The Anatomy of a Circus Act
- Daniel Burow
- Mar 24
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 30
From a production perspective, a typical circus act is a wonderful thing. It is typically a four to eight minute piece of circus art, self-contained and reusable in various show contexts. The production effort - concept, putting together the sequence of tricks, choreography - is invested once and pays for itself over many years, perhaps even over an entire artist's career. The act becomes more and more sophisticated and ideally big numbers emerge that achieve world fame, even beyond the shows in which they are involved.
Sometimes there are also acts that shape an entire genre or influence a generation of artists in their work. We think of Anatoli Zalewski and his poetic-minimalist handstand artistry or the Duo Mouvance with their fiery trapeze tango. When you sometimes hear today that there are "hardly any stars left in the circus", then such acts are meant that are burned into your memory. Why do they seem to be a dying breed? Well, on the one hand, it certainly plays a role that the circus industry is nowadays looking less for stars like this. "The show is the star" - with this slogan, Cirque du Soleil sums up its philosophy that artists are more like interchangeable actors in a total work of art, the show creation.
Cirque du Soleil takes this approach to the extreme, but a trend can also be seen in other parts of the circus world. In order to retain their audience, circus companies have to cultivate their own, unmistakable style. Even shows that consist of individual acts are increasingly following an overall concept, a production that fits the style of the house. A Roncalli or a Flic-Flac, for example, hardly leaves a number unchanged in terms of music and costume. The act is seen rather as a raw material that is made to fit the concept of the show. Large parts of the creation process, however, continue to be "outsourced" by adapting and integrating acts instead of starting from scratch. This is a recipe for success, if not a necessity, for commercial shows that must be created in short production times.
This production method in the so-called “traditional circus” leads some people to differentiate it from a (contemporary) "creation circus", in other words to deny it the potential to create something artistically high-quality. In doing so, they overlook how much creative effort can go into a high-quality act: Long years of work on the technical foundations of the discipline, developing a concept and dramaturgy, creating the costume, selecting or even composing the music, transcribing the music for an orchestra, designing a lighting concept. For top-level acts, entire creative teams are often involved in this process.
The Australian Jasmine Straga knows both perspectives - that of the artist and that of the producer - from many years of her own experience. She performed as a contortionist and aerialist before setting up her own business with "J. S. Creations" dedicated herself to the task of accompanying young artists to the top of the circus world by conception, production and direction of acts. Since then, she has a track record of festival awards and performances of her acts in renowned productions. What makes a good circus act for Jasmine?
What is the essence of a good circus act?
Jasmine Straga: A great circus act isn’t just about skill, it’s about transporting the audience to another space, even if only for a moment, away from their worries and into a world of wonder. Whether it’s awe, joy, fear, sadness, or anger, a successful performance should stir emotions and leaves a lasting impression once they leave. For me, that’s when an artist truly succeeds. Of course, what defines a strong act can vary depending on whether its stems from classical tradition or contemporary storytelling. The structure, pacing, and aesthetic might differ, but at its core, our purpose remains the same: to connect, to captivate, and to create an experience that lingers long after the curtain closes.
How do you manage to put a dramaturgy or even story into a short act?
Jasmine Straga: I don’t have exactly the same method for each performer, as each artist requires a unique journey, but there are typical ingredients I like to use. For me, bringing dramaturgy or storytelling into a short circus act starts with understanding the artist behind the performance. Before any act creation takes place, I take the time to connect with the performer to learn about their experiences, emotions, and the stories they want to share. Authenticity is key. If an act feels genuine, the artist will feel connected to it and the audience will naturally connect with it.
Before we begin creation, I get the artist to think about what they want people to feel? What emotions, and themes do you see in your mind when your think about the act? Having a clear vision gives the performance depth and purpose, making it less just a display of skill. We often make albums on Pinterest with costume, movement or other ideas that inspire us, usually these ideas do not come from the circus, but can come from nature, other genres or anything really.
