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A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals,hula hoopers and other novelty acts and the word also describes the performance that they give. A circus is held in an oval or circular arena with tiered seating around its circumference; in the case of traveling circuses this location is most often a large tent.
The circus is thought to have had its origin in Ancient Rome, where the circus was an open-air stadium where chariot and horse races and other public exhibitions where held. Briton Philip Astley is thought of as the father of the modern circus, establishing permanent and travelling circuses in Britain and Europe in the late 18th century.
History of the circus
Circus in the ancient world
In Ancient Rome the circus was a building for the exhibition of horse and chariot races, equestrian shows, staged battles, displays featuring trained exotic animals, jugglers and acrobats and other amusements. The circus of Rome is thought to have been influenced by the Egyptians and Greeks where chariot racing and the exhibition of exotic animals were popular events. The Roman circus consisted of tiers of seats running parallel with the sides of the course, and forming a crescent round one of the ends. The lower seats were reserved for persons of rank; there were also various state boxes, eg. for the giver of the games and his friends. In Ancient Rome the circus was the only public spectacle at which men and women were not separated.The first circus in Rome was the Circus Maximus, in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills. Next in importance to the Circus Maximus in Rome was the Circus Flaminius, the Circus Neronis, from the notoriety which it obtained through the Circensian pleasures of Nero. A fourth, Circus Maxentius, was constructed by Maxentius; the ruins of this circus have enabled archaeologists to reconstruct the Roman circus.
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Circus :: Performing Arts
Entertainment :: Event Planning and Production
Iraqis underwhelmed by media circus for Barack Obama visit - Times Online
Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:04:15 -0000
Iraqis underwhelmed by media circus for Barack Obama visitTimes Online, UK - 12 hours agoThe circus was repeated outside Jalal Talabani's presidential compound, which sits just outside the green zone but is also formidably guarded. ...
Circus animals walk the walk through Anaheim - OCRegister
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:18:01 -0000
Circus animals walk the walk through AnaheimOCRegister, CA - 8 hours agoMonica Dean, who brought her 11-year-old daughter and her friend to the march, said she remembered going to the circus as a child and meeting the clowns. ...It's circus time again in OC OCRegisterWatch the elephants parade today OCRegisterall 5 news articles
Clacton: Woman urges circus boycott - The Gazette
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:08:55 -0000
Clacton: Woman urges circus boycottThe Gazette, UK - 31 minutes agoBy Tom Weatherill » Animal rights campaigners are calling for a mass boycott and demonstration over a circus which opens today. The Great British Circus is ...
Circus raises its tent on Staten Island - Staten Island Advance - SILive.com
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:09:12 -0000
Circus raises its tent on Staten IslandStaten Island Advance - SILive.com, NY - 4 hours agoby Robert McCormick The Midland Beach parking lot was a circus yesterday. Thankfully, it had nothing to do with traffic and everything to do with fun. ...
Girl in Coma After Circus Circus Roller Coaster Experience - KLAS-TV
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:00:32 -0000
Girl in Coma After Circus Circus Roller Coaster ExperienceKLAS-TV, NV - Jul 18, 2008The 12-year-old went into full cardiac arrest at Circus Circus on Wednesday evening and now he family of Catlynne Shaw is thanking an off-duty firefighter ...
Big Apple Circus - Dartmouth News
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:02:04 -0000
Dartmouth NewsBig Apple CircusDartmouth News, NH - 9 hours agoThe New York Times Gather round the circle of the Obie-Award-winning Big Apple Circus for a 30th birthday bash that half a million people in other cities ...
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All in One Circus - Provides stage shows, side shows, roving entertainment, and customized performances for any event. Includes lists of acts and photographs. Australia.
Art of Circus Style - Providing cirque style shows for corporate events. Includes photographs and videos of acts and performers.
Meta Description: [ Dreamcast Entertainment is your premiere source of cirque style corporate and special event productions. Elite acrobats, dancers, aerialists, stilt walkers and various circus acts our specialty!. ]
Circus Orange - Performance based pyrotechnic shows for events. Includes photo gallery, videos, and profiles of performers. Canada.
Meta Description: [ Welcome to CircusOrange.com - Explosive Performance. Circus Orange offers audiences an exciting new entertainment hybrid - high impact spectacle performance and innovative pyrotechnic interactions that combine fire, circus arts, theater, pyrotechnics, extreme stunts,aerial rigging, music, dance ... ]
Cirque Bijou Productions - Produces entertainment and training packages for corporate, civic and private clients.
Meta Description: [ Creating high impact visual performance : Circus cabarets, solo artists, themed entertainment, carnival parades and teambuilding events. ]
Generating Company - A contemporary circus production company specialising in touring original shows and corporate entertainment events. Based in London.
GO Entertainments Ltd - UK company providing productions, individual performers, and big top and equipment rental worldwide.
Meta Description: [ Gandey- a powerhouse of creative ideas for entertainment. From mobile ice floors to aerial ballet, anarchic to arthouse, circus to national event with over 30 years experience in the industry. Modern circus, Chinese circus, comedy, touring shows, performance, spectacle, show, horses, Creative Ent... ]
Imagination Entertainment - California based producer of cirque-style shows, Broadway theatrical reviews, and business theater for public entertainment and special events.
Meta Description: [ Cirque style shows, Broadway theatrical revues, business theater, and more... Inspire Your Audience. ]
Missing Link Productions - UK based company providing production services and representing performers worldwide.
Meta Description: [ The production company for performing circus artistes. From acrobats to aerialists, clowns to contortionists, magicians to mime artists. ]
Swamp Circus - Complete circus productions, providing acrobats, big tops, circus music, and workshops.
Meta Description: [ Swamp circus produces and tours original circus theatre. ]
Zero Gravity Circus Productions - Canadian company offering performers and productions for civic and corporate events. Includes videos and photographs.
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