In Las Vegas this past Halloween weekend, one of the most celebrated variety arts shows in the US quietly re-opened on the strip at Ceasars Palace, offering up their…
Read more
I recently spoke with Amber Parker and Michael Jay Garner, two US circus professionals, about fat circus bodies. Through their interviews, this article addresses fat bodies in professional performance,…
Read more
CircusTalk would like to wish a very happy 11th World Circus Day to our wonderful circus community! The holiday was created to celebrate the circus arts internationally and to…
Read more
At the beginning of the pandemic, it seemed we all experienced a collective creative block. Restrictions and social distancing not only physically stopped performers, but also made it difficult…
Read more
The CircusTalk Job Board, the fastest growing international, online job recourse for the circus, specialty act and multidisciplinary performing arts industry, offers off-stage, onstage and teaching jobs, alongside with…
Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the circus industry. With the shutdown of in-person entertainment and many circus studios, the future for many circus artists is up in the air….
Read more
Circus bodies, as a topic, is enormously complex. The angles from which one could approach the subject are limitless. Circus bodies, as performing bodies, are important producers of culture….
Read more
Like the rest of the world, American circus artists have spent the last eighteen months largely out of work, unemployed and stunned. Although we often joke about how careers…
Read more
Prior to this year, there was no space specifically dedicated to circus films. Circus filmmakers struggled to be recognized for their work, because they did not have their own…
Read more
What happens when the trapezes stop swinging, popcorn stops popping, and acrobats, jugglers and clowns have no audience to delight and entertain? One year ago, in the spring of…
Read more
We at CircusTalk are grateful for each and every one of our members. From discipline to background, the CircusTalk community is home to a wide array of circus professionals…
Read more
The last Human on Earth (is a circus artist)– Sensing the World through Circus Arts In times of climate catastrophe, refugee crises and Covid-19, the question of the responsibility…
Read more
Aging Circus Bodies is part of a new series called Circus Bodies. The introductory article speaks to the importance of performing circus bodies as meaning makers and culture creators….
Read more
Dima Shine Founder of Shine Alternative Fitness Studio in Las Vegas is this weeks guest on the Live Like An Acrobat Podcast hosted by Shenea Stiletto. Dima Shine is…
Read more
I often get asked if I am a “certified circus rigger”. This question typically comes from individuals and programs looking for small-scale rigging. When I say small scale, I…
Read more
In times of climate catastrophe, refugee crises and Covid-19, the question of the responsibility that artists and scholars have is becoming increasingly urgent. What is the role of circus…
Read more
We are very excited to see how the circus job market is slowly awakening, as well as how companies have started planning and auditioning again. Here are a few…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk, is pleased to present an interview with Stacy Clark on Audio Explorations with the Editor. PRO members, we hear you….
