Printed in red capital letters on the back of the instructor’s black T-shirt is, in my opinion, a weighty question: Why walk when you can fly

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The Greatest Show on Earth: A History of the Circus

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From nearly 20 feet in the air Looking down, perched on a 5-foot-wide platform, I can tell you why. I'm afraid of heights. I have a bad shoulder. There is no such thing as "friendly skies." And if jumping off this platform and dangling from a steel pole is safe, why would I sign a disclaimer? You can do it! "Our coach, Elsa "Al" Firstenberg, shouted from below, giving me two thumbs up. My six classmates at Swing School, all younger than me, looked unsure but clearly impressed by me. Captivated by palpable panic and potential disaster

Standing next to me, another trainer, Patrick Horrett, a half-breed of Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, held out a hand. With one thunderous arm he grabbed the bar delivered by a colleague on the opposite platform. "Come on, Halls," he muttered, fooling me immediately. "It's time to fly." ”

So now is not the time to fly. Just climb the ladder without supplemental oxygen. Going down? I thought. No way.

Mind you, I am not a coward. I Survived dangerous missions: swimming with sharks in the Caribbean; riding buffalo in the Brazilian rainforest; standing in line at a Nicholas Sparks book signing in Greenville, South Carolina

Definitely. Wouldn't it kill me to fly at the Espa?a-Strebe Trapeze Academy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, right? After all, learning trapeze is the most popular descendant of the traditional traveling circus, and its demise is in. A thriving ecosystem of boutique circuses and participatory upstarts has been unearthed across the country, and while the Ringer Brothers are retiring in May, dry your eyes and keep your clown noses out; there are plenty of circuses for you. Visit with your eyes open, or run in and join in.

No joke: Circus scholar Janet Davis counts some 85 circus schools and training centers scattered across the country. Here everyone from true top and art house professionals to curious commoners and energetic youngsters can learn the ropes, high wires and German wheels of the circus, while more down-to-earth types can master the art of juggling and clowning. And fitness fanatics ascend to yoga aerialists and trampoline acrobats

And touring troupes and one-ring spectacles abound, according to the World Circus Federation, 90 percent of us. Live within an hour's drive of a performing circus, each with its own unique flair for monsters, like Circus Amok, whose clowns perform free outdoor shows in drag, spotlighting social issues from AIDS to immigration to gentrification. . Or Absinthe, a mischievous Las Vegas vaudeville circus that the New York Times hailed as "Cirque du Soleil channeled through a rocky horror picture show." Cirque du Soleil, headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, sets the aerial program for choral music, consisting of more than a hundred singers and a 40-piece orchestra, and the University of Atlanta, the only African-American-owned The circus is a celebration of black culture from around the world. Les 7 Doigts de La Main (The Seven Fingers of the Hand) from Montreal recently toured the United States with their "Gastronomy and Confession," a troupe of juggling, dancing, storytelling, and acrobatics. In which food was cooked and served to the audience

In simpler times, the Big Top was a thrilling escape from monotony. In today's chaotic world, these shows and many others provide us with one. Interaction and intimacy are a respite from the technological age, where overloaded emails, smartphones, Twitter feeds, and Netflix shows queued up demand our attention, steal our time, and rob us of our memories.

So my predicament at the Espa?a-Strebe Trapeze Academy founded by famed acrobatic choreographer Elizabeth Streb made my heart skip a beat What’s the first human cannon you ask? The funniest (tightrope walker) is William Leonard Hunter, aka the Great Farini, which begs the question, why wasn’t he the first human cannonball? (“Zazell, you go first. ")

After the explosion, "Nitro" Nicole bowed and announced the intermission, reminding people how much the world has changed: "If there are weapons, stay calm and look for the nearest exit. ”

Highlights of the second half included 12 tigers strutting around in a giant cage by Tabayara “Taba” Maluenda, a sixth-generation Chilean circus performer Or, he was wrapped in a dazzling green sleeveless velvet jumpsuit, accessorized with armbands and knee-high leather boots.

With a flick of Taba's whip, these noble beasts sat down, jumped from stool to stool, lay side by side, and rolled one after the other. Taba was sweating profusely and wiping the cup. But as he faced us and bowed, it was obvious that those were tears streaming down his face.

