1.
Aerialist
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Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the arts, sports events. Although acrobatics is most commonly associated with human performance, it may also apply to other types of performance. Acrobatic traditions are found in cultures, and there is evidence that the earliest such traditions occurred thousands of years ago. For example, Minoan art from c.2000 BC contains depictions of acrobatic feats on the backs of bulls, ancient Greeks and Romans practiced acrobatics, and the noble court displays of the European Middle Ages would often include acrobatic performances that included juggling. In China, acrobatics have been a part of the culture since the Western Han Dynasty, acrobatics were part of village harvest festivals. Acrobatics continues to be an important part of modern Chinese variety art, though the term initially applied to tightrope walking, in the 19th century, a form of performance art including circus acts began to use the term as well. In the late 19th century, tumbling and other acrobatic and gymnastic activities became competitive sport in Europe, acrobatics has often served as a subject for fine art. An aerialist is an acrobat who performs in the air, on a suspended apparatus such as a trapeze, rope, cloud swing, aerial cradle, aerial pole, aerial silk, acrobatic gymnastics Contortion List of acrobatic activities
Aerialist
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The Steben Twins perform a fixed doubles trapeze act
Aerialist
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Pirates of the Sky, an aerial hoop act
Aerialist
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Aerial silks performance by Nofit State Circus
2.
Circus (performing arts)
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The term circus also describes the performance which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Philip Astley is credited with being the father of the circus when he opened the first circus in 1768 in England. Early circuses were almost exclusively demonstrations of equestrian skills with a few types of acts to link the horsemanship performances. Performances developed significantly through the next fifty years, with large scale theatrical battle reenactments becoming a significant feature, as styles of performance have changed since the time of Astley, so too have the types of venues where these circuses have performed. The earliest modern circuses were performed in open air structures with limited covered seating, from the late 18th to late 19th century custom-made circus buildings were built with various types of seating, a centre ring, and sometimes a stage. The traditional large tents, commonly known as Big Tops were introduced in the mid 19th century as touring circuses superseded static venues and these tents eventually became the most common venue and remain so to the present day. Contemporary circuses perform in a variety of venues including tents, theatres, many circus performances are still held in a ring usually 13 m in diameter. This dimension was adopted by Philip Astley in the late 18th century as the minimum diameter that enabled a horse rider to stand upright on a cantering horse to perform their tricks. In the book De Spectaculis early Christian writer Tertullian claimed that the first circus games were staged by the goddess Circe in honour of her father Helios, the modern and commonly held idea of a circus is of a Big Top with various acts providing entertainment therein. For many, circus history begins with Englishman Philip Astley, while for others its origins go back much further—to Roman times. In Ancient Rome, the circus was a building for the exhibition of horse and chariot races, equestrian shows, staged battles, gladiatorial combat, the Roman circus buildings were, however, not circular but rectangular with semi circular ends. The lower seats were reserved for persons of rank, There were also various state boxes for the giver of the games, the circus was the only public spectacle at which men and women were not separated. It was constructed during the monarchy and, at first, built completely from wood, after being rebuilt several times, the final version of the Circus Maximus could seat 250,000 people, it was built of stone and measured 400m in length and 90m in width. Next in importance were the Circus Flaminius and the Circus Neronis, a fourth circus was constructed by Maxentius, its ruins have helped archaeologists reconstruct the Roman circus. For some time after the fall of Rome, large buildings fell out of use as centres of mass entertainment. Instead, itinerant performers, animal trainers and showmen travelled between towns throughout Europe, performing at local fairs, Astley performed stunts in a 42 ft diameter ring, which is the standard size used by circuses ever since. Astley referred to the arena as a Circle and the building as an amphitheatre. Joseph Grimaldi, the first mainstream clown, had his first major role as Little Clown in the pantomime The Triumph of Mirth, or, the Royal Circus opened in London on 4 November 1782 by Charles Dibdin and his partner Charles Hughes
Circus (performing arts)
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Advertisement for the
Barnum & Bailey Circus, 1900.
Circus (performing arts)
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Sells Brothers Circus with Great Danes
Circus (performing arts)
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Astley's Amphitheatre in London c.1808
Circus (performing arts)
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Trapeze artists, in lithograph by Calvert Litho. Co., 1890
3.
Acrobatics
–
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the arts, sports events. Although acrobatics is most commonly associated with human performance, it may also apply to other types of performance. Acrobatic traditions are found in cultures, and there is evidence that the earliest such traditions occurred thousands of years ago. For example, Minoan art from c.2000 BC contains depictions of acrobatic feats on the backs of bulls, ancient Greeks and Romans practiced acrobatics, and the noble court displays of the European Middle Ages would often include acrobatic performances that included juggling. In China, acrobatics have been a part of the culture since the Western Han Dynasty, acrobatics were part of village harvest festivals. Acrobatics continues to be an important part of modern Chinese variety art, though the term initially applied to tightrope walking, in the 19th century, a form of performance art including circus acts began to use the term as well. In the late 19th century, tumbling and other acrobatic and gymnastic activities became competitive sport in Europe, acrobatics has often served as a subject for fine art. An aerialist is an acrobat who performs in the air, on a suspended apparatus such as a trapeze, rope, cloud swing, aerial cradle, aerial pole, aerial silk, acrobatic gymnastics Contortion List of acrobatic activities
Acrobatics
–
Chinese acrobat in midair after being propelled off a
springboard, China, 1987
Acrobatics
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A female acrobat depicted on an
Ancient Greek hydria, ca. 340-330 BC.
Acrobatics
Acrobatics
4.
Toulouse
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Toulouse is the capital city of the southwestern French department of Haute-Garonne, as well as of the Occitanie region. The city lies on the banks of the River Garonne,150 kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea,230 km from the Atlantic Ocean and it is the fourth-largest city in France with 466,297 inhabitants in January 2014. The Toulouse Metro area is, with 1312304 inhabitants as of 2014, Frances 4th metropolitan area after Paris, Lyon and Marseille and ahead of Lille and Bordeaux. Toulouse is the centre of the European aerospace industry, with the headquarters of Airbus, the Galileo positioning system, the SPOT satellite system, the Airbus Group, ATR and the Aerospace Valley. The city also hosts the European headquarters of Intel and CNESs Toulouse Space Centre, thales Alenia Space, and Astrium Satellites, Airbus Groups satellite system subsidiary, also have a significant presence in Toulouse. The University of Toulouse is one of the oldest in Europe and, with more than 103,000 students, is the fourth-largest university campus in France, after the Universities of Paris, Lyon and Lille. The air route between Toulouse Blagnac and Paris Orly is the busiest in Europe, transporting 2.4 million passengers in 2014, according to the rankings of LExpress and Challenges, Toulouse is the most dynamic French city. It is now the capital of the Occitanie region, the largest region in metropolitan France, sernin, the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe, designated in 1998 because of its significance to the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route. Toulouse is in the south of France, north of the department of Haute-Garonne, the city is traversed by the Canal de Brienne, the Canal du Midi and the rivers Garonne, Touch and Hers-Mort. Toulouse has a subtropical climate which can be qualified as submediterranean due to its proximity to the Mediterranean climate zone. The Garonne Valley was a point for trade between the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic since at least the Iron Age. The historical name of the city, Tolosa, it is of unknown meaning or origin, possibly from Aquitanian, or from Iberian, Tolosa enters the historical period in the 2nd century BC, when it became a Roman military outpost. After the conquest of Gaul, it was developed as a Roman city of Gallia Narbonensis. In the 5th century, Tolosa fell to the Visigothic kingdom and became one of its cities, in the early 6th century even serving as its capital. From this time, Toulouse was the capital of Aquitaine within the Frankish realm, in 721, Duke Odo of Aquitaine defeated an invading Umayyad Muslim army at the Battle of Toulouse. Odos victory was an obstacle to Muslim expansion into Christian Europe. Charles Martel, a later, won the Battle of Tours. The Frankish conquest of Septimania followed in the 750s, and a quasi-independent County of Toulouse emerged within the Carolingian sub-kingdom of Aquitaine by the late 8th century
Toulouse
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Montage of Toulouse Top: Pont Saint Pierre and
Garonne River Middle:
Place du Capitole,
Pont Neuf Bottom:
Capitole de Toulouse, Ariane 5 at
Cité de l'espace,
Médiathèque José Cabanis
Toulouse
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Vomitorium at the Roman amphitheatre in Toulouse
Toulouse
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Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse was a leader of the
First Crusade
Toulouse
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The
Capitole de Toulouse is an example of the 18th-century architectural projects in the city.
