The spectacular Cirque du Soleil

Usually we get to see that the history of theater, ballet, opera, vaudeville, movies and television are well documented. That the circus is also a form of performing art is a little known fact. The history and the dynamics related to that of circus has gone through tremendous change along with the changing ages. So, it is only fair to write about another form of performance art, the circus. The circus is a space of its own, dangling somewhere between the realm comic and the spectacle. It is probably this transcending of genres inherent in the circus that has kept this form a favorite among circus goers.The modern day circus has the Roman circus as a precursor of the modern circus, however the roots of modern circus does not lie in the Roman period.The Beginning of Modern CircusThe modern circus was actually brought into this world by Philip Astley of England. He was a former cavalry Sergeant major turned showman. After serving in the seven years war, he displayed remarkable talent as a horse-breaker and trainer. Slowly and steadily he gained remarkable success with his shows all over Europe.The Traveling Circus of AmericaIn the early nineteenth century, United States being a new developing country with few cities was large enough to sustain long-term resident circuses. But this changed since the 1825, when Joshuah Purdy Brown introduced the circus with a full tent. A system which after that became a common practice.Circus Becomes a Worldly PhenomenaThe circus being a visual performing art was hence unfettered by language barriers. As a result, it usually easily got transported to countries where the language of the performers was different than that of the audience. So, it traveled to all parts of the world from Japan To Cuba, China to Brazil. These countries then developed their own forms of circus with their own native touch to it.The Present Form of CircusIn the modern era, after the world war one and two, the circus performances also changed like all the other forms of art. Modernizing also happened due to the changes in stage setting, innovations in lighting and new forms of musical accompaniment. The planetary need for a circus renaissance led to the establishments of circus groups like the Circus Oz and the Pickle Family Circus, which was launched at the epicenter of the American counterculture movement, San Francisco. Another very popular circus group that emerged during that time was the Cirque du Soleil. The popularity of this circus group can be attributed to its innovative style of mixing other forms of visual arts, like that of the theater and innovative lighting techniques accompanied by original music score. Also, unlike other theaters of that time, this company refrained from animals being used in its performances. There was also no concept of the entire show depending on one star performer.It still remains one of the most popular circus groups in the world. Buy Cirque Du Soleil tickets today to enjoy their spectacular performance.

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