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For several months each year, The Big Apple Circus pulls its muddy trailers and tents into the superlative air of Lincoln Center. Here, in the company of lean ballet dancers with elegant posture and sopranos with voices akin to angels, the Big Apple Circus stakes its claim as a classic art form. It’s incongruous: A messy circus with bales of hay and cotton candy wrappers plunked in this epicenter of high art. But the circus ring has always been a showcase for performance artistry, a place where athleticism, humor and human physical potential are on full display. In this collection from PBS’s upcoming series, CIRCUS, we shine a spotlight on the artistry and athletic prowess under the big top.
Circus as High Art
1
Art of the Circus: Putting on the Show
2
Art of the Circus: Cutting Down the Tightwire
3
Art of the Circus: Puzzling Out a Clown Act
4
Circus: Behind the Curtain
Art of the Circus: Creation of Olympia
6
Circus Performance: The LaSalle Brothers
7
Circus Performance: Guiming
8
Circus Performance: The Cloud Swing
9
Jake and Marty LaSalle are one of the top juggling acts in the world, and they’ve spent years developing the skills to juggle seven to ten pins in the air while performing synchronized acrobatic dance moves. These twins rely on focus, muscle memory and a rigid work ethic to help them excel in the ring. Watch as they perform their act and hear them tell about the daily dedication they have to their craft, as well as what they’re thinking about when the big lights go on and they enter the ring.
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