5.
Static trapeze
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Static trapeze, also known as fixed trapeze, is a type of circus art performed on the trapeze. In contrast to the forms of trapeze, on static trapeze the bars. Most often, the trapeze is about 1.5 feet wide. The ropes are at least two lengths, as many figures are performed on the ropes above the bar. The ropes can be made of materials, including cotton or hemp. It can be performed by a single artist or two partners working together, a single artist will do tricks above and below the bar, the ropes playing just as important a part as the bar. A partner act will involve the partners working together — supporting each others weight, self-standing trapezes can be purchased for home use. Multiple trapeze is an act entailing the use of more than one trapeze, in these acts, multiple people perform simultaneously. The most common type of multiple trapeze is a triple trapeze, a triple trapeze has one long bar, held up by a ropes, basically three trapezes put together, with the middle trapeze sharing the ropes of the other two. Multiple trapeze can also refer to a structure with trapeze like structures. An experimental cage-like structure was created by Cirque du Soleil for their show Varekai, however, the structure did appear in the Making of documentary, Fire Within. A triple trapeze is a type of static trapeze with three trapezes on one bar, therefore, there are four ropes connecting this trapeze to its frame, or whatever it is hanging from. One example of a trapeze act can be seen in Cirque du Soleils show Varekai
Static trapeze
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10-year-old learns Bird's Nest in the ropes at Circus School
Static trapeze
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Duo static trapeze performance by Kia and Lindsay (Circus Smirkus), back planche and catches
Static trapeze
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Triple trapeze
6.
Swinging trapeze
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A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances, trapeze acts may be static, spinning, swinging or flying, and may be performed solo, double, triple or as a group act. It is officially the last performance of the circus, the art of trapeze performance was developed by Jules Léotard, a young French acrobat and aerialist, in Toulouse in the mid-1800s. He invented the flying trapeze, practising over his fathers swimming pool, the difficulty on a static trapeze is making every move look effortless. Swinging trapeze refers to an act performed on a trapeze swinging in a forward - backward motion, the performer builds up swing from a still position, and uses the momentum of the swing to execute the tricks. Usually tricks on a swinging trapeze are thrown on the peaks of the swing, most of the tricks begin with the performer sitting or standing on the bar and end with the performer catching the bar in his/her hands or in an ankle hang. This act requires a great deal of strength, grace, the trapeze bar is weighted and often has cable inside the supporting ropes for extra strength to withstand the dynamic forces of the swing. Flying trapeze refers to an act where a performer, or flyer, grabs the trapeze bar and jumps off a high platform, or pedestal board. People of any size are able to execute basic trapeze maneuvers, Flying trapeze is generally done over a net, or occasionally over water. The trapeze is supported by wire rather than ropes. Dance trapeze refers to a used by many modern dance companies in aerial dance. The ropes of the trapeze are often attached to a single swivel, allowing the trapeze to spin in either small or large circles. Double trapeze is a variation on the trapeze, and features two performers working together on the same trapeze to perform figures and bear each others weight. It can also be performed swinging, in case the act is called swinging double trapeze. Multiple trapeze refers to a number of different shapes and sizes of trapeze, including trapeze, triple trapeze. Shaped trapezes are apparatuses that can take any shape imaginable. Aerial Circus Training and Safety Manual, view at Google Books Elena Zanzu, M. A. Il Trapezio Oscillante, Storie di Circo nellAria. Aerial silk European Federation of Professional Circus Schools Desiree Belmarez, the physics of the flying trapeze Bloomington once capital of aerial kingdom - Pantagraph Fred and Harry Green- The Flying LaVans - McLean County Museum of History
Swinging trapeze
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Trapeze artists, in lithograph by Calvert Litho. Co., 1890.
Swinging trapeze
–
Triple trapeze
7.
Flying trapeze
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The flying trapeze is a specific form of the trapeze in which a performer jumps from a platform with the trapeze so that gravity makes the trapeze swing. The performance was invented in 1859 by a Frenchman named Jules Léotard, after practicing tricks above the pool, Leotard performed his act in the Cirque Napoleon. The traditional fliers costume, the leotard, is named after him, in a traditional flying trapeze act, flyers mount a narrow board and take off from the board on the fly bar. The flyer must wait for a call from the catcher to make sure he or she leaves at the correct time, otherwise, the catcher will not be close enough to the flyer to make a successful catch. The flier then performs one of many tricks and is caught by the catcher. Once in the hands, the flyer continues to swing and is thrust back toward the fly bar in a maneuver called a return. A return could consist of some kind of twist back to the bar, once back to the fly bar, the flyer can return to the board, and another flyer takes a turn. Cirque Du Soleils La Nouba features a flying trapeze act, and Cirque Du Soleils Corteo presents a high-flying act quite similar to flying trapeze. The flyers fly from one catcher to another in an innovative adagio-influenced aerial act, still other flying trapeze acts focus on high-flying aerial tricks from the flyers, but perform their release tricks to the net, rather than to catchers. Also In the early years of young Mr. Leotards performances and he would perform over a series of mattresses on a raised runway to give the audience a better view of his tricks, or passes. Most modern flyers start out wearing a safety harness, while a trainer on the controls the lines. Pulling on the lines will suspend the flyer in the air, once a flyer has mastered a particular trick, they will take off the safety harness. Every safe flying trapeze rig has a net underneath the rig. Many flyers in the circus do not start out using safety belts and those flyers who are not wearing safety harnesses learn how to fall safely into the net in case they miss a catch or unexpectedly fall off the bar or off the catcher. Listo/Lista - Ready, Used by the flyer and/or catcher to signify that they are holding the fly bar or have enough height in their swing for a catch. Ready - Used by the catcher to tell the flyer that they should leave the board momentarily, the flyer bends their knees and if executing a one-handed take-off, dips the bar so they can raise it higher when they jump off the board. Lining Up - Called from the board, when the person working the board for those who have not yet learned to retrieve and serve the bar themselves gives the flyer the fly bar. It really means that the flyer is lining up their trick, hup - Signal to leave the board and/or the fly bar
Flying trapeze
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Flying trapeze artists
Flying trapeze
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Jules Léotard, inventor of the flying trapeze
8.