Read more
Working in circus can be thrilling, energising and full of moments of joy and excitement. It can also be challenging, competitive and even demoralising. Working in the gig economy…
Read more
Summer Camps are still hiring. This week we had two posts looking for trapeze instructors in the US. Driftwood Day Camp in New York is searching for fun, professional,…
Read more
What an odd year for everyone in every corner of the world. In Taiwan, the art centers were closed for about three months before June 7th. After that, theatres…
Read more
In Center Ring Presents the cast of The Crown. The much anticipated short film, featuring an all star ensemble of circus artists and women. In this episode the cast…
Read more
COSMIC is the ongoing project of FEDEC[1], in collaboration with the FFEC[2], and it is quite ambitious and innovative. It aims to introduce professional circus schools to the use…
Read more
The Pivot is an interview series created to highlight those in our industry who have learned to pivot and find a new way forward during the unique challenges caused…
Read more
The circus building in the heart of Budapest celebrates its 50th anniversary. The pandemic and COVID restrictions haven’t stopped the Hungarian circus community from commemorating this iconic building. Its…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk, is pleased to present a series called Circus in Process with Casus Circus. In this series, we will follow the…
Read more
Time and time again, as hopeful circus students begin their search for which circus schools to apply and audition for, they run into the question of “How am I…
Read more
2020–it’s been a year! Whatever role you play in the performing arts world, your work has likely been heavily impacted by the events of this year. We know because…
Read more
Recently, Cirque Eloize took on an international circus contract, one of the few in existence during the height of a world pandemic, in order to take part in an…
Read more
The crowd keeps on cheering and clapping for the tamer stealing an extra bow as lions and tigers exit one by one. Without missing a beat, stagehands immediately start…
Read more
Since the pandemic began, the entertainment industry has been thrown into chaos. Every performer on the planet has been forced out of their shows, their livelihoods, and in most…
Read more
In 2020, the practice of networking was elevated in the performing arts world, as countless creators turned towards the digital realm for solace, connection and industry building–not to mention…
Read more
Australia has a unique role in the circus world where both traditional and contemporary circus flourish, and the international touring circuit is strong. Australia also hosts large Fringe festivals…
Read more
Abstract To examine how Circus broadly approaches equity and inclusion in North America, a survey was generated and distributed online. Respondents answered questions across categories of comfort, diversity, bias,…
Read more
In times of climate catastrophe, refugee crises and Covid-19, the question of the responsibility that artists and scholars have is becoming increasingly urgent. What is the role of circus…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk, is pleased to present a series called Circus in Process with Casus Circus. In this six-part series, we will follow…
Read more
Mid-September, Mid-Pandemic I wish I could say we gathered in a dusky church basement or on a sprung floor of a circus studio. But we met where most people…
Read more
The Pivot is an interview series created to highlight those in our industry who have learned to pivot and find a new way forward during the unique challenges caused…
Read more
In an age when most circuses are folding up their tents, a new circus is emerging to fill the gulf in the United States. Omnium Circus is getting its…
Read more
MONTREAL, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2020 Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group closes previously announced Purchase Agreement with its secured lenders and emerges from CCAA/Chapter 15 protection. Cirque’s President and CEO,…
Read more
For the National Circus School (ENC), as well as all circus schools around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic represents an exceptional challenge, one for which there are no preconfigured…
Read more
Mette Klouman wanted to be an actress, but she ended up being a publisher for a while instead… until the day she felt a need for a change and…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk, is pleased to present a new series called Circus in Process with Casus Circus. We will follow the progress of…
Read more
In this short series titled Circus Immersion, Martin Frennette explores the ins and outs of a circus discipline through the eyes of its practitioners, starting with juggling. Juggling. One…
Read more
This panel is part of CircusTalk’s Circus and Changing Realities 2020 series. In this episode, documentarian and director Joel Gershon, and social circus director Jessica Hentoff discuss the impetus…
Read more
Cirque du Cambodia is a documentary film that follows the circus education and emerging careers of two circus artists (Dina Sok and Sopha Nem) from teen years to adulthood,…
Read more
Bruno Costa, co-director of Bùssola and co-organizer of LEME Contemporary Circus Festival in Ílhavo, Portugal, has reached out to CircusTalk to announce the open call for an exciting new…
