“CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS FOR BEGINNERS”

Why Manage the Arts Speaker Series

Since its creation in the 18th century in England, circus has considerably evolved to become a very sophisticated art form. From classic to new and contemporary, circus arts have forged a rich history by embracing moments that other performing art forms have experienced, but also by welcoming a wide range of artistic expressions – contemporary dance, post-dramatic theatre, new media or visual arts. From the emergence of “nouveau cirque” in the late 60s and early 70s to the birth of contemporary circus in the mid-90s, circus artists have created many aesthetic movements, following and reinterpreting concepts from other art forms and thus creating their own.

In this lecture, Yohann Floch will focus on the diversity of today’s circus and the new generation of circus artists. Floch will explore several trans-national trends using excerpts from shows created by companies based in Europe, Australia, Latin or Northern America and will point out the specificities of the circus “genre”, in terms of education and training, creative and creation processes, production and touring models.