Modern dance
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Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance, primarily arising out of Germany and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modern dance is considered to have emerged as a rejection of. Socioeconomic and cultural factors contributed to its development. In the late 19th century, dance artists such as Isadora Duncan, Maud Allan, moving into the 1960s, new ideas about dance began to emerge, as a response to earlier dance forms and to social changes. Eventually, postmodern dance artists would reject the formalism of modern dance, and include such as performance art, contact improvisation, release technique. American modern dance can be divided into three periods or eras, Modern dance has evolved with each subsequent generation of participating artists. Artistic content has morphed and shifted from one choreographer to another, artists such as Graham and Horton developed techniques in the Central Modern Period that are still taught worldwide, and numerous other types of modern dance exist today. In America, increasing industrialization, the rise of a class, and the decline of Victorian social strictures led to, among other changes. It was in this atmosphere that a new dance was emerging as much from a rejection of social structures as from a dissatisfaction with ballet, womens colleges began offering aesthetic dance courses by the end of the 1880s. Emil Rath, who wrote at length about this emerging artform at the stated, Music and rhythmic bodily movement are twin sisters of art. 1877, Isadora Duncan was a predecessor of modern dance with her stress on the center or torso, bare feet, loose hair, free-flowing costumes, and incorporation of humor into emotional expression. She was inspired by classical Greek arts, folk dances, social dances, nature, natural forces, and new American athleticism such as skipping, running, jumping, leaping and she thought that ballet was ugly and meaningless gymnastics. Although she returned to the United States at various points in her life and she returned to Europe and died in Nice in 1927. 1891, Loie Fuller began experimenting with the effect that gas lighting had on her silk costumes, Fuller developed a form of natural movement and improvisation techniques that were used in conjunction with her revolutionary lighting equipment and translucent silk costumes. She patented her apparatus and methods of lighting that included the use of coloured gels and burning chemicals for luminescence. 1905, Ruth St. Denis, influenced by the actress Sarah Bernhardt and Japanese dancer Sada Yacco, developed her translations of Indian culture and her performances quickly became popular and she toured extensively while researching Oriental culture and arts. Other pioneers included Kurt Jooss and Harald Kreutzberg, an accomplished choreographer, she was a founding artist of the first American Dance Festival in Bennington. Holm choreographed extensively in the fields of dance and musical theater
Modern dance
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Martha Graham in 1948
Modern dance
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Isadora Duncan in 1903
Modern dance
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Dancer at the
Laban school, Berlin 1929
Modern dance
–
Martha Graham and Bertram Ross in 1961; photo by
Carl van Vechten
9.
Aerial dance
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Aerial modern dance is a subgenre of modern dance first recognized in the United States in the 1970s. The choreography incorporates an apparatus often attached to the ceiling, allowing performers to explore space in three-dimensions, the ability to incorporate vertical, as well as horizontal movement paths, allows for innovations in choreography and movement vocabulary. Aerial modern pieces, whether solo or ensemble, often involve partnering, the apparatus used has its own motion, which changes the way a dancer must move in response. The introduction of a new element changes the balance, center. Aerial modern dancers gather annually for workshops in Boulder, Colorado, County Donegal in Ireland, Brittany, in France, and Italy. In Boulder Colorado, Frequent Flyers Productions produces the Aerial Dance Festival – the first of its kind – and has held every year since its inception in July 1999. In Brittany, in northern France, the festival is called Les Rencontres Danse Aeriennes and was founded in 2008 by Fred Deb. The Irish Aerial Dance Festival is organised by Fidget Feet, a dance theatre company based in Ireland, run by artistic directors Chantal McCormick. It is run every year in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland, lindsey Butcher of Gravity & Levity, based in Brighton, England, runs the European Aerial Dance Festival in Brighton, England every summer. Fred Deb was one of the forerunners of aerial dance using fabric in France, Deb started her company Drapés Aériens in 2001, she has choreographed and conceived many works in collaboration with Jacques Bertrand. Originally a dancer by training, Bertrand is her assistant, partner, another early influence on aerial modern dance, Terry Sendgraff, is credited with inventing the motivity trapeze. The motivity trapeze came about as a result of an exploration on a circus trapeze. The ropes twisted together, causing the apparatus to spin, by formalizing this, hooking both ropes to a single point of attachment, Ms. Sendgraff used the apparatus to spin, twist, as well as fly in a straight line and in a circle. In Italy, an emerging aerial Dance company, brought the contemporary dance discipline in a vertical stage, the performance of the Company distinguish from others by the details of the choreography and the armony of the movement, typical elements of the classic dance. Aerial dance is an art form that is demanding and requires a high degree of strength, power, flexibility, courage. The first and only book detailing the history of dance was published in 1988 by Human Kinetics. Bernasconi and Nancy E. Smith Aerial Dance, haigood’s work is based on careful research of the history, architecture and societal impact of found spaces, and the translation of these memories into the movements performed in that space. Project Bandaloop combines rock-climbing with dance in performances that scale and/or descend canyons, rock walls, video of their outdoor work is sometimes integrated into indoor performances, projected onto screens or trampolines behind the dancers on stage
Aerial dance
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Ivan Torres - Airdancelive Escuela & Cia www.airdancelive.com
Aerial dance
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Blue Lapis Light performance at Texas State History Museum
10.
Swivel
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A swivel is a connection that allows the connected object, such as a gun or chair, to rotate horizontally or vertically. A common design for a swivel is a rod that can turn freely within a support structure. The rod is usually prevented from slipping out by a nut, the device can be attached to the ends of the rod or the center. Another common design is a sphere that is able to rotate within a support structure, the device is attached to the sphere. A third design is a cylindrical rod that has a rod that is slightly smaller than its inside diameter inside of it. They are prevented from coming apart by flanges, the device may be attached to either end. A swivel joint for a pipe is often a connection in between which at least one of the pipes is curved, often at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees. The connection is tightened enough to be water- or air-tight and then tightened further so that it is in the correct position, slewing bearing The dictionary definition of swivel at Wiktionary
Swivel
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A swivel in a link
Swivel
–
A swivel in a chain link
11.
Multiple trapeze
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Static trapeze, also known as fixed trapeze, is a type of circus art performed on the trapeze. In contrast to the forms of trapeze, on static trapeze the bars. Most often, the trapeze is about 1.5 feet wide. The ropes are at least two lengths, as many figures are performed on the ropes above the bar. The ropes can be made of materials, including cotton or hemp. It can be performed by a single artist or two partners working together, a single artist will do tricks above and below the bar, the ropes playing just as important a part as the bar. A partner act will involve the partners working together — supporting each others weight, self-standing trapezes can be purchased for home use. Multiple trapeze is an act entailing the use of more than one trapeze, in these acts, multiple people perform simultaneously. The most common type of multiple trapeze is a triple trapeze, a triple trapeze has one long bar, held up by a ropes, basically three trapezes put together, with the middle trapeze sharing the ropes of the other two. Multiple trapeze can also refer to a structure with trapeze like structures. An experimental cage-like structure was created by Cirque du Soleil for their show Varekai, however, the structure did appear in the Making of documentary, Fire Within. A triple trapeze is a type of static trapeze with three trapezes on one bar, therefore, there are four ropes connecting this trapeze to its frame, or whatever it is hanging from. One example of a trapeze act can be seen in Cirque du Soleils show Varekai
Multiple trapeze
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10-year-old learns Bird's Nest in the ropes at Circus School
Multiple trapeze
–
Duo static trapeze performance by Kia and Lindsay (Circus Smirkus), back planche and catches
Multiple trapeze
–
Triple trapeze
12.
Triple trapeze
–
Static trapeze, also known as fixed trapeze, is a type of circus art performed on the trapeze. In contrast to the forms of trapeze, on static trapeze the bars. Most often, the trapeze is about 1.5 feet wide. The ropes are at least two lengths, as many figures are performed on the ropes above the bar. The ropes can be made of materials, including cotton or hemp. It can be performed by a single artist or two partners working together, a single artist will do tricks above and below the bar, the ropes playing just as important a part as the bar. A partner act will involve the partners working together — supporting each others weight, self-standing trapezes can be purchased for home use. Multiple trapeze is an act entailing the use of more than one trapeze, in these acts, multiple people perform simultaneously. The most common type of multiple trapeze is a triple trapeze, a triple trapeze has one long bar, held up by a ropes, basically three trapezes put together, with the middle trapeze sharing the ropes of the other two. Multiple trapeze can also refer to a structure with trapeze like structures. An experimental cage-like structure was created by Cirque du Soleil for their show Varekai, however, the structure did appear in the Making of documentary, Fire Within. A triple trapeze is a type of static trapeze with three trapezes on one bar, therefore, there are four ropes connecting this trapeze to its frame, or whatever it is hanging from. One example of a trapeze act can be seen in Cirque du Soleils show Varekai
Triple trapeze
–
10-year-old learns Bird's Nest in the ropes at Circus School
Triple trapeze
–
Duo static trapeze performance by Kia and Lindsay (Circus Smirkus), back planche and catches
Triple trapeze
–
Triple trapeze
13.
