ABOUT THE SHOW

“Glace-Cirque on Ice”

Glace – Cirque on Ice is a shimmering spectacle, seamlessly blending the gliding of skaters with the soaring or aerialists. Power, speed, precision and daring acts are showcased both on the ice and high above it as masters of various circus arts and skating collaborate in a thrilling, exhilarating, magical production show for all ages.

The talented cast of Glace – Cirque on Ice is filled with award-winning, internationally acclaimed artists with years of theatrical experience topping off their years as competitors. Experience the new entertainment concept that unites earth and sky in Glace - Cirque on Ice

CIRCUS HISTORY

Circus: a large public entertainment featuring performing animals, clowns, feats of skill and daring, pageantry, etc.

--Random House Collegiate Dictionary

THE ROOTS OF THE EARLY CIRCUS

ROMAN ERA:

The word “circus” has its roots in the Roman language, meaning a “ring” or “circle.” The circus can be traced back to the days of the Roman Empire when thousands of people would gather in the coliseums to watch wild and exciting athletes fight to the death in animal duels, daring equestrian exhibitions, and spectacular chariot races. These gruesome events disappeared as the Roman Empire declined and the dark ages settled into Europe.

MEDIEVAL ERA:

After the fall of the Roman Empire there came a period in European history known as the Dark Ages. During this era, many communities were left defenseless and unable to protect themselves from invasion. There were little means of communication and small communities were isolated. Groups of traveling entertainers appeared, and they went from village to village singing songs and telling stories. These groups, eventually known as “minstrels,” were very popular and were excellent sources of information.

16^TH CENTURY:

During the 16^th century, England was beginning to prosper and the wandering entertainers were seen as a threat to society. Laws were passed to do away with these groups and severely punish anyone who didn’t obey. The traveling entertainers adapted to the new laws and began working in more permanent locations.

17^TH CENTURY:

Country fairs were very popular in England during the 17^th century and they were a major venue for performers. Fairs were very rough and noisy events, but they were the perfect location for acrobats, jugglers, and rope-dancers to show off their skills.

THE MODERN CIRCUS

Philip Astley

By the 18^th century, all of the elements of a circus were in place, but it was an Englishman named Philip Astley who put it all together to invent the modern circus. Astley was a former Sergeant Major in the English military that was very skilled at training horses. He was also an excellent rider and performed amazing feats on horseback. In 1768, Astley opened a riding school in London that featured a circular arena that he called a circle, or circus, which would later become known as the ring. The circus ring, while not invented by Astley, is still considered to be one of his greatest contributions to the modern circus.

The Circus is Born

By 1770, Astley’s success as a performer was far greater than any recognition he received as a teacher, so he decided to add unique elements to his shows. He hired acrobats, tightrope dancers and jugglers to perform in between his Equestrian displays. Another addition to the show was the clown, who filled the pauses between acts with parodies of juggling, tumbling, tightrope dancing, and even trick riding. With all of these elements put together into one spectacular performance in a circular arena, the modern circus was born.

The Cirque Nouveau

In the 1960s and 1970s, the circus began to lose popularity as people became more interested in animal rights and alternative forms of entertainment. Some circuses have stayed afloat by merging with other circus companies. The Cirque Nouveau is a performing arts movement that developed in France in the 1970's and uses the physical theatre aspects of circus to tell a story; there are typically no animals used in this type of circus.

Cirque is French for circus.

CIRCUS SUPERSTITIONS

• Never look back during a parade. (Some shows fined those who transgressed.)
• Never sit on the ring curb facing out.
• Never whistle in the dressing room.
• Peacock feathers are bad luck.
• Accidents happen in threes.
• Elephants must always have their trunks up in pictures.
• Hair from the tail of an elephant is good luck. (Often made into rings or bracelets.)

ACROBATICS/CONTORTION

Western acrobatic history

Acrobatic traditions are found in many cultures. In the Western World, Minoan art from circa 2000 BC contains depictions of acrobatic feats on the backs of bulls, which may have been a religious ritual.

The Noble court displays of the European Middle Ages would often involve acrobatic performances along with songs, juggling and other activities.

Though initially the term applied to tight-rope walking, in the 19th century, a form of performance art including gymnastics and circus acts began to use the term as well. In the late 19th century, tumbling and other acrobatic / gymnastic activities became a competitive sport in Europe.

Eastern acrobatic history

In China, acrobatics ("Hundred Plays") have been a part of the culture since the Han Dynasty, over 2500 years ago, when acrobatics were part of village harvest festivals.

During the Tang Dynasty, acrobatics saw much the same sort of development as European acrobatics saw during the Middle Ages with court displays during the 7th century through 10th century, dominating the practice.

Contortion

The contortionist was a familiar figure of pictorial and sculptured representations in Egypt, Greece, Eturia, and Rome, which lends evidence that the art was practiced from the very beginnings of civilization. Contortion has come down through the days of the Roman circus to the modern arena and stage. It has also played an important part in dance, art and literature.

