High-Tech on Tour – at the Swiss National Circus Knie
- Daniel Burow
- May 24
- 4 min read
It's late afternoon in Winterthur, Switzerland, and the last performance of the Swiss National Circus Knie has just ended when a whistle echoes across the square. It's the signal for the dismantling crew in their orange warning vests. The last spectator has left the tent, and the dismantling of the seating stands, better known in circus jargon as the gradin, can begin. The process is strictly timed; everyone knows exactly what to do. There's not much time left, because the tent, which can accommodate 2,140 people, is due to be put up the next day in St. Gallen, about 50 km away.
Section by section, the tent's surrounding canvas lowers, opening up a view of the busy activity of the workers inside the tent. At the same time, a very special ballet begins – that of the "Manitous," as the telescopic loaders used for transporting loads during assembly and dismantling are called according to their manufacturer's name. As if following a precise choreography, they bring empty racks for the Gradin's seats in and loaded ones out again.
Less than four hours later, all that will remain of the colorful circus activity will be a few semi-trailers and trailers parked in the otherwise empty lot, ready for pickup. Meanwhile, the imposing round-arched masts are already in place in St. Gallen – Circus Knie owns two sets of them to speed up the changeover. The next morning, the white and red tent canvas is raised again – a spectacle repeated more than 20 times a year.
That alone is a logistical masterpiece. But when you see the show and its stage technology, the work behind the scenes becomes all the more impressive. A sophisticated lighting system sets the scene. A total of 260 moving heads, weighing a total of over six tons, are part of this. In the pole-free tent, they are suspended from numerous trusses. In addition to the tent dome, the tent's suspension points, which rise up as distinctive peaks, serve as the focal points. The moving heads deserve particularly careful handling; they are either dismantled individually and transported in flight cases, or sunk together with the truss in specially manufactured XXL flight cases.
Things get even more complicated with a technical feature on this tour: the "Kinetic Balls." These are white plastic balls attached by strings to a round platform suspended in the tent dome. A total of 550 of these balls can be raised and lowered using an electric winch. Special software allows complex patterns to emerge and dissolve from the coordinated up-and-down movements.
After complex programming during the creation phase, they accompany various scenes in the show. The dressage horseriding act ("Hohe Schule"), presented by Chanel Marie Knie, becomes a harmonious symphony of human, animal, and technology. And aerial artist Svyatoslav Rasshivkin seems to literally communicate with the "Kinetic Balls" during his aerial acrobatics performance.
In this way and quantity, the technology has not been used in a circus ever before. Indeed, the use of this complex technology in a touring operation, with setup and dismantling sometimes taking place weekly, was new to the manufacturer of the Kinetic Balls.
The second technical innovation on this tour is somewhat more robust: the round LED stage, with a diameter tailored to the size of a traditional circus ring. It has to be, as it is installed not only when moving the circus from town to town, but also during the 20-minute intermission of every performance. During the first half, the soft floor made of clay and sawdust is needed for the horse acts. After the intermission, the acrobatic performances take place on the stage composed of numerous LED elements.
Computer-animated visual effects accompany the performances, which particularly contribute to the effect of the Filipino "Urban Crew" and their energetic dance acrobatics. The human-technology spectacle reaches its peak with Svyatoslav Rasshivkin. The movement patterns of the Kinetic Balls are seamlessly integrated into the visual effects of the LED stage and magnificently frame his aerial acrobatics.
Circus Knie not unjustly claims to be the only circus to travel with such sophisticated technology. Perhaps only Cirque du Soleil offers a similar wealth of technical sophistication in a tent production. However, its shows tour in major cities for several weeks at a time, and the setup and teardown times are significantly longer – a completely different touring concept than that of Circus Knie, which traditionally travels throughout Switzerland, visiting cities from small to large.
Knie certainly stands in a tradition of great circus companies throughout history. It has always been part of the circus's ambition to be among the first to showcase technological innovations. At the end of the 19th century, many people have probably experienced electric light for the first time in circus performances. The first cinema screenings also took place in circuses.
Today, in an age of rapid technological change, it is difficult for the circus to remain at the forefront of progress. One might question whether it really needs to be, or whether it should instead serve as a kind of "deceleration institution" where the focus is not on technology but on people and their skills. On the other hand, elaborate show effects in pop concerts and other stage shows shape the viewing habits of today's audiences.
Knie has entered the race against this competition and certainly has no reason to fear comparison. Following water curtains with light projections and holograms in previous years, Kinetic Balls and an LED stage are now on tour. And so, two days later, the audience in St. Gallen will also be treated to a sophisticated show featuring state-of-the-art stage technology.
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