Aerial silk
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Aerial silk is a type of performance in which one or more artists perform aerial acrobatics while hanging from a fabric. Performers climb the suspended fabric without the use of safety lines and they use the fabric to wrap, suspend, fall, swing, and spiral their bodies into and out of various positions. Aerial silks may be used to fly through the air, striking poses and figures while flying, some performers use dried or spray rosin on their hands and feet to increase the friction and grip on the fabric. The three main categories of tricks are climbs, wraps and drops, climbs employed by aerialists range from purely practical and efficient, such as the Russian climb, to athletic and elegant tricks of their own, such as the straddle climb. Wraps are static poses where aerialists wrap the silks around one or more parts of their body, in general, the more complicated the wrap, the stronger the force of friction and the less effort required to hold oneself up. Some wraps, such as the straddle-back-balance, actually allow performers to release their hands. Foot locks are a sub-category of wraps where the silks are wrapped around one or both feet, for instance an ankle hang, in a drop, performers wrap themselves up high on the silks before falling to a lower position. Drops can combine aspects of free fall, rolling or otherwise rotating oneself before landing in a new pose, preparation for a drop can make for a pretty wrap, but the ultimate goal is the fall rather than the pose. Of the three types, drops require the most strength, and are also the most potentially dangerous. Rosin is employed to help maintain their grip. Aerial silks are an art and require a high degree of strength, power, flexibility, courage, stamina. The fabrics used as silks are very strong with some give, the fabric is 2-way stretch polyester lycra or Tricot Nylon. The width varies depending on the routine and the acrobat, the fabric is usually quite long, as it is doubled for rigging, giving the acrobat two strips of fabric to work with as they perform. Low stretch fabrics are used by beginners who have not yet developed proper climbing technique. Medium stretch fabrics are the choice of professional aerialists and graduates of professional training programs. Fabric width is mostly a personal choice, the thickness of the fabric when gathered is also influenced by the denier, or technical thickness of the fabrics weave. 40 denier is a common choice, the following applies to 40 denier nylon fabric,60 - Narrow when open, thin when gathered. Fairly common simply because the fabric is widely available, 72-84” - Average for adult performers 96 - Wide when open, thick when gathered
Aerial silk
–
Aerial silk performer
Aerial silk
–
Christianne "Flip" Sainz of Aerial Angels performing aerial silk at King Richard's Faire, a
renaissance faire in Massachusetts.
14.
McLean County Museum of History
–
The McLean County Museum of History is an AAM accredited institution located in Bloomington, Illinois. It is the program of the McLean County Historical Society, an Illinois nonprofit organization. The museum moved into its current location in 1991, the initial purpose of the McLean County Historical Society was to meet and present papers on local history topics. Soon, people in the community began donating historical objects to the society, in 1904, the society opened its first museum and hired a curator. Reinvigorated by a change in leadership and New Deal dollars in the 1930s, additionally, indexes to archival and local periodical collections were developed. A fire in the structure in 1972 forced the society to reevaluate itself. Consequently, a newly organized board made the decision to operate the museum on a professional basis, a long-range plan was developed to achieve AAM accreditation, which was realized in 1984. The museum was reaccredited in 1996 and 2008, in 1989-1991 McLean County Courthouse was renovated and converted to a museum. Further information, McLean County Courthouse and Square The museum square is the site of three previous courthouses, the first county courthouse was built in 1831 out of whipsawn cherry and black walnut. In expectation of a boom, a new two-story Federal-style courthouse was constructed in 1836. This courthouse served Abraham Lincoln and other attorneys of the Eighth Judicial Circuit and it also was used by religious groups and it housed the countys first newspaper. Alfred Piquenard designed the courthouse in 1868 in the Italian Renaissance style. On June 19,1900, a fire in downtown Bloomington destroyed four, the Peoria, IL firm Reeves and Baile were commissioned to design and rebuild the courthouse. Reeves designed the new courthouse in the American Renaissance style, which was completed in 1903, the building served as the county courthouse until 1976 when the courts moved to an up-to-date facility. The courthouse continued to be used for administrative purposes until 1988, in 2002, the dome and its base were restored. The original copper decorative elements were salvaged and reused, and the limestone drum stone was repaired, the c.1957 clock mechanism was replaced, and in 2004 the bell, from the 1868 courthouse rung for the first time in nearly half a century. In 2005, Landmarks Illinois presented the Outstanding Restoration award to McLean County for their efforts to restore the dome, the museums collection consists of materials that document the growth and development of McLean County from the prehistoric period through the present. Exhibitions draw primarily from the museums own collections, which numbers approximately 18,000 objects, the museums permanent exhibit, Encounter on the Prairie explores the lives of the people who settled McLean County
McLean County Museum of History
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The Main Street façade
McLean County Museum of History
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The dome of the museum after its restoration in 2005
McLean County Museum of History
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Encounter on the Prairie Exhibit - People Gallery
McLean County Museum of History
–
The Tilbury Flash on display in the lower level of the museum
15.
List of circus skills
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Circus skills are a group of pursuits that have been performed as entertainment in circus, sideshow, busking, or variety/vaudeville/music hall shows. Most circus skills are still being performed today, many are also practiced by non-performers as a hobby. Circus schools and instructors use various systems of categorization to group circus skills by type, systems that have attempted to formally organize circus skills into pragmatic teaching groupings include the Gurevich system and the Hovey Burgess system. The Hovey Burgess pedagogy divides circus skills into three categories, each subdivided into three skill levels, Hovey Burgess has been known to compare his system to Newtons third law. Vaulting is concerned with action, juggling is concerned with reaction, circus skills which involve balancing or maintaining equilibrium. The term applies equally to acts in which the performer balances on a piece of equipment or a prop, unicycle riding Stilt walking Tightrope walking Acrobalance Juggling Devil sticks Plate spinning Risley act Contact juggling Burgess, Hovey
List of circus skills
16.
Balance (ability)
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In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the line of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. Sway is the movement of the centre of gravity even when a person is standing still. A certain amount of sway is essential and inevitable due to small perturbations within the body or from external triggers, an increase in sway is not necessarily an indicator of dysfunctional balance so much as it is an indicator of decreased sensorimotor control. Maintaining balance requires coordination of input from sensory systems including the vestibular, somatosensory. There are environmental factors that can balance such as light conditions, floor surface changes, alcohol, drugs. There are balance impairments associated with aging, age-related decline in the ability of the above systems to receive and integrate sensory information contributes to poor balance in older adults. As a result, the elderly are at a risk of falls. In fact, one in three adults aged 65 and over will fall each year, in the case of an individual standing quietly upright, the limit of stability is defined as the amount of postural sway at which balance is lost and corrective action is required. Body sway can occur in all planes of motion, which make it an increasingly difficult ability to rehabilitate, there is strong evidence in research showing that deficits in postural balance is related to the control of medial-lateral stability and an increased risk of falling. To remain balanced, a person standing must be able to keep the vertical projection of their center of mass within their base of support, ankle sprains are one of the most frequently occurring injuries among athletes and physically active people. The most common residual disability post ankle sprain is instability along with body sway and it is found that nearly 40% of patients with ankle sprains suffer from instability and an increase in body sway. Injury to the causes an proprioceptive deficit and impaired postural control. Individuals with muscular weakness, occult instability, and decreased postural control are more susceptible to injury than those with better postural control. Balance can be affected in individuals with neurological conditions. Patients who suffer a stroke or a spinal cord injury for example and it has also been determined that impaired balance is strongly associated with future function and recovery in some cases, particularly in stroke patients. Additionally, balance problems have been identified as the strongest predictor of falls, another population where balance is severely affected is Parkinsons disease patients. Balance can also be affected in a normal population through fatigue in the musculature surrounding the ankles, knees. Studies have found, however, that muscle fatigue around the hips and it is thought that muscle fatigue leads to a decreased ability to contract with the correct amount of force or accuracy
Balance (ability)
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A woman demonstrating the ability to balance
Balance (ability)
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A
waiter balancing wine glasses
Balance (ability)
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Balance
Balance (ability)
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Balance Training
17.
