Résumé :
Avant-garde artists of the early twentieth century perceived the circus and related cultural spheres (such as vaudeville, music hall, variety) as a fountain of youth for the arts. What has hardly been studied in this context is the question of what kind of circus they actually attended or had in mind. This chapter maps the circus practices that served as inspiration for historical avant-garde artists, and in so doing also clarifies the current state of research in circus historiography. It explores the circus performances around 1900 in metropolitan regions (including Berlin, London, Paris and St Petersburg) also drawing from and expanding on the results of recent studies by international circus historians. The chapter contextualises the multifaceted performance practices that reappear throughout the book Circus and the Avant-Gardes, such as the ubiquitous “pantomime” – which refers not only to English Christmas and French Pierrot pantomimes, but also to spectacularly opulent narrative circus shows of superlative dimensions. By illuminating different contexts – circus performance practices, the state of research in circus history and essential terms – this chapter is setting the stage for our exploration of the field of circus and the avant-gardes.

Localisation : Bibliothèque

Cote : 791.301 J899c 2022