The coach turned and kissed a cannibal on the nose. He greeted them with sobs. "You've been putting food on my table for 30 years," he said. "Katana, you are 6 months old and I have had you for 13 years." He called Katana and buried his head in her fur. Then he chased the cats away one by one, thanking each one by name. The last one disappeared and Taba kissed the empty floor.

To end the night, and for an era, Kristen Michelle Wilson, Lingling’s first (and last) female anchor, assembled the cast and crew of approximately 300, "Auld Lang Syne" was sung in the audience. They were joined in the background by husbands, wives and children. None of the babies were crying, but all the adults were.

"We in the circus always say, 'We'll see you on the road,'" Wilson said, her voice rising with emotion. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, kids of all ages: we'll see you on the road!

*****

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey dominate the circus spotlight for the near future 150 years later, you might think they were the big bang for it all, but no, stand up and I'll tell you a story about freaks, fantasy, escape, destiny, and a story about the great American capitalist dream that was real. . Sorry, sir, please turn off your iPhone. On April 3, 1793, America's first circus opened in Philadelphia. Its founder and star was John Bill Ricketts. An energetic Scottish horseman who rides a stallion in a circle with a nine-year-old boy also standing on his shoulders is a revolutionary figure. The war hero - a horse named Jack - was once ridden (or so the story goes) by General George Washington, a huge circus fan who commissioned Ricketts as a show horse for his show.

Soon ragtag troupes were driving horse-drawn carriages through town, putting on "mud shows" in canvas tents inspired by the works of their European ancestors, and because this was America, you had to have a gimmick; American managers added exotic animals: lions, tigers, bears and other gifted wild animals were caught along the way

The golden age of American circuses coincided with the Gilded Age, a Phil. Persia Taylor Barnum (P.T. for short) is a living symbol of both eras: a New York City hustler who called himself the "Prince of Tricksters" and began his career selling tickets to see a show with monkeys. Mummy "Mermaid" with her head sewn onto a fish

P.T. Barnum's large traveling museum, zoo, caravan and arena housed not one but three tents, sometimes as many as Seven, used to divide the audience's attention among the wacky, fantasy-like performances, he also included a number of grotesques: a human menagerie of bearded women and "armless spectacles." . In 1881, after Barnum and his junior J.A. Bailey merged, they crowned their union "The Greatest Show on Earth"

"KDSP" at the turn of the century, Country School. , mills and shops were closed for "Circus Day" and the poor farmers and their children boarded the discount train to the nearest town center, where the tents were for the children to see the camels marching through the streets. "Runaway with the circus" became a dream and a choice

The latter was true for the five Ringling Brothers, who grew up first in Iowa and later in Wisconsin. Raised by a harness maker, they hand-sewed a rag tent in their backyard after visiting a circus in 1870, charging a penny for admission and earning enough to upgrade it to cotton in 1902. , by the time Barnum and Bailey returned from a six-year tour of Europe, Ringling Circus had emerged as a potential usurper. The brothers took advantage of the same global gymnastics trend and reinstated the Olympics in 1896. Freaks and geeks are Therese's ticket; Ringlander's focus is action-oriented fare.

When the rivals joined forces in 1918, the show became known as "The Big One." They weren't bragging: In the 1920s, the Big One had 1,600 performers aboard 4,100 trains. Before the Great Depression, it was all fun and fantasy. Before long, these raconteurs had an audience. There were attempts to modernize: entire performances were based on a single theme or choreographed like complex ballets, including the 1942 Elephant Ballet, choreographed by George Balanchine and original by Igor Stravinsky Soundtrack.

In the 1970s, the New Circus, classic one-ring productions influenced by European art affairs that eschewed sideshows and animal performances, sowed the seeds of a renaissance: smaller operations such as those based in San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus, with its cooperative structures and circus circus, and the clown-centric Big Apple Circus, which closed in 2016, announced earlier this year that it would be returning under new ownership this fall.