Read more
In Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, plans to develop a new circus center are underway and the organizers are reaching out to the world circus community to share their vision…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk, is pleased to present a new series called Circus in Process with Casus Circus. In this six-part series, we will…
Read more
It is difficult to sum up a whole art form in 500 words, let alone 5, but by streamlining our concepts, it can lead to some surprising insights about…
Read more
This episode of CircusTalk’s Circus and Changing Realities 2020 series is brought to you in collaboration with CARAVAN, the International Social Circus Network. In The Growing Role of Social…
Read more
Antonella Casella, an Australian circus advocate, producer, director, dramaturg and performer, has recently announced that she is stepping down from her position at Circus Oz as Senior Artistic Associate…
Read more
Women have always had a place in the circus, but it would not be until 1896 that the “New Woman” would join the ranks of her male contemporaries under…
Read more
The 33rd Edition of the Festival CIRCa will take place this October in Auch, France. Over a series of 10 days there will be 27 shows, 70 representations, and…
Read more
Cirkaskina’s first 2020 young ambassadors’ committee was organized the weekend of September 25th, in collaboration with the St. John’s International CircusFest by Cirque Hors Piste. This unique virtual committee…
Read more
This panel is part of CircusTalk’s Circus and Changing Realities 2020 series. In this episode, titled American Circus–The Now & The Future, moderators Jospeh Pinzon and Mark Lonergan, both…
Read more
In times of climate catastrophe, refugee crises and Covid-19, the question of the responsibility that artists and scholars have is becoming increasingly urgent. What is the role of circus…
Read more
The Third Annual St. John’s International CircusFest takes place September 25-27, 2020. Traditionally, the Festival occurs in coastal St John’s, situated in Newfoundland, Canada. This year it will be…
Read more
This panel is part of CircusTalk’s Circus and Changing Realities 2020 series. In this episode, titled A Historical Look at the American and European Traditional Circus–A Comparison, we hear…
Read more
I first met Rob Torres in 1998 in my home in Portland Maine. Avner (the Eccentric) Eisenberg had brought Rob to perform that year at PHYZGIG , an annual…
Read more
The MLA International Bibliography (MLAIB) may not be the first resource that comes to mind for circus scholars doing and sharing their research. This essential humanities research tool is…
Read more
Jacksons Lane arts centre has released a contemporary circus short film, Closer, produced by an international collaboration during lockdown between circus companies from Germany, Finland and England. Sasu Peistola…
Read more
In our visual world, one of the best ways to promote your talents and yourself is through photography. Used properly, strong images can tell a story of you as…
Read more
Having explored early traces of contortionism throughout Japan’s entertainment history in Part One of this series, I will now discuss contemporary developments, as well as the establishment of the…
Read more
This panel is part of CircusTalk’s Circus and Changing Realities 2020 series. In this episode titled Abuse and Assault in Circus–Normalizing the Conversation we feature a diverse group of…
Read more
Two women connected through their life’s work with circus, Sosina Wogayehu and Jasmine Straga, have recently responded to Circostrada‘s report from 2018 titled, Ethiopia, An Insight into African Circus…
Read more
In the wake of job losses and setbacks for the circus sector due to the coronavirus pandemic, Projet Lumière has emerged to shine some light on the lives of…
Read more
The question that comes to mind is, how have you been surviving? This is not a hyperbole as the world literally negotiates a deadly virus. It is not a…
Read more
Canada, and Quebec in particular, plays an important role in the circus world. Montréal is home to circus institutions such as En Piste, and the National Circus school (Ecole…
Read more
In Thom Wall’s new book Juggling–What It Is And How To Do It –a not so brief introduction to the world’s most underrated pastime, it is possible to get…
Read more
This panel is part of CircusTalk’s ongoing panel series Circus and Changing Realities 2020. This episode was a live Zoom event on August 4th, titled A Wake Up Call…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk is pleased to present a podcast series titled Monkey See, Monkey Discuss created by Ruby Burgess and Rosie Kelly. Rosie…
Read more
Content warning: emotional, physical, sexual abuse and harassment. The creators of Victims_Voices in Quebec must have sensed the change in the winds of social justice when they created an…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk, is pleased to present an interview with Zinzi Oegema as we launch our new podcast series, Audio Explorations with the…
Read more
Escuela Nacional de Circo de Puerto Rico (ENCPR) (The National Circus of Puerto Rico) is a non-profit entity that was founded in 2010 with the dream to build a…
Read more
As a child, I was what some would call a tomboy, clad in baggy hand-me-downs while leaping from trees onto trampolines and rubbing my palms bloody on monkey bars….