TERMS

From Greg Ullman and Tige Young of the Contortion Home Page http://www.contortionhomepage.com/

acrobatics -- A general term for skills requiring significant body control (balance, strength, and/or flexibility). Commonly seen in circus performances, and perfected by popular troupes from China and Mongolia. Describes some of the slower, more controlled elements in the sport of gymnastics.

adagio -- A balletic dance with lifts and balances, set to a leisurely pace, performed by a man and one or two women.

backbend -- Any pose with an unusual degree of backward bending at the waist and/or spine while standing, kneeling, resting on the floor, or while suspended.

box act (also called: body packing; enterology; packanatomicalization) -- Circus act in which a contortionist squeezes his/her body into a small box or transparent container.

contortionist -- An acrobat who specializes in bending the body into unusual postures.

frontbend -- Any pose that features an unusual degree of frontward bending of the waist and/or spine, either with the legs together or parted.

front split (also called: stride split) -- A split in which one leg is extended frontward and the other leg is extended backward, both at right angles to the trunk. Ideally, the hips are square facing to the front, while both legs are turned out from the hips.

hairpin -- A pose in which one kneels down, sits on top of the feet, and bends backwards until the top of the head comes into contact with the tailbone; it may also done with a starting position on hands and knees.

headseat -- An extreme backbend in which the top of the performer's head touches the buttocks; usually in a handstand or chest stand.

human knot (also called: yogic sleep; head-foot position; leg-head position) -- A frontward bend with both ankles placed behind the neck.

lever scale -- An assisted inclined split. The performer stands in front of their partner facing the same direction, holds both their hands, steps on one of their feet, and raises the other leg to the rear to perform a standing penche split; the partner then lowers the performer until the performer's legs are parallel to the floor, and their back not quite touching the floor.

living statue act -- A dance or circus act for two or three performers, usually with metallic body paint and costumes, consisting of a series of hand-to-hand balances and other acrobatic poses which are held for a few seconds before slowly moving into the next pose.

Marinelli bend -- [From contortionist and international theatrical agent H. B. Marinelli (1864-1924)] A head-seat with the legs extended, performed while supported only by a mouth grip at the top of a short post.

needle scale -- A front split while standing on one foot, and extending the rear leg upward while holding the rear leg overhead.

rag doll act (also called: golliwog act) -- Circus act in which a contortionist, dressed in a loose-fitting clown costume, gives the appearance of being a limp, life-sized doll, as one or two assistants bend, roll, carry and pose the "doll" and then stuff him/her into a small box.

rope act (also called: Spanish web) -- Circus act in which an acrobat (usually female) performs exercises high above the floor while holding on to a long, vertically suspended rope, or hanging from a loop in the rope.

scale -- In acrobatics, when the leg is raised high and held with one hand while standing. Typically done to the side.

scissors leap (also called: switch leap) -- A split leap in which the legs exchange positions while in the air, showing a split with both legs in one jump.

sports acrobatics -- An international sport (likely to soon have Olympic status) featuring tumbling, balances, lifts and pyramids. Athletes may compete in Mixed Pair (male base / female top), Women's Pair, Men's Pair, Women's Trio or Men's Four.

suspended split -- A split in which both legs are elevated and the hands are not used for support.

tortoise position (also called: pancake) -- A seated forward bend with the chest against the floor between the legs; the outstretched arms are also against the floor and underneath the knees.

triple fold -- A chest stand (See: "chest stand") in which the knees come all the way over to touch the floor, and the shins lie flat on the floor.

twisting split -- An exercise in which the performer changes from a split with the left leg forward, to a straddle split, and then to a split with the right leg forward, by rotating the legs, and without using the hands for support.

TRAPEZE

Trapeze is the overall name for a collection of closely related aerial apparatus. All trapezes are horizontal cross-bars used by acrobats (more specifically, "aerialists". It is often popularly associated with circuses.

The trapeze is a short bar that is hung by two cords from a support higher up; when these cords and the support are included, the trapeze is shaped like a trapezoid.

Common forms of the trapeze include:

Static trapeze refers to a trapeze act in which the performer moves around the bar and ropes while the bar itself stays mostly in place.

Swinging trapeze refers to an act done while the trapeze swings. The performer builds up swing from a still position, and uses the momentum of the swing to make the moves easier and more exciting.

Flying trapeze refers to a trapeze act where a performer, or "flyer," grabs the trapeze bar and jumps off a high platform, or pedestal board, so gravity creates the swing.

The swing's parts are: the cast out at the far end of the first swing, the beat back, and rise as the performer swings back above the pedestal board, and then the trick is thrown at the far end of the second swing. The performer often releases the bar and is caught by another performer, the "catcher," who hangs by his knees on another trapeze, or sometimes on a cradle, which can be either stationary or also swinging. A flyer rarely weighs more than about 150 pounds to avoid damaging the catcher's shoulders, although people of any size are able to execute basic trapeze maneuvers. Flying trapeze is done over a net, or occasionally over water for a special exhibition.

