*50 FACTS ABOUT THE CIRCUS I'VE FOUND TO BE MOST INTERESTING*
Top ten I believe to be the most interesting and 'workable'
1. Performers let us know their acts are done with their own signature style - maybe a wink, a hand gesture, or a “Ta-da!”
2. Chaplin, one of the most influential clowns/comedians once entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest and came in third
3. It is statistically harder to get into The Ringling Brothers School of Clowning than it is to get into Harvard Law School
5. There are 3 types of clowns: Whiteface(the oldest), Auguste(zany and dim) & the Character Clown(Happy Hobo or Sad Tramp)
6. Enterology is the practice of squeezing one's body into a very small box or container
7. Elephants in circuses have gone on rampages, injuring and killing spectators and causing property damage. Since 1990, 18 people have been killed and 86 have been injured.
8. Sword Swallowers practice their craft first with spoons, plastic tubes, knitting needles and wire coat hangers
9. One circus superstition is that performers must enter the ring on their right foot to avoid bad luck
"The most superstitious people are those involved in occupations or activities that are potentially dangerous and involve circumstances beyond their control. Circus people are extremely superstitious, as in addition to being part of show business, much of what they do is potentially dangerous." says Richard Webster, author of The Encyclopedia of Superstitions.
Circus historian Dominique Jando says circus performers can be very superstitious as a way to protect themselves. Jandos' wife, Elena, a trapeze artist originally from Russia, won't enter the ring without making a quick Sign of the Cross, even though Jando says his wife is not particularly religious.
- green is seen as an unlucky colour to wear under the 'big top', as it is seen to symbolise the possibility of death
- allowing three goats to wander the circus grounds freely during a show brings good luck to the big top
- if a bird flies into the big top it portends the death of someone in the circus
- Peacock feathers aren't welcome in costuming or set pieces as the "eye" in the feather is often considered evil
- a hair plucked from an elephant trunk is considered a token of good luck
- It's bad luck to look back while participating in a circus parade, or even to peek behind you while the circus is physically traveling from one town to another. One reason for this superstition may be that many circus performers had dubious pasts and casting a backwards glance may mean inviting misfortune to follow you or return
- When entering the circus ring, it's good luck to place your right foot into the ring first
- Whistling is considered bad luck by theatre and circus people. If someone accidentally whistles in the dressing room, he or she is sent out of the room and has to turn around three times before being allowed in again
- Circles have long offered protection to whatever or whomever is inside it's circumference
Source http://www.pbs.org/opb/circus/circus-life/superstitions-under-big-top/
"The most superstitious people are those involved in occupations or activities that are potentially dangerous and involve circumstances beyond their control. Circus people are extremely superstitious, as in addition to being part of show business, much of what they do is potentially dangerous." says Richard Webster, author of The Encyclopedia of Superstitions.
Circus historian Dominique Jando says circus performers can be very superstitious as a way to protect themselves. Jandos' wife, Elena, a trapeze artist originally from Russia, won't enter the ring without making a quick Sign of the Cross, even though Jando says his wife is not particularly religious.
- green is seen as an unlucky colour to wear under the 'big top', as it is seen to symbolise the possibility of death
- allowing three goats to wander the circus grounds freely during a show brings good luck to the big top
- if a bird flies into the big top it portends the death of someone in the circus
- Peacock feathers aren't welcome in costuming or set pieces as the "eye" in the feather is often considered evil
- a hair plucked from an elephant trunk is considered a token of good luck
- It's bad luck to look back while participating in a circus parade, or even to peek behind you while the circus is physically traveling from one town to another. One reason for this superstition may be that many circus performers had dubious pasts and casting a backwards glance may mean inviting misfortune to follow you or return
- When entering the circus ring, it's good luck to place your right foot into the ring first
- Whistling is considered bad luck by theatre and circus people. If someone accidentally whistles in the dressing room, he or she is sent out of the room and has to turn around three times before being allowed in again
- Circles have long offered protection to whatever or whomever is inside it's circumference
Source http://www.pbs.org/opb/circus/circus-life/superstitions-under-big-top/
10. Human cannonballs travel between 60-70 miles an hour every time they are shot
The rest...