Contortion
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Contortion is a performance art in which performers, contortionists, showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers, Contortion acts are typically performed in front of a live audience. An act will showcase one or more artists performing a set of moves or poses, often to music. The physical flexibility required to perform such acts greatly exceeds that of the general population and it is the dramatic feats of seemingly inhuman flexibility that captivate audiences. In some countries, such as Russia and Mongolia, contortion holds special cultural significance, many factors affect the flexibility of performers including age, genetics, stature, and adherence to rigorous physical training routines. Most contortionists are generally categorized as frontbenders or backbenders, depending on the direction in which their spine is most flexible, relatively few performers are equally adept at both. Backbending skills such as touching ones head to feet, or all the way to the buttocks. A Marinelli bend is a backbend while supported only by a grip at the top of a short post that is held in the mouth, splits and oversplits may be included in frontbending or backbending acts. An oversplit may be performed while the feet are supported by two chairs or by two assistants, enterology is the practice of squeezing ones body into a small, knee-high box or other contained space which initially appears to audiences as being too small to contain the performer. Dislocations of the shoulders or hip joints are sometimes performed as a novelty act by itself. One example is lifting the arm to the side until it passes behind the head, a medical publication from 2008 suggests that long-term damage to the spine is common in long-term practitioners. A study of five practitioners using Magnetic Resonance Imaging by Peoples et al documented limbus vertebrae, intervertebral disc bulges, three of the five practitioners also reported back pain. Contortion acts are highly variable with many incorporating elements of humor, drama, shock, Contortion is often incorporated into other performances such as dance and theater. The act often ends by stuffing the doll into a small box, Contortion positions can be performed on a Spanish web, an aerial act consisting of a rope with a hand/foot loop that is spun by someone underneath. Contortionists might manipulate props during their performance, for instance spinning hula hoops or juggling rings, balancing towers of wine glasses, a contortionist may perform alone, may have one or two assistants, or up to four contortionists may perform together as a group. The Ross Sisters were American contortionists most famous for their number in the 1940s movie Broadway Rhythm. Some loose-jointed people are able to pop a joint out of its socket without pain, however, as long as the joint socket is the right shape, most extreme bends can be achieved without dislocating the joint. Actual dislocations are rarely used during athletic contortion acts since they make the joint more unstable and prone to injury, box act - Circus act in which a contortionist squeezes his/her body into a small box or transparent container
Contortion
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Contortionist performing
Contortion
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Contortionist, posed in studio, ca. 1880.
Contortion
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This man in a trunk is an example of enterology.
Contortion
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Adagio performance by Company Rions Noir (France)
18.
Balance board
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A balance board is a device used as a circus skill, for recreation, balance training, athletic training, brain development, therapy, musical training and other kinds of personal development. It is a similar to a see-saw that the user usually stands on, usually with the left. The users body must stay balanced enough to keep the boards edges from touching the ground, a different challenge is presented by each of the five basic types of balance boards and their subtypes. Some of them can be attempted successfully by three-year-olds and elderly people, Balance board is a better option for kids to improve stability and confidence with great combination of fun and fitness. Some people use a board for recreational purposes, enjoying the challenge that this equipment presents. The balance board is used as a skill for recreation. Many circus performers refer to the board as the rola bola. Skillful and dramatic balancing acts using the rola bola are performed by performers in traditional circus as well as by freelance circus skills artists. The performance can involve a single rola bola or a stack of multiple rola bolas on top of one another to increase the challenge, some circus performers also combine the use of the rola bola with other circus skills to present a different visual spectacle. The user stands on a board or other platform which is on top of an unstable ground-contacting member, the height of the fulcrum of most models is between 3 and 6 inches. Due to the instability, all of a users balance skills must be activated and coordinated in order to prevent the board from touching the ground. In rocker boards and wobble boards, the fulcrum is attached to the board, in rocker-roller boards and sphere-and-ring boards, the fulcrum is a separate piece. In sphere-and-ring boards, the fulcrum is constrained by a ring on the boards underside, positions other than standing are also used, in order to work on particular muscles and skills. See below, under the heading Fitness Exercises, for better foot traction, the stood-on surface of most models is manufactured with an unsmooth texture, for plastic models, in the molding, for wooden models, with grip tape or rubber. A smooth surface under the feet or shoes can cause a user to slip off a balance board, Wobble boards are the only type of balance board that is commonly made of plastic. Being no longer than their width, they dont need to be as strong, there are more than a hundred models of balance boards on the market in the United States. Each of them is a version of one of about fifteen types of balance board, more specifically, In other words, A rocker-roller board is a rocker board whose fulcrum is a separate piece. A sphere-and-ring board is a board whose fulcrum is a separate piece
Balance board
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Balance board Treekix
Balance board
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Rolla bolla
Balance board
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The roller and underside of a rocker-roller board
Balance board
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The underside of a sphere-and-ring board
19.
Rhythmic gymnastics
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Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or groups of five or more manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus, rope, hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and freehand. Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport that combines elements of ballet, gymnastics, dance, the victor is the participant who earns the most points, determined by a panel of judges, for leaps, balances, pirouettes, apparatus handling, and execution. The choreography must cover the floor and contain a balance of jumps, leaps, pivots, balances. Each movement involves a degree of athletic skill. Physical abilities needed by a rhythmic gymnast include strength, power, flexibility, agility, dexterity, endurance, the sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite competition. The largest events in the sport are the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, World Cup and this idea was extended by Catharine Beecher, who founded the Western Female Institute in Ohio, United States, in 1837. In Beechers gymnastics program, called grace without dancing, the young women exercised to music, during the 1880s, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze of Switzerland developed eurhythmics, a form of physical training for musicians and dancers. George Demeny of France created exercises to music that were designed to promote grace of movement, muscular flexibility, all of these styles were combined around 1900 into the Swedish school of rhythmic gymnastics, which would later add dance elements from Finland. Around this time, Ernst Idla of Estonia established a degree of difficulty for each movement, in 1929, Hinrich Medau founded The Medau School in Berlin to train gymnasts in modern gymnastics, and to develop the use of the apparatus. Competitive rhythmic gymnastics began in the 1940s in the Soviet Union, the FIG formally recognized this discipline in 1961, first as modern gymnastics, then as rhythmic sportive gymnastics, and finally as rhythmic gymnastics. The first World Championships for individual rhythmic gymnasts was held in 1963 in Budapest, groups were introduced at the same level in 1967 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rhythmic gymnastics was added to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, however, many federations from the Eastern European countries were forced to boycott by the Soviet Union. Canadian Lori Fung was the first rhythmic gymnast to earn an Olympic gold medal, the group competition was added to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Spanish team won the first gold medal of the new competition with a team formed by Estela Giménez, Marta Baldó, Nuria Cabanillas, Lorena Guréndez, Estíbaliz Martínez, Olympic rhythmic gymnastics is for male and female participants. Gymnasts start at an age and become age-eligible to compete in the Olympic Games. The latter is still an active gymnast in the circuit of the sport with a career dating back to 2001. She and her fellow countrywoman Almudena Cid are among the oldest rhythmic gymnasts ever, Top rhythmic gymnasts must have many qualities, balance, flexibility, coordination, and strength are some of the most important. The FIG selects which apparatus will be used in competitions, only four out of the five possible apparatuses are sanctioned, up to 2010, the clubs were not used at the senior level
Rhythmic gymnastics
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Group rhythmic gymnasts from Greece in
Sydney 2000
Rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics
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2 time Olympic Champion
Evgenia Kanaeva (
2008 Beijing and
2012 London)
Rhythmic gymnastics
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(L-R)
Alina Kabaeva (bronze),
Yulia Barsukova (gold) and
Yulia Raskina (silver) at
2000 Sydney Olympics
20.
