June 10, 2010

Circus - June 8






The Circus came to town!






Le Cirque Amar is an old one, its creator born in 1860. Today's circus travels throughout France with 100 vehicles (including a school for the performing children), and 3500 tons of material loaded into 40 big rigs stretching out 4 km when on the road.


There is a LOT of excitement before the show, with vendors hawking popcorn and peanuts, music blaring through the speakers, lights flashing and throbbing.


The "grand chapiteau" (the big tent) seats 2500 people. It takes 36 employees 4 to 5 hours to set up and comes down in less than 2 hours.


The excitement builds to a crescendo when we see the big cats enter the ring.


Having animals perform in a circus is controversial and many countries do not allow this practice. We did not want to make a statement about it but were not impressed with the physical condition of the animals when touring the "zoo" before the show started.


I can't remember ever going to the circus and Karl was about 6 or 7 when he last went, so this was a wonderful experience for us.



There were jugglers and "men soaring with ease on a flying trapeze". Gymnasts and acrobats. Clowns and live music. Kids, both young and old, could buy a 2 circuit ride around the arena on one of two African elephants. I saw so many wide-eyed children and heard so many gasps that I thought it was almost a dream.



Press the play button to watch the video on big and small horses. At the end, the little horses walk under the big horses' bellies.




Press the play button to watch the lady acrobat with scarves, accompanied by a violinist.

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