Acrobatics
Acrobatics and gymnastic feats have formed the core spectacle within circus shows and clown acts for centuries.
Acrobatics and gymnastic feats have formed the core spectacle within circus shows and clown acts for centuries.
A bouffon is a clown character that playfully and humorously mocks by embracing ugliness and vulgarity.
Buffoonery refers to a style of humor and performance that relies on exaggerated, ludicrous actions, and mannerisms to provoke laughter.
A caricature is a portrait drawing that exaggerates or distorts the facial features, limbs, or other body parts of a subject for comedic or satirical effect.
A carnival is a traveling amusement show typically including rides, games, food, and entertainment.
Character clowns are performers who develop and portray memorable clown personas beyond generic masks and makeup.
A circus is a company of performers who put on shows that typically include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, as well as other object manipulation and stunt-oriented artists.
Circus animals have a long, complex, and controversial history as featured attractions demonstrating remarkable abilities to delight, amaze, or shock audiences.
A clowning or circus festival is an event that features shows, parades, performers, and other attractions related to clowns, mimes, jugglers, acrobats, and the general circus arts.
Clown parades represent a vibrant circus tradition that builds anticipation and kicks off shows with chaotic fanfare.
Comedy is central to clowning and integral across circus acts, relying on exaggerated behaviors, physical stunts, costumes, and face paint to amuse audiences.
Coulrophobia refers to an irrational, disproportionate and persistent fear of costumed clowns or clown-like makeup.
A diabolo is a prop used in circus acts and performances consisting of an axle and two disk-shaped sides, with a string attached allowing the performer to toss, spin, and manipulate it in visually impressive ways.
A circus extravaganza refers to an elaborate circus production that features a variety show of daring acts, spectacle set pieces, bright costumes, and unrestrained whimsy centered around clowns to delight audiences of all ages.
Face paint is colored makeup used to temporarily decorate, enhance, or conceal facial features for visual and dramatic effects.
Face painting is the colorful decoration of a person's face for artistic and performance purposes.
Fire breathing is the act of creating a plume or stream of fire from one's mouth. It is a traditional circus skill that involves safely manipulating and extinguishing fuel flames.
The fool is one of the classic clown archetypes that has existed for centuries across many cultures. Often portrayed with outlandish clothes and eccentric behaviors, the fool plays a unique comedic role that both entertains audiences while subtly questioning societal norms.
The death-defying act of funambulism involves daring high wire walks and feats of balance that have long amazed circus audiences.
Harlequin is a central character in Commedia dell'Arte, a form of improvisational theater that flourished in Italy from the 16th century onwards.
Hoops are circular pieces of wood, plastic, or metal used by clowns and circus performers for manipulation tricks and acrobatics.
Improvisation refers to the act of spontaneously performing without preparation.
A jester is a comic performer and entertainer who amuses audiences using jokes, stories, and clever word play, typically by adopting the persona of a fool.
Juggling is the skill of manipulating multiple physical objects continuously in the air without letting any of them drop.
Juggling clubs are one of the most popular props used by jugglers. As the name suggests, they resemble short clubs or batons that are tossed, rotated, and manipulated as part of juggling performances and practice.
Laughter represents the very heart and soul of clowning. As performing artists, clowns aim first and foremost to make audiences laugh.
Magic tricks refer to illusions, deceptions, and sleight-of-hand techniques used by magicians and other performers to create impossible or supernatural effects like vanishing objects, escaping restraints, or predicting choices.
Magic wands are miniature handheld props used to perform magical illusion effects by being waved and tapped.
Mime is a theatrical performance art form based on storytelling and illusion, using only physical motion and expressions without words.
Pantomime is a style of clowning and theatrical performance that conveys meaning, narrative, or emotions solely through physical movement, facial expressions, and gestures without speaking.
Physical comedy refers to humorous performance that derives from physical movement, action, and bodily gestures rather than speeches or verbal jokes.
Pie throwing is one of the most iconic gags in clowning and physical comedy routines. A clown or performer tosses a pie directly into another performer's face for comedic effect.
A prankster in clowning refers to a clown whose main role is to play harmless practical jokes and pranks to amuse the audience.
The art of puppetry has an extensive history intertwined with clowning and circus arts. Many clowns integrate puppets and puppeteer skills into acts to create unique spectacle and comedy routines for audiences of all ages.
A puppet is an inanimate object or figure that is animated or manipulated by a human puppeteer to create the illusion that the puppet is moving independently.
A rodeo clown, also known as a bullfighter, is a unique type of clown that works in the sport of rodeo to protect bull riders after they dismount or are bucked from a bull's back.
A seltzer bottle, also known as a soda siphon or soda bottle, is a device commonly used by clowns to spray water or other liquids as a visual gag or trick.
Sketch comedy refers to a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, each with a setup, conflict, and a punchline
Slapstick is a comedic performance style featuring boisterous, physically excessive, accident-prone stunts and activities resulting in exaggerated harm to the performers’ bodies and dignity for amusement.
The squirting flower prop is a classic clown gag that continues to garner laughs after decades of comic mischief.
Stunt performance refers to theatrical displays of challenging or seemingly dangerous physical acts, often based on technical skills requiring practiced dexterity and daredevil risk-taking.
The iconic Auguste clown character is the wacky, easily-flustered comic sidekick of the circus clown world, distinguished by his vivid white face, oversized clothes and goofy disposition.
Closely related to the tramp clown, the hobo clown is a classic circus character, playing up a disheveled vagrant living on the fringes of society for visual comedy.
The Italian technique of lazzi (sometimes spelled lazzo in English) refers to an established comedic gag or bit involving exaggerated physical actions.
The iconic red nose remains globally synonymous with clowns and clowning due to its bold visual shorthand for silly, lighthearted fun.
The tramp or hobo clown is a classic clown character, recognizing the comic potential of the disheveled vagrant down on their luck.
Tightrope walking involves crossing over an open space along a tensioned wire or rope fixed high above the ground without falls or stabilizing aids.
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps, typically used by circus performers for aerial acrobatics.
Unicycling involves riding, balancing, and performing tricks on a single-wheeled vehicle called a unicycle.
Ventriloquism is the art of vocal illusion that uses the skill of "throwing" your voice to make it appear that sounds are coming from somewhere else.