Circuses are a form of entertainment that includes something different from just about every person. They are a traveling group, (that used to be more close families and friends but now have whole companies for anyone) of clowns, acrobats, animal acts and a lots of other performers. Because circuses are traveling companies, tents are used for much of the live performances and housing for the animals and props, while the performers and other circus workers tend to live in trailers and wagons.
The very nature of a circus is to provide a source of fun and entertainment as the company travels form one location to the next. In modern times, the 19th century through the early 20th century were considered to be a golden age for this type of traveling show. Mergers of smaller circuses created some of the giants that are still considered to have set the standard for a quality circus. Even today, many people still recognise the names of Barnum and Bailey, as well as the Ringling Brothers with the concept of a really good circus.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-circus.htm
Circus is still entertaining now as it was before because i feel that it is amazing to watch with thrilling performances and performances where we fear the unknown with the whole performance keeping the audience on its toes and on edge, people putting their own lives at risk despite years of training is fun to watch and scary at the same time.
Cultural Background
In the past, the typical circus was held within an oval or circular showground with tiered seating. In Rome, an open-air stadium served as the arena where an array of public exhibitions took place. Trained exotic animals wowed the crowds, while jugglers and acrobats amused guests before the next battle or race commenced.
Tiered seating ran parallel with the sides of the course, which created a crescent at the ends. People of rank were seating at the lower arrangements, while separate state boxes were offered to the host of the games and their friends. The circus in Ancient Rome also served as a significant event in history because it was the only public scene that allowed men and women to enjoy an event with one another.
England embraced circus performances in London, where the first exhibition is believed to have taken place on January 9th, 1768.The circus became so popular in England that large cities constructed buildings for the purpose of accommodating shows. An example of this is seen with the establishment of the London Hippodrome, which showcased a combination arena with circus, menagerie, and variety theater. Sometimes, wild animals, such as lions and elephants, decorated the ring.
http://www.jugglenow.com/history-of-the-circus.html
Circus has changed a lot now from previously, a main factor being the animal rights law, so some circuses mixed animal acts and human acts together to keep their businesses going but eventually mainly having human acts in the circus. New circus is much more choreographed and dance and acrobatic based with a lot more focus on things like special effects and lighting, when used in a performance its much more modern and elaborate and also seen much more so and a key factor to make a performance and give it its atmosphere.
Compared with the traditional circus, the contemporary genre of circus tends to focus more attention on the overall look and beauty of the performances and circus, on character and story development and on the use of lightening, original music, and costume design. To make the circus performance look better and or for economic reasons, contemporary circus productions are sometimes performed in theatres rather than in the traditional large outdoor tents. Music used in the production is often composed only for that production and animal acts appear less frequently in contemporary circus than in traditional circus.
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