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The Cambridge Companion to the Circus

Part of Cambridge Companions to Theatre and Performance

Gillian Arrighi, Jim Davis, Matthew Wittmann, Sakina Hughes, Julieta Infantino, Hanuš Jordan, Veronika Štefanová, Rosemary Farrell, Kim Baston, Peta Tait, Louise Peacock, Kate Holmes, Catherine M. Young, Agathe Dumont, Alisan Funk, Jennifer Beth Spiegel, Charles R. Batson, Karen Fricker, Anna-Sophie Jürgens
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  • Date Published: July 2021
  • availability: Available
  • format: Paperback
  • isbn: 9781108719223

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About the Authors
  • The Cambridge Companion to the Circus provides a complete guide for students, scholars, teachers, researchers, and practitioners who are seeking perspectives on the foundations and evolution of the modern circus, the contemporary extent of circus studies, and the specialised literature available to support further enquiries. The volume brings together an international group of established and emerging scholars working across the multi-disciplinary domain of circus studies to present a clear overview of the specialised histories, aesthetics and distinctive performances of the modern circus. In sixteen commissioned essays, it covers the origins in commercial equestrian performance during the late-eighteenth century to contemporary inflections of circus arts in major international festivals, educational environments, and social justice settings.

    • Provides accessible texts to readers looking to understand the histories and performances of the modern circus
    • Introduces the research methods and trans-disciplinary trends that are contributing to the development of Circus Studies
    • Specialised reading and video lists are provided in every chapter
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    Reviews & endorsements

    'This structured collection of essays is a solid introduction to the circus itself and a substantial exploration of this growing area of academic studies … This is a worthy and informative addition to the field of circus studies, with potential as an introductory textbook, as a reference source, and for fieldwork … Recommended.' W. L. Svitavsky, Choice Connect

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    Product details

    • Date Published: July 2021
    • format: Paperback
    • isbn: 9781108719223
    • length: 320 pages
    • dimensions: 227 x 151 x 16 mm
    • weight: 0.48kg
    • availability: Available
  • Table of Contents

    Introduction. The circus: reflecting and mediating the world Gillian Arrighi and Jim Davis
    Part I. Trans-national Geographies of the Modern Circus:
    1. The origins and growth of the modern circus Matthew Wittmann
    2. Reconstruction, railroads, and race: the American circus in the gilded age and progressive era Sakina Hughes
    3. Circus, colonialism and empire: the circus in Australasia and Asia Gillian Arrighi
    4. The criollo circus (circus theatre) in Argentina: the emergence of a unique circus form in connection with the consolidation of the Argentine nation state Julieta Infantino
    5. The past and present of Czech circus Hanuš Jordan and Veronika Štefanová
    6. Catching on: Chinese acrobatics from China to the west in the twenty-first century Rosemary Farrell
    Part II. Circus Acts and Aesthetics:
    7. The equestrian circus Kim Baston
    8. Animals, circus and war re-enactment: military action to colonial wars Peta Tait
    9. Circus clowns Louise Peacock
    10. Aerial performance: aerial aesthetics Kate Holmes
    Part III. Circus: A Constantly Evolving Form:
    11. Circus and somatic spectacularity on stage in the variety era Catherine M. Young
    12. Becoming an art form: from 'Nouveau Cirque' to contemporary circus in Europe Agathe Dumont
    13. Risky play and the global rise in youth circus Alisan Funk
    14. Social circus: the rise of an 'inclusive' movement for collective creativity Jennifer Beth Spiegel
    Part IV. Circus Studies Scholarship:
    15. Methodologies in circus scholarship Charles R. Batson and Karen Fricker
    16. Through the looking glass: multi-disciplinary perspectives in circus Anna-Sophie Jürgens.

  • Editors

    Gillian Arrighi, University of Newcastle, New South Wales
    Gillian Arrighi is Associate Professor in the School of Creative Industries at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She is a member of the Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies (ADSA) and the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR). She has held visiting fellowships at the Ransom Centre for the Humanities (UTexas, Austin), the Harvard Theatre Collection, and the National Library of Australia.

    Jim Davis, University of Warwick
    Jim Davis is Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick. He is the author of Comic Acting and Portraiture in Late-Georgian and Regency England (CUP, 2015), which won the David Bradby Prize for International Theatre Research. He is also an editor of Nineteenth-Century Theatre and Film.

    Contributors

    Gillian Arrighi, Jim Davis, Matthew Wittmann, Sakina Hughes, Julieta Infantino, Hanuš Jordan, Veronika Štefanová, Rosemary Farrell, Kim Baston, Peta Tait, Louise Peacock, Kate Holmes, Catherine M. Young, Agathe Dumont, Alisan Funk, Jennifer Beth Spiegel, Charles R. Batson, Karen Fricker, Anna-Sophie Jürgens

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