Slacklining
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Slacklining refers to the act of walking or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. Slacklining is similar to slack rope walking and tightrope walking, slacklines differ from tightwires and tightropes in the type of material used and the amount of tension applied during use. Slacklines are tensioned significantly less than tightropes or tightwires in order to create a line which will stretch and bounce like a long. Tension can be adjusted to suit the user, and different webbing may be used in various circumstances, Slacklining is popular because of its simplicity and versatility, it can be used in various environments with few components. A basic slackline is generally anchored between two trees, for beginners, a length of 15–30 feet is ideal, with the line anchored 2–3 feet from the ground and tensioned so that it does not touch the ground when walked on. These trees should be at least 12 inches in diameter, healthy, tree protection can be any material which can absorb some pressure and protect the bark. Common materials include felt wraps, yoga mats, towels, many slackline companies sell tree protection products that are specifically designed to attach to trees and have clips to hold the sling in place. The sling, the used to wrap around the tree as the anchor, is generally a simple piece of webbing for basic slacklines. More advanced slacklines are commonly rigged using industrial round slings to wrap the trees for increased strength, care should be taken when using man-made fixtures as anchors as objects such as light posts, fence posts, and decorative columns are not designed for lateral force. Beginner slacklines are generally of two varieties, primitive slackline or ratchet slackline, a primitive slackline uses carabiners to form a simple pulley system and friction lock to tension the slackline. A ratchet slackline uses a comealong or ratchet to tension the slackline, the most common anchors for slacklines are trees. Trees should always be at least 12 inches, there are several very effective methods of tree protection that function on two principles, eliminating abrasion, and redistributing the load over a wider area. One of the most effective means of protection is a wrap of vertical blocks strung together by drilling a small-diameter hole through the center. The addition of a square between the block wrap and the outer bark is considered ideal among the founding community of slackliners. Many other ways to protect the tree are used, such as towels, mats, cardboard, carpet. Using carpet squares or cardboard even, by themselves, addresses only abrasion and these methods are adequate for occasional use, but with the high tension of longlines, one who slacklines regularly should take every precaution to protect the life of the tree. A special characteristic of slacklining is the ease with which the dynamics of the practice can be altered, using narrow webbing will result in a stretchier slackline. This allows for more sway in the line and can make a short line feel substantially longer, wider webbing is much more rigid, often creating a bouncier slackline optimal for aerial tricks
Slacklining
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Slacklining
Slacklining
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Slacklining in a park
Slacklining
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Slacklining on a beach
Slacklining
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Slackline handstand
21.
Stilts
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Stilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water. Stilts have been used for hundreds of years. Hand-held stilts are used as toys and in circus skills workshops and are of two main types, string and can/bucket stilts and pole stilts. Unlike other forms of stilts, hand-held stilts are not tied or strapped to the wearer, Hand-held pole stilts consist of two long poles, each with a foot support. The stilt walker holds onto the end of the pole, rests his feet on the foot plates. A second type of hand-held pole stilts are similar to the first type but ends in a handle so the walker has more control and those type of stilts can be very high Hand-held string stilts are platforms with strings attached to them. The platforms, most commonly made of tin cans or small plastic upturned buckets hold the stilt walkers weight while the strings are used to pull the cans to the feet as they take a step. Peg stilts, also known as Chinese stilts, are used by professional performers. These stilts strap on at the foot, ankle, and just below the knee, peg stilts are often made from wood but can also be made of aluminium or tubular steel. This type of stilts are the most lightweight ones and allow a user to quickly, to turn suddenly. The stilt walker must keep moving at all times to keep their balance, drywall or Dura stilts are designed to allow the stilt walker to stand still or to walk. They were originally designed for people to work at a height during drywall or plasterboard construction, painting. Drywall stilts are heavier than peg stilts and are mostly made of aluminium. The design means they are safer for walking but often means they are less versatile than peg stilts in use, spring stilts are spring-loaded stilts that allow the user to run, jump and perform various acrobatics. Spring stilts using fiberglass leaf springs were patented in the United States in 2004 under the trademark PowerSkip, marketed for recreational, using these stilts is also called Powerbocking, named for the stilts inventor, Alexander Boeck. Spring stilts are often made of aluminium. Spring stilts using steel coil springs, an antecedent of the stick, were attempted in the 19th century
Stilts
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Shepherds from the Landes region of France, walking on stilts
Stilts
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Handwerkerstelzen (Drywall Stilts)
Stilts
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French postman on stilts, early 20th Century
Stilts
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Stiltwalker participates in a parade, dressed as a
court jester
22.
Tightrope walking
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Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope walking and slacklining, tightwire is the skill of maintaining balance while walking along a tensioned wire between two points. It can be done using a balancing tool or freehand. Typically, tightwire performances either include dance or object manipulation, object manipulation acts include a variety of props in their acts, such as clubs or rings, hats or canes. Tightwire performers have even used wheelbarrows with passengers, ladders, the technique to maintain balance is to keep the performers centre of mass above their support point - usually their feet. Highwire is a form of tight wire walking but performed at much greater height, although there is no official height when tight wire becomes high wire, generally a wire over 20 feet high will be regarded as a high wire act. Skywalk is a form of highwire which is performed at great heights, a skywalk is performed outdoors between tall building, gorges, across waterfalls or other natural and man-made structures. Slackwire or slackrope is a type of wire or rope walking where the support is flexible or slack, the tension on the wire or rope is mainly provided by the weight of the performer and their props. The difference in required to maintain balance on a slackwire is that the performer moves the wire under his centre of mass. The flexibility of the wire or rope allows the performer to achieve this, slacklining is a popular form of slackwire walking which utilizes nylon webbing stretched tight between two anchor points. Slacklining is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut, it is dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a long. The tension of the slackline can be varied to allow for a variety of skills to be performed. The tighter a slackline the closer the technique and performance is to tightwire, the slack in the slackline. When they are on the ground with their side by side. In the case of highwire-walkers, their feet are parallel with each other, therefore, a tightwire walkers sway is side to side, their lateral support having been drastically reduced. In both cases, whether side by side or parallel, the ankle is the pivot point, a wire-walker may use a pole for balance or may stretch out his arms perpendicular to his trunk in the manner of a pole. It distributes mass away from the point, thereby increasing the moment of inertia
Tightrope walking
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The feet of a tightrope walker
Tightrope walking
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Slackwire artist
Tightrope walking
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Jultagi, the Korean tradition of tightrope walking
Tightrope walking
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Maria Spelterini crossing
Niagara Falls on July 4, 1876
23.
