super skills CIRCUS SKILLS STEPHANIE TURNBULL Smart Apple Media
WANT TO JOIN THE CIRCUS Hints and warnings Boxes with a lightbulb give handy hints for improving skills If you’ve ever been to see a circus you know how much fun it can be amazing acrobatics unbelievable balancing acts and death-defying stunts There are many circus skills you can learn yourself This book gives you the facts tips and tricks you need to start your circus career or just impress your friends There’s an exclamation mark next to safety warnings and advice Performers wave to the huge crowd at the Old Moscow Circus in Russia 4
Why Circus Skills Circus skills are great exercise They improve balance flexibility and coordination They train your brain too You really need to concentrate when you’re juggling balls or spinning plates Some skills are better practiced alone with no distractions but others are fun to learn in a group especially when you need a friend to hold on to Many acrobatic skills involve balancing moving or unstable objects such as this rolling cylinder Tough Stuff If you want to swing from a trapeze or teeter at the top of a human pyramid then be patient These skills take years of professional training The first step is to learn basic balancing and tumbling skills Pick skills you enjoy then practice them a lot Remember NEVER attempt anything dangerous Mid-air moves like this take years of practice SUPER FACTS The first modern circus began in 1768 Philip Astley showed acrobatic horseback riding tricks in a circular space He later added clowns jugglers tightrope walkers and performing animals Child performers from an old circus One of the most famous circuses ever was the Barnum and Bailey Circus or The Greatest Show on Earth It had a huge elephant named Jumbo and many odd sideshow acts Many circuses today don’t use animals Acrobats perform with dramatic stage sets A Canadian company Cirque du Soleil once performed an underwater show in an enormous tank 5