In 1984, a band of 20 street performers, led by fire-breathing, stilt-walking accordion player and high-stakes poker player Guy Laliberte, became Cirque du Soleil. Like all things '80s hair, shoulder pads, attitude, it went big and wide, recreating a spectacle on a grand, international scale, with huge tents, extravagant costumes and elaborate theatrics combining to captivate Awe-inspiring acrobatic skills As the circus grew into a billion-dollar industry, the Ringling Bros' last performing elephant was cast in 2016 amid pressure from animal rights activists and dwindling ticket sales. Retreat to the 200-acre Florida preserve where the circus staged a 1903 revival with life-size puppets (Alex Tehlani) and circus performers at Madison Square Garden. Taking a bow during a performance. (Alex Tehlani) David Williamson, aka "Willie Whipsnard," the ringleader, is introduced to a young audience at Madison Square Garden. (Alex Tehlani) Circus performer Senayet Assefa Amara ("The Elastic Dislocator") in Madison Square, 1903 The garden captivates the audience. (Alex Tehlani) The 1903 circus elephants were puppets, created by the same group of puppeteers behind the Broadway play War Horse (Alex Tehlani). ) Florian Blumel, also known as the Bicycle Twister, performs at the Madison Square Garden Circus in New York City in 1903, according to Linda Simon, author of The Greatest Show on Earth: A History of the Circus. "It's a business model they can't sustain," said Linda Simon. "They're keeping ticket prices down, but how are they going to support their train cars and their revenue by hosting an event like this?" Thousands of employees? In the lobby of Madison Square Garden, I saw two male equalizers wearing red and white striped tights, wondering if they knew their tights were the work of 19th-century French aerialist Jules First worn by Lotard, who made his name, the pair stood up and flew through the air with remarkable ease, without wedges, as the two moved from one circus classic position to another, with a sculptural force as they moved. Look like toilets and their little toilets to drink cocktails, sodas, wolf down popcorn and candy

The bells call everyone to their seats to watch the spectacular, 1903: The Circus. The Golden Age, with a new travel on top of it, also has a balanced bar on their shoulders, while a woman slides in half in the middle. This woman knows how to put the fun in the entertainment.

Hey, when it comes to the circus, it takes all kinds. “Life is on a tightrope,” mused Karl Wallenda, founder of the famous circus. “All that’s left is waiting.” For most of us, waiting is fine, as long as we see something worth waiting for. In a circus peanut shell, that's why the show continues.

"The future of circus," says Simon, "is a combination of different genres, so there's dance, acrobatics, trapeze, satire, commentary, juggling, all in a different intimate experience ”, I would like to lodge a complaint. More often than not, these trendy newcomers seem to have abandoned the symbol of the circus and its beating emotional heart: the clown. It reminded me of Yale University, where on an overcast day this spring, students walked around the classroom with red rubber noses, expressing raw outbursts of emotion. If you had a phobia, you would be freaking out right now. Then again, if you're like me and have always wanted to say "I went to Yale," this class is more fun than skipping school.

Voice tips for students from Christopher Bayes, chair of the Physical Performance Department at the Yale School of Drama. "Anxious!" There was nail biting, frowning, hunching over in the corner. ”

In “Angry! "The 20-somethings on the phone at Time Warner Cable look like me."

Despair! "They longed, wailed, prayed to heaven; some even actually cried."

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"I tried to get these people to primary, and the expression was unfiltered," Bayes Said he, wearing jeans, a gray T-shirt, and metal-rimmed glasses, boyishly handsome. He started with negativity. "Then we can find our way to have fun!" Party. "It's not therapy," he added, "but it can be therapy." ”

Fitting, since clowns embody the spirit of the circus, just as aerialists and acrobats represent the raw physicality of the circus. Each imbues the other with meaning, creating a balance .

"After watching people fly through the air and do all kinds of death-defying stunts, clowns are really human things that make us laugh in a very simple way," Bayes said. "They draw people deeper and deeper into the show in a more innocent, grounded way."

Although the red nose was inspired by the red horn of a yellow hound, a nose was not required. Ancient cultures from Egypt and China to Greece and the American Indians had versions of the clown. Our modern exemplars include Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Carol Burnett, Steve Martin and numerous "Saturday Night Live" icons.

