Contemporary circus

Contemporary circus (or cirque contemporain in French-speaking countries) is a contested term in circus studies.^[1] In this article, it is used in contrast to the term 'traditional circus', combining with the genre elsewhere disambiguated as new circus or nouveau cirque. Many circus scholars prefer to separate these styles, as elaborated in circus. Contemporary circus, by this definition, is a genre of performing arts developed in the late 20th century in which a story, theme, mood or question is conveyed through traditional circus skills. For fans of animal performance in circus, this genre could arguably be found more akin to Variety (in American vaudeville) as animals are rarely used, and traditional circus skills are blended with more choreographic, character-driven or mechanical approaches.

Contemporary circus—encompassing the New Circus movement—originated in the late 1960s and 70s, and has spurred the creation of unique schools^[2] to teach the format, as well as books for the contemporary circus performer, assisting them with their careers.^[3]

^ Kavanagh, Katharine (Autumn 2019). "Criticism Within the Circus Sector" (PDF). Platform. 13 (1). Retrieved 13 September 2023.
^ "Circadium – School of Contemporary Circus". Retrieved 2023-07-07.
^ Bates, Eric (2023-07-06). Campbell, Kim; Domask-Ruh, Benjamin; Wall, Thom (eds.). The Contemporary Circus Handbook: A Guide to Creating, Funding, Producing, Organizing, and Touring Shows for the 21st Century. Modern Vaudeville Press. ISBN 978-1-958604-03-8.

[1] Kavanagh, Katharine (Autumn 2019). "Criticism Within the Circus Sector" (PDF). Platform. 13 (1). Retrieved 13 September 2023.

[2] "Circadium – School of Contemporary Circus". Retrieved 2023-07-07.

[3] Bates, Eric (2023-07-06). Campbell, Kim; Domask-Ruh, Benjamin; Wall, Thom (eds.). The Contemporary Circus Handbook: A Guide to Creating, Funding, Producing, Organizing, and Touring Shows for the 21st Century. Modern Vaudeville Press. ISBN 978-1-958604-03-8.

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