Once that vision is clear, we shape the act by considering its structure, pacing, and movement quality. Tricks and skills should serve the narrative, not just be placed in for the sake of difficulty. The way an artist transitions between movements, the tempo shifts, and even the use of stillness all play a role in crafting an engaging story. A well-timed pause can help to create suspense, while a burst of fast movement can heighten excitement. Expression extends beyond just big gestures, it also lives in the smallest details, from a flick of the fingertips to the intensity of eye contact. Every element, from strength and balance to flexibility and physical theatre, contributes to the act’s emotional and visual impact.
By blending technique with storytelling, the artist turns their performance into something truly compelling. It should be an experience that resonates with the audience on a human level. People tend to think contemporary and classical dramaturgy are so different, but for me, I utilise the same methods of act creation for both genres, I just find ways to inject the storytelling into a classical act.
An example of this would be an act I created with Jack Dawson called Phoenix. To the audience, it may be a classical act, but this act’s dramaturgy was all built on the base of my students own journey through redefining and finding strength in his identity after a significant trauma as a teen. Creating an act is a journey of self-discovery, and the creation process as well as performing the act can help heal wounds through the creation process.
What makes a circus act successful at international festivals?
Jasmine Straga: Success at competitive circus festivals comes down to a balance of creativity, technical mastery, and innovation. Much like the Olympics, these festivals bring together top artists from around the world to be judged based on a structured scoring system. Acts are typically evaluated on both creative elements - such as choreography, style, artistry, costume, apparatus design and aesthetics - and then on technical ability and execution, which considers the difficulty and originality of skills.
Scoring systems vary, with many festivals now using a 10-point scale for both creativity and technical performance with a total score of 20. Some even include additional points specifically for innovation, rewarding those who bring fresh, groundbreaking ideas to the stage. Each act is judged individually on its own merits, and rankings are only determined once all scores are finalised.
Usually, the artists are judged over two shows, giving the artist a second attempt to perfect their act to achieve a higher score. The real challenge isn’t about beating others, it’s about refining and elevating your own act to its highest potential. For me personally, I don’t particularly care much if we don’t achieve a prize, the most important goal is to be seen by so many bookers at one time. Beyond the scores, these festivals are invaluable networking opportunities. The jury is often made up of leading circus directors, producers, and agents, making it one of the most effective ways to gain industry recognition and secure future contracts. Winning or even just leaving an impression can significantly increase an artist’s market demand, as bookers compete for standout acts.
While some contemporary artists hesitate to participate in competitive festivals, it’s important to remember that every audition or contract application is, in essence, a competition. The difference here is that you get to perform live, allowing bookers to experience your act in person and form a direct connection with you by meeting them personally. Rather than just being a competition, these festivals are a stage - one where a polished, emotionally compelling, and technically impressive act can open doors to major opportunities.
According to Jasmine, there is a certain skillset structure behind each act. Working on each of the skills can improve the variation in the act:
Balancing skills (e.g. Single foot hang on a Lyra).
Acrobatic skills (e.g. Somersaults, twists to catch, or a release to catch).
Flexibility skills (e.g. Mexican Handstand, splits)
Strength skills (e.g. planches and skills requiring the artist to hold and balance their body weight).
This is the technical aspect. To transform this skill into a piece of art, adding artistry and a clear artistic vision is crucial. This high degree of complexity and effort is often forgotten - partly because many artists themselves tend to forget it. This results in uninspired trick sequences that resemble an athlete's routine rather than an original and well-thought-out artistic work.
Are the "big acts" now in danger of becoming extinct along with the "big stars" of the circus world? This is unlikely to happen, because even if artists are marketed less as stars in many places, the selection criteria for renowned productions remain the same. Anyone who has proven capable to develop their own act and bring it to success in front of audiences and expert juries also demonstrates their potential to shine as an artist and personality in other productions. Thus, there will always be shining stars in the circus firmament. And the prerequisites for a world-class act remain the same: talent, creativity, originality, and a lot of hard work.
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