Circus arts: magic and charm inside and outside the tents

Abstract

This text is part of a master’s dissertation which investigates circus knowledge incorporated and shared by the Circo Girassol circus in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Considering the body from cultural and historical references, one can observe movement in the circus arts to be resignified at each moment. From the body practices of the saltimbancs, triggering laughter and freedom, to the art of the contemporary circus adapted to the artistic performance market of this time, the body becomes one of the main products of the Culture Industry. This article also presents an educational proposal to enable the practice of body movement culture to be developed in cooperation, solidarity, and interdisciplinarity, turning the “let’s play circus” act into a playful pedagogical act focused at the “production” of pleasure. KEYWORDS: circus art – body – pedagogical practices – playfulness