Unicycle
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A unicycle is a vehicle that touches the ground with only one wheel. The most common variation has a frame with a saddle, and has a direct drive. Unicycling is practiced professionally in circuses, by performers, and in festivals. Unicycles have also used to create new sports such as unicycle hockey. In recent years unicycles have also used in activities similar to mountain biking or trials. US patents for single-wheeled velocipedes were published in 1869 by Frederick Myers, unicycle design has developed since the advent of the first unicycle into many variations including, the seatless unicycle and the tall unicycle. Bicycles, tricycles and quadracycles share several basic parts including wheels, pedals, cranks, forks, Unicycles usually lack brakes, gears, and the ability to freewheel. This means the rotation of the cranks directly controls the rotation of the wheel, the frame sits on top of the axle bearings, while the cranks attach to the ends of the axle, and the seatpost slides into the frame to allow the saddle to be height adjusted. Types of unicycle include, Freestyle unicycles Trials unicycles Mountain unicycles Giraffe unicycles Long distance unicycles Each type has special components unique to that type of unicycle. Generally used for flatland skills and freestyle routines, freestyle unicycles typically have a relatively high seatpost, a saddle. These unicycles are used similarly to flatland bicycles, wheel size is usually 20 inches, but smaller riders may use 16-or-12-inch unicycles. Many trials unicycles also have wide, 19- or 20-inch knobby tires to absorb some of the impact on drops, Mountain unicycling consists of riding specialized unicycles on mountain bike trails. Mountain unicycles have thicker, wider tires for shock absorption, many riders choose to use long cranks to increase power when riding up hills and over rough terrain. A disk brake is used for descents. Used for long distances, these unicycles are specially made to cover distances and they have a large wheel diameter, between 26 and 36 in. So more distance is covered in less pedal rotation, a 36 unicycle made by the Coker Tire company started the big wheel trend. Some variations on the traditional touring unicycle include the Schlumpf GUni, larger direct-drive wheels tend to have shorter cranks to allow for easier cadence and more speed. Use of a chain can make the much taller than standard unicycles
Unicycle
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A
Torker unicycle
Unicycle
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"If I only had a Continental bicycle tire." Advertising poster for Continental tires showing a hobo on a unicycle with his dog running beside (ca. 1900).
Unicycle
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A unicycle hub
Unicycle
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Off-road unicycles.
24.
Juggling
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Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, Juggling can be the manipulation of one object or many objects at the same time, using one or many hands. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props, the most common props are balls, clubs, or rings. Some jugglers use more dramatic objects such as knives, fire torches or chainsaws, the term juggling can also commonly refer to other prop-based manipulation skills, such as diabolo, devil sticks, poi, cigar boxes, contact juggling, hooping, yo-yo, and hat manipulation. The words juggling and juggler derive from the Middle English jogelen, there is also the Late Latin form joculare of Latin joculari, meaning to jest. In the 21st century, the term juggling usually refers to toss juggling, david Levinson and Karen Christensen describe juggling as the sport of tossing and catching or manipulating objects keeping them in constant motion. Juggling, like music, combines abstract patterns and mind-body coordination in a pleasing way, the earliest record of juggling is suggested in a panel from the 15th Beni Hasan tomb of an unknown Egyptian prince, showing female dancers and acrobats throwing balls. Juggling has been recorded in early cultures including Egyptian, Nabataean, Chinese, Indian, Greek, Roman, Norse, Aztec. Juggling in ancient China was an art performed by some warriors, one such warrior was Xiong Yiliao, whose juggling of nine balls in front of troops on a battlefield reportedly caused the opposing troops to flee without fighting, resulting in a complete victory. In Europe, juggling was an acceptable diversion until the decline of the Roman Empire, Jugglers in this era would only perform in marketplaces, streets, fairs, or drinking houses. They would perform short, humorous and bawdy acts and pass a hat or bag among the audience for tips, some kings and noblemen’s bards, fools, or jesters would have been able to juggle or perform acrobatics, though their main skills would have been oral. In 1768, Philip Astley opened the first modern circus, a few years later, he employed jugglers to perform acts along with the horse and clown acts. Since then, jugglers have been associated with circuses, in the early 19th century, troupes from Asia, such as the famous Indian Jugglers referred to by William Hazlitt, arrived to tour Britain, Europe and parts of America. In the 19th century, variety and music hall theatres became more popular, performers started specializing in juggling, separating it from other kinds of performance such as sword swallowing and magic. The Gentleman Juggler style was established by German jugglers such as Salerno, rubber processing developed, and jugglers started using rubber balls. Previously, juggling balls were made from balls of twine, stuffed leather bags, wooden spheres, solid or inflatable rubber balls meant that bounce juggling was possible. Inflated rubber balls made ball spinning easier and more readily accessible, soon in North America, vaudeville theatres employed jugglers, often hiring European performers. In the early to mid-20th century, variety and vaudeville shows decreased in popularity due to competition from motion picture theatres, radio and television, Music and comedy transferred very easily to radio, but juggling could not
Juggling
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Juggling five balls
Juggling
Juggling
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A street performer juggling
torches in
Devizes,
Wiltshire
Juggling
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Juggling four
racquets, Daniel Hochsteiner
25.
Object manipulation
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Object manipulation is a form of dexterity play or performance in which one or more people physically interact with one or more objects. Many object manipulation skills are recognised circus skills, other object manipulation skills are linked to sport, magic, and everyday objects or practices. Any other object can also be used for manipulation skills, object manipulation with ordinary items may be considered to be object manipulation when the object is used out of its socially acknowledged context and used differently from its original purpose. Object manipulators may also be practitioners of performance, which is essentially object manipulation where specially designed props are soaked in fuel. There are a wide range of types of object manipulation. Each type of object manipulation has often grouped together in a category of object manipulation skills. However many types of object manipulation do not fit these common categories while others can be seen to belong to more than one category, juggling is a physical skill involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, juggling can be the manipulation of one object or many objects at the same time, using one or many hands. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props, the most common props are balls or clubs and rings. Some jugglers use more dramatic objects such as knives, fire torches or chainsaws, the term juggling can also commonly refer to other prop-based manipulation skills such as diabolo, devil sticks, poi, cigar boxes, contact juggling, hooping, and hat manipulation. The object twirled can be directly by one or two hands, the fingers or by other parts of the body. It can also be done indirectly, as in the case of devil or flower sticks, the origin of twirling can be found in manipulation skills developed for armed combat and in traditional dance. The various twirling skills have become popular with many associated with circus skills. Many of these skills use items not usually associated with object manipulation
Object manipulation
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A man juggling five balls
Object manipulation
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A boy with a diabolo
26.
Bullwhip
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A bullwhip is a single-tailed whip, usually made of braided leather, designed as a tool for working with livestock. Bullwhips are pastoral tools, traditionally used to control livestock in open country, many modern sport whip crackers claim that the bullwhip was rarely, if ever, used to strike cattle, but this is a matter for debate. The origins of the bullwhip are also a matter for debate and, difficulties in tracing its development also arise from regional and national variations in nomenclature. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as rural economies became increasingly mechanized, by the middle of the 20th century, bullwhip making was a dying craft, with only a few craftsmen left making good quality whips. Whip cracking competitions focus on the completion of complex multiple cracking routines and precise target work, whereas, in times past, the bullwhip was designed for one basic, main purpose, modern whip makers design their whips for different specific purposes and to suit different throwing styles. Regardless of their end use, all bullwhips have certain common features. A bullwhip consists of a section, a thong, a fall. A wrist loop may also be present, although its purpose is for hanging ones whip on a hook. The main portion of the length is made up of a braided body or thong. Made of many strips of leather, the number of braids or plaits is an important factor in the construction of the whip, often the thong is multi-layered, having one or more bellies in the center. Quality whips have at least two bellies, made of braided leather like the surface of the whip, though with fewer plaits, lower-quality whips may have no bellies at all, and are sometimes stuffed with materials such as newspaper which will break down with use. Unlike in the Australian stock whip, the thong connects in line with the handle, the handle is usually short, being between 8 and 12 inches long. While some whips have a wooden grip, others have an intricately braided leather covered handle. Some handles swivel, making it easier to do certain types of unsophisticated cracks but making it harder to do others, the Australians introduced a longer handled bullwhip to the US, where the bullwhips traditionally had shorter handles. The longer handled whip, with a handle of 10-14 inches, bullwhips are usually measured from the butt of the handle to the end of the plaiting of the thong. The thong typically terminates at a fall hitch—a series of half hitches that neatly tie the replaceable fall to the whip, whips range in length from 3 ft to very long bullwhips of 20 ft with some examples being even longer. A fall is a piece of leather between 10 and 30 inches in length. It was traditionally made to be due to the extreme stresses the very end of the whip was subjected to as it was cracked
Bullwhip
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A bullwhip
Bullwhip
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A cracker, which is part of a bullwhip or
stockwhip.
27.