The flying trapeze was invented in the late 19th Century in France by Jules Léotard. He did his moves from one swinging trapeze to another that had been released by his father who was standing on a platform. He is also said to have invented the full length skin tight costume that now bears his name.

Doubles trapeze is a variation of static trapeze or swinging trapeze and features two performers working together and performing figures together on the same trapeze.

Multiple Trapeze refers to a number of different shapes and sizes of trapeze, including Double Trapeze, Triple Trapeze and larger multiples designed for use by multiple simultaneous flyers. Shaped Trapezes are apparatus that can take virtually any shape imaginable.

ICE-SKATING

Birth of Ice-Skating

Ice-skating probably developed in Scandinavia as early as 1000 BC, the first skates being made from shank or rib bones of elk, oxen, reindeer, and other animals. It is not known when the metal runner was introduced, but early Dutch prints depict skates with metal blades. Until the middle of the 19th century the metal portion of the skate was fastened to a wooden base or footplate and the whole of the skate was fastened to the foot with leather thongs or straps. A major improvement came from the United States in 1850 when E.W. Bushnell of Philadelphia introduced the all-steel skate, which replaced the cumbersome wooden footplate. The main developments in the figure skate after 1900 were the addition of the toe pick, a group of sawlike teeth located at the toe of the blade, which enabled skaters to obtain better purchase in the ice when doing certain jumps, and the innovation of the “closed-toe” blade of one-piece steel, which added strength to the skate and permitted a much lighter-weight blade.

Contemporary Skating

The contemporary figure skate, which is the type best suited for general pleasure skating as well as for figure skating, is easily distinguished from other skates by the toe pick at the front of its blade. The blade itself is about 4 mm (about 0.157 inch) wide. A hollow ridge along the blade emphasizes its two sharpened outer edges; these are the surfaces on which skating movements are made. The blade is approximately the same length as the boot or shoe to which it is attached. The boot, which is usually black for men and white for women, has a strong, reinforced arch support and a stiffening material around the heel and under the arch. The speed skate is low-cut, allowing for freer movement of the ankle. Its blade is much longer than the shoe (usually between 42 and 46 cm [16.5 and 18 inches] long for men) and only 1 mm (0.039 inch) thick. The hockey skate is a hard, protective boot with a short blade that is curved at the ends to allow for quick turns.

Artificially Frozen Ice

As a recreation skating has been continuously practiced on the canals of The Netherlands since the Middle Ages by both males and females. Skating on the frozen ponds and fens was popular in England in the 17th century, and the first skating club was formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1742. In the 1740s British servicemen introduced ice-skating to North America. It was also popular at the French Court about 1776; Marie-Antoinette was among the skaters. Napoleon Bonaparte skated at Auxerre in 1781.

The development of refrigerated ice rinks started the transformation of ice-skating from a seasonal pastime to a major sport and entertainment. The first rink with artificially frozen ice, a private one, the Glaciarium, was opened in London in 1876. The first artificially frozen rink in the United States was installed in the old Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1879. Throughout the century more and more public rinks with artificially produced ice appeared.

The ability to create sheets of ice inside large arenas gave rise to both skating sports and ice shows, which became a popular family entertainment in the 20th century. It also allowed for ice-skating to spread to regions with warm climates.

Sports involving ice-skating alone were organized by the National Skating Association of Great Britain (1879), the National Amateur Skating Association of the United States (1886), and the Amateur Skating Association of Canada (1888). These groups, with other national groups formed in the interim, founded in 1892 the International Skating Union (ISU), which thereafter became the world governing body for speed skating, ice dancing, and figure skating.

World Championships had begun in the 1890s for speed skating (men only) and figure skating. Women's speed-skating World Championships were first held in 1936. Figure skating for men, women, and pairs was included in the Olympic program at the 1908 Games in London, and other skating events were added later: speed skating for men in 1924 and for women in 1960; ice dancing in 1976; and short-track speed skating in 1992. The rise in popularity of ice hockey from its mid-19th-century beginnings coincided with that of pure skating in the 1920s. Ice hockey appeared in the Summer Olympics in 1920 and was included in the Winter Games upon their inauguration in 1924. In 1998 women's hockey made its Olympic debut.”

ice skating. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November  20,  2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9041968

PROJECTS FOR THE CLASSROOM

Circus Acts

Have groups act out an assigned circus act, or let them choose their own act. Have them choose simple props and costumes or have them perform without props by imagining them.

Acts to include:

Trapeze

Tight rope walking

Clowns

Ice Skating

Contortionist

Balancing objects (i.e., balls, plates)

Performance Masks

Have the kids design and make their own masks using paper-mâché, feathers, sequins, tissue paper, and anything else they can imagine. Have them use the masks in their circus performance.