Read more
Eric McGill is a Canadian swinging trapeze artist based in the United Kingdom. In 2010, he graduated from the National Circus School (ENC)in Montreal. With his swinging trapeze and…
Read more
This panel is part of CircusTalk’s Wake Up Call for Inclusion series. In this episode, titled Geopolitical Context of Institutional Barriers and Individual Biases in the Performing Arts is…
Read more
Like many people, I like being in control. I’m also very afraid of heights. I was not a child who thrived on risk — I once cried in gym…
Read more
The staff and board of directors of the John and Mable Ringling Museum were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jean Rockwell Jacobs. Mrs. Jacobs was born…
Read more
The International Jugglers Association’s Festival (founded in 1947) celebrated its festival as many other circus festivals this year did–online. This multi-platform juggling event was open to the public with…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk is pleased to present a podcast series titled Monkey See, Monkey Discuss created by Ruby Burgess and Rosie Kelly. Rosie…
Read more
I started producing contemporary circus in 2004 in Sapporo when I was working for the Hokkaido Shimbun Press (in Japan, there is a section for events production in all…
Read more
During this crazy time each person is affected in a different way. Many aspects of daily life have changed and circus schools and performance troupes are no exception. By…
Read more
On July 8th, 3:30 pm EST, a team from Concordia, spearheaded by Dr. Louis Patrick Leroux (of the Montreal Working Group on Circus Research) will launch The World Circus…
Read more
In times of climate catastrophe, refugee crises and Covid-19, the question of the responsibility that artists and scholars have is becoming increasingly urgent. What is the role of circus…
Read more
As a circus artist based in the Netherlands, these are some of the observations I’ve made during this self-quarantine. They’re not statistically backed up, nor observed through an academic…
Read more
Who was your pandemic circus self? Many of us found that our love for circus training had to change during the pandemic, and we became different versions of our…
Read more
The international contemporary circus festival Cirkuliacija is returning to Kaunas, Lithuania this June of 2020 in a new format due to the global pandemic. The fifth edition of the…
Read more
Transcribing my conversation with Deb Wilks (Executive Director) and Kate Malone (Executive Producer) of Cluster Arts was like time travel. We spoke in mid-March. The company was celebrating its…
Read more
Normally the seasonal premieres of the Swiss circuses are as much a part of spring as the first flowers and buds on the trees. But this year everything is…
Read more
Welcome to Circus and Changing Realities 2020. In this episode titled What’s Up with Circus Festivals? , moderator Jenni Taylor Swain expands upon our May panel Presenters Looking Forward…
Read more
The Circus Ring of Fame Foundation began in 1988 and has since inducted 140 circus artists from around the world. The Ring of Fame graces a central park located…
Read more
Circus Voices, a podcast brought to you by CircusTalk is pleased to present a podcast series titled Monkey See, Monkey Discuss created by Ruby Burgess and Rosie Kelly. Rosie…
Read more
These artists will talk about their work, their inspiration, and why queer representation is so important. -Sarah Ward http://www.yanaalana.com/ -Missa Blue https://ceremonialcabaret.com/ -Beau James https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/backstage/first-nations/natives-go-wild-playbill.html (Keep scrolling down to…
Read more
It’s an uncertain time for all of us in the circus community, not the least of all the graduating students of 2020. Many are still unsure of when their…
Read more
At The School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA), where I am the Director of Social Circus, we seek to improve the quality of life for the people…
Read more
Welcome to Circus and Changing Realities 2020. In this episode titled Somatic Solutions in Times of Stress, we have gathered professionals in physiotherapy and performing arts medicine to discuss…
Read more
From self-quarantining to social distancing, feeling “stuck” is a unanimous condition we’re experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. But in the cases of these circus troupes and performers, COVID-19 has…
Read more
Congratulations graduate! You graduated from circus school and are ready to embark on a career in circus. Perhaps you will form a small company with fellow graduates like many…
Read more