more
Circus Arts
Posts tagged with Circus Arts
On July 1, the Folklife Festival will celebrate D.C. Circus Day, officially designated by the District of Columbia and Mayor Muriel Bowser.
In this excerpted interview, former circus clown David Carlyon recalls his time as a performer, focusing on his adventures aboard the circus train as it wound its way through the country.
Elena Panova is a Russian-born aerialist currently living in the United States. She was active in the circus for twenty years, starting her career in 1985 with the Moscow Circus, then in 1991 she went to New York City to work with the Big Apple Circus.
According to aerialist Dolly Jacobs, creating a circus act is “like making a cake.” A single performance’s many ingredients—the acrobatics skills, the entrance, the costume, the music, the drama—all contribute to the spectacle.
Based on my experience as a circus clown and a historian of performance, I have identified six eras that illustrate how clowns have been central to the circus
Happy World Circus Day! This year’s theme is collaboration and cooperation for the future of circus, making today an ideal opportunity to announce our Circus Arts program at the 2017 Folklife Festival.
Support the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Cultural Vitality Program, educational outreach, and more.