Circus performers include musicians, animal trainers, athletes, and clowns who provide entertainment to audiences. Many performers work in multiple roles and require on-the-job training and experience. Orchestra musicians play music during shows and can work for the full duration. Animal trainers integrate trained animals into their acts, while athletic performers practice year-round to maintain their physical fitness. Clowns must be experienced in applying makeup and performing stunts.
The term circus performers can encompass an enormously diverse group of performing artists, which can be broadly divided into musicians, animal trainers, athletes and clowns, who provide entertainment to circus audiences. Many circus performers work in more than one role, depending on their skills, the size of the circus and the specific acts performed. Job preparation for most of these careers consists of luck in hiring, on-the-job training, and experience in related skills, such as an occasional acrobat studying gymnastics in her teens. While most circuses take an extended winter break in warm weather, performers must work daily to maintain their skills or continue to train the animals they work with. Thus, in addition to frequent travel during the circus season, circus performers also carry out the main responsibilities of their performing art type in each show, sometimes more than once a day.
Orchestra musicians are often the forgotten circus performers. During the show, the orchestra plays music to accompany many of the other performers, including drums to indicate suspense when a seemingly particularly risky performance is taking place. Its interim music not only helps pass the time for the audience, but also provides clues to upcoming circus performers as to the timing of their next appearances. More importantly, a specific song played by the orchestra is circus code for an emergency and the need to help evacuate the venue of animals, performers and audience. This group of artists can work for the full duration of each show, rather than limited appearances by other artists.
Circus performers who are often the most visible and exciting to audiences include trainers and their animal partners. Some animal trainers not only perform athletic or acrobatic physical feats, but also integrate trained animals into their acts. This group includes lion tamers, elephant riders and trick riders. The animal trainers not only perform in front of the audience, but must also design their acts and then spend hours training their animal partners and practicing the new routines until they are ready for live performances.
Athletic circus performers include acrobats, contortionists, and aerialists. These performers plan their acts and practice year-round to achieve and maintain the physical fitness needed to successfully perform their daring feats. Many acrobats are groups of families in which children are prepared from an early age to develop their physical skills.
Clowns are among the most recognized circus performers and many have completed “clown colleges” sponsored by famous circuses. These performers must be experienced in applying makeup and performing stunts to avoid physical injury. Clowns often do their skits, while other performers prepare or remove their performance sets.
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