An expert in the circus in literature and culture explains the root of its resonance as a political metaphor – and why circus performers object to it.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Circus
Displaying 1 - 20 of 32 articles
Today’s creepy clowns are not a divergence from tradition, but a return to it.
This article crosses from the river to the stage, to explore the St. Lawrence at the meeting point of marine and freshwater sciences, the fishing, maritime and port industries, and the circus arts.
Circus is exciting, though sometimes unpredictable. At any moment during rehearsal, performance or travel, injuries can occur.
Circus Oz was a revelation: so joyous, funny, imaginative, talented, witty – and so Australian.
The flamboyant big-cat aficionados of the Gilded Age weren’t strangers to fierce competition, threats and bizarre drama.
The huppû, from modern-day Syria were celebrated athletes, trained in specialist academies, touring to foreign kingdoms, and facing the threat of arts funding cuts.
Teaching circus arts — from juggling to trapeze — in physical education classes increased children’s physical literacy, resilience and participation, with greater gender equity.
Yaron Lifschitz’s spellbinding physical drama has just the right amount of play, death-defying tricks and whimsical imagery.
Now that we know what essential work is, it seems the perfect time to reflect upon the not-so-essential work of celebrities.
This new version of Gluck’s opera, from Opera Queensland and Circa, is raw, physical and confronting. Completely captivating and deeply moving.
A new show pairs the acrobatic skills of Circus Oz with the local comedians Die Roten Punkte.
The incredible physical control of the Circa acrobats, and their ability to make bodies seem weightless, is breathtaking.
Precarious, the latest offering from Circus Oz, centres around the tale of a missing seed. It is suitably staged in Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens.
From its origin in the early 19th century, lion taming has elicited both awe and horror.
Circus Oz’s latest show furthers the company’s commitment to politically driven, gender balanced circus.
Two animal rights experts see little reason to cheer that a circus is closing, as long as humans keep eating meat and dairy products.
With circuses on the wane, are our attitudes towards animals improving?
While hugely popular for a time, the advent of the three ring circus invited animal cruelty complaints and led to the demise of more skilled circus artistry.
Barriers between artforms are tumbling down in three recent productions that mix circus and opera. The shows range from sombre to silly, but all hit magnificent high notes.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor (Honorary), University of Newcastle
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Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland
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Professor in Modern History, University of York
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Professor of Organization and Business Ethics, Northumbria University, Newcastle
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Professor of Theatre and Drama, La Trobe University
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Postdoctoral Fellow of History, University of South Carolina
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Former Foundation Professor of Animal Welfare, University of Queensland, Curtin University
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Associate Professor and Principal Fellow (Hon), School of Culture and Communication, The University of Melbourne
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Professor in Sociology, University of Canterbury
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Lecturer, Centre for Theatre and Performance, Monash University
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PhD Candidate, Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Notre Dame Australia
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PhD candidate, University of Newcastle
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Head of Art History, and Arts and Cultural Management, The University of Melbourne
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Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