11. 1768 Philip Astley is the first person to bring together the elements of circus
12. 1829 Trained animal acts begin to appear with circuses
13. 1835 Circus wagons begin to appear in circus parades. The very first was
a band wagon carrying the circus band
14. 1892 Frank Menches, while selling food concessions, runs out of link
sausages. He asks his assistants to form ground sausage into patties and
sell them as sandwiches. The hamburger is born
15. 1929 The Great Depression begins and circuses are struggling – people
have no money to use for entertainment
16. 1941 Walt Disney Pictures releases “Dumbo”
17. 1968 Ringling Bros. and Barnum&Bailey open Clown College
18. 1970 The first women are accepted to Clown College
19. 1984 Cirque du Soleil is founded by Guy Laliberte
20. Every major circus that uses animals has been cited for violating the minimal standards of care set forth in the United States Animal Welfare Act (AWA)
21. Animals in circuses spend about 11 months of the year traveling
22. Standard circus industry training tools used on animals include bullhooks, whips, clubs, and electric prods
23. From 1994 to 2005, at least 31 elephants have died premature deaths in the circus. Other circus animals who have died in an untimely manner include horses and lions
24. The word “circus” comes from the Latin word meaning circle or ring
25. Cirque Nouveau combines art forms like juggling, trapeze, acting & music w/out a ring leader, animals or “big top” tent
26. In order to execute tricks safely, circus performers have to work as an ensemble- a group of equals without a single star
27. Cigar boxes are still a popular juggling prop today, used for high-speed mid-air box exchanges, balancing & other tricks
28. Legendary screen star Cary Grant started his performance career working as an acrobat and juggler
29. Contortionism is a circus genre in which a performer displays unusually flexible muscles and mobile joints
30. Funambulism (or tightrope walking) is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope, usually at a great height
31. The simplest form of juggling using 3 objects is called a “3 ball cascade.”
32. For good luck, some circus performers keep a hair from an elephant’s tail in their pockets
33. Once a performer's wardrobe trunk is set down backstage, it's considered bad luck to move it before the circus relocates
34. Trapeze artists develop skills after years of training
35. Italian equestrian Giuseppe Chiarini led the most well-traveled early circus- visiting over 15 countries on 5 continents
36. The curtain separating the ring from the backstage of the circus is called the vorgang
37. Did you know that circus is over 2,000 years old? The Chinese Circus dates back to the Qin Dynasty of 225 - 207BC
38. “Happy Cooks” is a traditional Chinese circus act that involves plate spinning, andd juggling food or kitchen utensils
39. In 1971, the 1st week of August was designated National Clown Week by President Richard Nixon
40. Most contortionists are either frontbenders or backbenders, depending on which direction their spine is more flexible
41. Cirque du Soleil, The New Pickle Family Circus, Circus Smirkus, Cirque Eloize, Circus Oz and the Mexican National Circus are all wonderful circuses that offer family entertainment using only willing human performers
42. Clowns have always been an integral part of the circus, offering a source of amusement for patrons and providing relief from the array of animal acts and performances by acrobats and novelty artistes
43. The American circus term for a clown's act is "gag"; Europeans refer to it as an "entrée", and amateur clowns sometimes refer to it as a "skit" or "sketch"
44. John William Ricketts, a Londoner, introduced the one ring circus to the United States. George Washington, himself was one of its earliest fans
45. American circus men of the 19th Century introduced the Big Top, the calliope and the three ring circus
46. Aaron Turner, in 1826, was one of the first to give performances inside a tent
47. A tent made it possible to perform in any weather
48. The 'Big Top' tradition is still maintained by a number of smaller circuses
49. The Circus Fans Association of America, and the Circus Historical Society, are two such groups dedicated to researching and publishing facts about circus life
50. The whiteface clown is traditionally costumed more extravagantly than the other two clown types. They often wear the ruffled collar and pointed hat which typify the average person's idea of a "clown suit"
*50 FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE I'VE FOUND TO BE MOST INTERESTING*
Top ten I believe to be the most interesting and 'workable'
1. Every year 3 to 4 million cats and dogs (healthy and adoptable) are euthanised
2. On average every 30 seconds someone in England and Wales dials 0300 1234 999 - the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty line - for help. We received more than 1.1 million phone calls during 2010
3. Zoos, circuses, aquaria, bullfighting and hunting are all forms of animal abuse that occur for human amusement
4. It wasn't until 2007 that the Animal Welfare Act became law in England
5. Every year, more than 1 billion animals are slaughtered in the global leather industry, which pulls in £600 million per year in Great Britain alone
6. Ian Brady: The"Moors Murderer" abused animals as both a child and an adult
7. Thomas Hamilton: The Dunblane massacre perpetrator spent his youth squashing rabbits' heads beneath the wheels of his car. He later killed 16 children and a teacher
8. A recent survey shows that 40 per cent of UK consumers surveyed put animal welfare as their number one concern about food
9. Neglect and abandonment are the most common forms of companion animal abuse
10. Each year, an estimated 2 million pets are stolen and sold to research facilities
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