skills look great fun and activities like unicycling, clowning and juggling are now often taught in schools and in children’s club at holiday resorts.

History of the Circus

In the UK and Europe Philip Astley established modern circuses in the late 18th century. Astley brought trick horse riding to the circus as well as showing off