Not in vain, President Nixon, lover of clowns, signed Proclamation 4071 on August 2, 1971, declaring the first week of August as "National Clown Week." But it wasn't long before the clown's representation exploded in popularity, thanks in part to John Wayne Gacy Jr., the killer clown in Stephen King's novel "it," and recent reports of violent clowns lurking in real life. Reports in certain communities in the United States: "The United States is the only place that has this culture of clowns. "Europe doesn't have it," Bayes said. They didn’t have Bozo, Krusty, those clowns who laughed for no reason, those grotesque clowns, those scary clowns who wore clown costumes but weren’t clowns, in 1965 (Photo by Bruce Davidson/Magnum) Fritz in 1939 ( AP Photo/Tom Sande) performing an elephant trick at Madison Square Garden, 1949 (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman)

That means the future of clowns in the United States seems rather uncertain. He guessed that Bayes' students would not go to the circus. "They will become ic actors, some; some will make big money, some will struggle. I want to be an infection: sending these beautiful students out into the world to start their own lives in the revolutionary spirit." He They're being trained to "unhook them," he said, "and then we come back with a romp of something valuable." ”

*****

The morning after my swing lesson, I returned to Elizabeth Streb’s Grand Slam Warehouse (aka Streb’s Reb Action Mechanics Lab), in addition to the Swing Academy, she also rents warehouse space to career-defying doers. There's a girl twirling in aerial silks; men swinging on the swings; and a Streb extreme action troupe, a A troupe of six men and three women, equal in size and strength, rehearses for the troupe's "sea act" - a bizarre extreme move - where they are launched from a trampoline and fly like synchronized missiles, planted all over the place. On mat after mat, plucked by their roots and planted side by side, like cartoon characters, they withstood the impact incredulously, jumping to their feet again and again: Bang, bang, bang, bang. At first, the rain fell. The sound on the ground was a little sick, but it soon became an organic drum beat, rhythmic and cool

"Breathe some air, breathe some air!" "!" shouted Stribe, 67, sitting in a metal folding chair a few feet away from the landing pad. "Yes!" that's all! careful!

Streb brushed back her thick black punk rock hair and adjusted her thick black-rimmed glasses. Wearing a black suit with gold trim and trousers tucked into knee-high motorcycle boots, she looked on par with the goth ringmaster, the avant-garde artist and the intellectual godmother of the new wave of circus. She was all of these, as well as a 1997 MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellow for her "original approach to choreography that is action-oriented and gravity-defying."

"I always tell them, 'Harder, faster, faster, higher!' "That's the mantra," Stribe said (after a moment, she shouted: "Slow down!")

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Streb has designed spectacles of all sizes, including a series of performances during the 2012 Olympics, when her troupe used eye-popping London landmarks: an acrobatic bungee jump from the Millennium Bridge, along the Civic Her wild idea was born in a tent in Rochester, New York, where Stribe grew up and performs every year Go to Temple Circus. "That's my obsession," she said. "I love weird stuff: the smell, the sawdust, the dirt, the fact that it's in a tent. It's a magical world. I want to be that kind of actor. I want that lifestyle. I know.

Having studied dance in college (although she never took a dance class), she moved to San Francisco before moving to New York, where her stand-up work developed into what she calls "action Heroic" acrobatic troupes, these acrobats perform almost dead-end, no-net, grotesque physical stunts that may involve ropes, cinder blocks, and iron beams, or trusses and huge custom-made machines like spinning ladders and wheels.

Asked how her troupe evolved from the circus, Streb pointed to the synchronized flyers, flat bodies hitting the floor. "We do things that other circuses don't do," she said. Now they're going to steal my idea, which is where we land. ".

"Why do circuses pretend gravity doesn't exist? Why do they think that's beautiful? You're lying!

"In a traditional circus show, you perform tricks, pose, smile, and they applaud," aerial expert "Those days are gone," said Bobby Heglin-Taylor, a Streib trainer and actor who also trains Broadway stars. One thing that attracts me to Stribe and her work is that she didn't do Pitt with the Circus. A week later, Stribe, wearing a black suit emblazoned with "Pac-Man," paced in front of an audience of all ages and races, looking anxious and excited.

One prison guard whipped the crowd and said: "We encourage you to make noise! ??Take pictures! Film the show! Post to social media! Get word o