Contact juggling
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Contact juggling is a form of object manipulation that focuses on the movement of objects such as balls in contact with the body. Although often used in conjunction with toss juggling, it differs in that it involves the rolling of one or more objects without releasing them into the air. Many of the found in contact juggling, such as balancing or rolling a single ball or palm spinning, have been performed for centuries. More variations were introduced by such as Paul Cinquevalli. In 1986, American juggler Tony Duncan was reported to be holding audiences spellbound with an act that involved rolling a ball all over his body. Michael Moschen brought the form to a new level with his performance, Light, in this performance he used 75mm clear crystal balls, palm spinning up to eight balls simultaneously. He finished the act by rolling a single clear ball so that it appeared to float over his hands, Moschen received praise from the international circus community for his range of innovative techniques, and he was made a MacArthur Fellow in 1990. In the 1986 film, Labyrinth, David Bowies character performs contact juggling throughout the film and these manipulations were performed by Moschen, who stood behind Bowie during filming, reaching around and performing the tricks blind. In the films credits, Moschen is credited for crystal ball manipulation, in the summer of 1990, John P. Miller, wrote and published the first edition of the book Contact Juggling, which covers all of the basic contact juggling techniques and methods for learning them. The first edition had a run of only 100 copies, photocopied and stapled, the second edition was published in 1991, in a comb-bound format, by Ernest Graphics Press, with the author listed as James Ernest. Ernest is credited with coining the term contact juggling, in 1991, the video Michael Moschen, In Motion was released. Since then, this form of juggling has received further popularization through instructional materials, throughout the 1990s, there was continuing contention within the juggling community regarding whether Moschens ideas were being stolen by performers and juggling instructors. Since, many resources have become available for contact jugglers, such as clubs, books, festivals, videos/DVDs, in 2010, Zoom TV, a direct-marketing company, began mass-marketing the Fushigi Magic Gravity Ball, an acrylic contact juggling ball with a steel core. Zoom TV claimed that the ball possesses special properties that make it appear to float and improve balance and control, in 2010, an updated and revised third edition of the book Contact Juggling was released by Ernest Graphics Press. Body rolling means manipulating one or more props around the hands, arms, balance is required to hold the ball in various positions of control. This includes tricks such as headrolling and the butterfly, the trick of rolling the ball from the palm to the back of the hand via the fingertips, the headroll is a trick involving rolling an object or prop, typically a ball, around on the jugglers head. The most commonly performed version is rolling a ball from temple to temple, at some points during the trick, the object may be balanced in place at a certain location on the head. Points where the prop may be balanced include, the temple, the center of the forehead, the back of the neck, the eye socket, the mouth, and the most difficult, the top of the head
Contact juggling
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An example of body rolling.
28.
Diabolo
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The diabolo is a juggling or circus prop consisting of an axle and two cups or discs derived from the Chinese yo-yo. This object is spun using an attached to two hand sticks. A large variety, possibly, hundreds, of tricks are possible with the diabolo, including tosses, and various types of interaction with the sticks, string, multiple diabolos can be spun on a single string. Like the Western yo-yo, it maintains its spinning motion through an effect based on conservation of angular momentum. Diabolos evolved from the Chinese yo-yo, which was standardized in the 12th century. Chinese yo-yos have an axle with discs on either end, while the diabolo has a very short axle and larger. Diabolos are made of different materials and come in different sizes and this noisy rattle consists of two hollow cylinders of metal, wood, or bamboo, joined together in the middle by a cross-piece. Each of the cylinders is pierced by a hole in opposite directions, the rope loops around the crossbeam. The diabolo was as part of a presentation of Chinese culture edited by stenographer Jean-Baptiste Joseph Breton in 1811-2, in 1812 the diabolo, was all the rage, and then, enjoyed an ephemeral vogue, until it, finally fell into discredit, some time before 1861. Some consider the toy dangerous, injuries and deaths players and bystanders have been claimed, the term is derived the name from the Greek dia bolo, roughly meaning across throw. In Greek, the term means to throw across. It comes from a combination of dia meaning across or through, the Greek word diabolos, from which many modern languages words for devil derive, is unrelated. The term loriot was used in England, as well as rocket-ball, confusion about the provenance of the name may have arisen from the earlier name the devil on two sticks, although nowadays this often also refers to another circus-based skill toy, the devil stick. In time diabolo was retained for the version of the Chinese stick toy while the hitting version of the stick toy was rendered into English as the Devil Stick. Phillipart claimed Diabolo to be his invention, in reality, he had improved a Napoleonic toy, which in turn had originated long ago in China. However, Charles Parker gained the U. S, another estimate for the fad is 1910 to 1915, while the big fad in Paris is mentioned in Nature in 1893. The Wright brothers became enamored with the toy during a lull in a trip to France they had taken to market their Wright Flyer III airplane, as with the yo-yo, the design of the diabolo has varied through history and across the world. Chinese diabolos have been made of bamboo, wooden diabolos were common in Victorian times in Britain
Diabolo
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Large and miniature Western rubber diabolos. Wooden sticks are shown in the background.
Diabolo
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1812 illustration of woman with diabolo
Diabolo
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Diaboloist in
Ueno Park performing a 3-diabolo shuffle
Diabolo
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Diabolo juggling
29.
Twirling
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Twirling is a form of object manipulation where an object is twirled by one or two hands, the fingers or by other parts of the body. Twirling practice manipulates the object in circular or near circular patterns and it can also be done indirectly by the use of another object or objects as in the case of devil stick manipulation where handsticks are used. Twirling is performed as a hobby, sport, exercise or performance, Twirling includes a wide variety of practices that use different equipment or props. All props are stick or simulated stick shape and are rotated during the activity, the types of twirling are arranged alphabetically. By using a spinning wheel with handles, astrowheeling combines the aesthetics of twirling. It was inspired by ancient practices that manipulate the rotational inertia of spinning objects in order to balance, focus. The current trend of astrowheeling, which uses bike-like wheels, was popularized in the 1980s in North America, Baton twirling has expanded beyond parades and is now more comparable to rhythmic gymnastics. The sport is popular in countries including the United States, Japan, Spain, France, Italy. Many countries compete each year at the World Baton Twirling Championships, the sport of baton twirling is a relatively new discipline that has evolved through many dimensions. The incorporation of gymnastic movements adapted to baton twirling to create additional elements of risk, Baton twirling is an entertaining and exciting sport to watch. The intricate timing and precision required to perform these feats is difficult, Baton twirling requires complete concentration and coordination. Baton twirling encompasses the physical stamina and agility of gymnastics and dance, the beauty of figure skating and ballet, routines for competitive sport baton twirling are designed for athletes of novice through elite stages of development, experience and ability. Individual competitive events utilize one-baton, two-baton, or three-baton to standardized music while Group competitive events are performed with members twirling together with precision and unison, also there are pair and group events which include Freestyle Pairs and Freestyle Team at the highest level. Groups utilize their own pre-recorded music, professionally trained and certified WBTF Judges adjudicate the competitions. One of the highest honors in twirling is winning WBTF Gold Medalist, origins, Baton twirling started in Eastern Europe and Asia. It is thought it started at dance festivals where the goers used knives, guns, torches and sticks to twirl with, the activity progressed into the armies of some countries which twirled with rifles during marches. When the army was parading, they added a rifle twirler to the front of the marchers, the rifle was then switched for a mace. The mace was much larger than the batons of today and imbalanced and they are still used by some marching bands at parades nowadays
Twirling
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A hobby — performance — sport — traditional
Māori dance, flaming
poi are among a wide variety of twirling gear in modern use.
Twirling
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Baton twirling,
Manzanar War Relocation Center, 1943. Photographed by
Ansel Adams.
Twirling
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Astrowheeling is a form of twirling used as personal exercise for improving dexterity, focus and balance.
Twirling
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Born of
martial art, staff twirling has caught on in the
juggling,
dexterity play, and
fire dancing communities as a recreational activity.
