In the 20th century the Wallendas, a family of high-wire artists originally from Germany who debuted with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show in 1928, helped set the standard for acts of skill. The Wallenda family was renowned for balancing three-high on bicycles on the high wire and, later, for their seven-person pyramid. Other inspiring performers included the petite Lillian Leitzel, born in Bohemia of a German circus family, who could pivot 100 times on her shoulder socket, spinning from a rope like a pinwheel in a maneuver called the “plange” (a stunt that led to her tragic death at the peak of her career in 1931, when her apparatus broke); the Australian-born Con Colleano, the “Toreador of the Tight Wire,” whose dance on the wire to a Spanish cadence thrilled American audiences from 1925 until his retirement in 1959; Antoinette Concello, who became the first woman to perform the triple somersault on the trapeze in 1937; and Dolly Jacobs, who began her career in 1976, performing on the Roman rings for the Ringling brothers and Big Apple circuses, and who was the daughter of famous Auguste clown Lou Jacobs.

Circus acts have always crossed national borders and, traditionally, certain nationalities tend to dominate specific areas of circus performance. Eastern Europeans became known for acrobatics and tumbling over the course of the 20th century. In the groundbreaking high-wire act of the Russian Voljansky troupe, the wire changed from being horizontal to being at an oblique angle, while the tension was maintained. Another unique act, the Koch sisters, performed on a giant semaphore arm that revolved slowly as they balanced on the outside edge. In the late 20th century one of the most renowned Russian trapeze acts, “The Flying Cranes,” used dramatic devices to tell the story of fallen Soviet war heroes whose souls are transformed into cranes. The acrobats fly through the air in white costumes, highlighted by dramatic theatrical lighting and smoke and accompanied by well-known Russian music.

Chinese acrobats also became especially renowned for unique acts emphasizing balance and coordination, such as the “Peacock Bicycle,” which featured a human pyramid of 17 people atop a single bicycle.

Mexican acrobats became known for their skill at the flying trapeze. Trapeze artist Tito Gaona first performed in 1964 at age 15 and—even blindfolded—flawlessly performed the triple somersault from bar to catcher. In 1982 Miguel Vasquez became the first person to do a quadruple somersault from bar to catcher in a public performance.

Circus families

Such national traditions may be related to the existence of circus families, whose specialties are passed on for several generations. In the 20th century circus families, such as the Wallendas, were still prominent, and they were often responsible for spreading the circus to new parts of the world. For instance, in the early part of the century, the British circus family of Harmston settled in East Asia, and for years their only rival was the Russian circus. The Boswells left England for South Africa, where they met competition from the German circus, Pagel. Frank Brown, whose father had been a clown at Astley’s, toured South America for many seasons. In Australia the circus prospered under the Wirth family. The Lobes, from Budapest, made Persia their tenting ground, and the Sidolis settled in Romania.

Clowns

In the 20th century a number of clowns attempted to strike out in new directions, abandoning traditional costumes and makeup and developing more-natural characters. In the United States Emmett Kelly and Otto Griebling, both at their peaks in the 1930s and ’40s, popularized the woebegone down-and-out “tramp” character who provided poignant and comic insight into the small tragedies of life. In the second half of the century the great Russian clown Oleg Popov became well-known not only in the Soviet Union but also in Europe and the United States through his tours with the Moscow Circus. Wearing a minimum of makeup in the tradition of European Auguste clowns, he appeared in the ring with little to set him apart from the others except a slightly unconventional wardrobe. Like other great comedians of the world, his mere appearance brought anticipatory laughter from the audience. Popov impersonated a Moscovite streetwise character who is forever trying to mimic the legitimate performers. Frequently he almost succeeded, but only after sufficient bungling to make his performance a comedy. Popov was also noted for his exceptional juggling and slack-wire skills.

Modern, or “New Vaudeville,” clowns do not use the traditional clown accoutrements. They usually work alone, typically without makeup, and establish a personal relationship with the audience. Two Americans, Bill Irwin and David Shiner, are perhaps the best-known among New Vaudeville clowns; their talents were featured in the Broadway production Fool Moon (1994). Also among the most renowned of modern clowns is David Larible, who descends from seven generations of Italian circus performers. During the late 20th century Larible became the first clown ever to headline the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, as well as its “sister” circus, Barnum’s Kaleidoscape. His pantomimed act featured strong interaction with the audience, even bringing audience members into the ring to become an important part of the show.

Wild animal acts

Until the late 20th century there was a marked difference between European and American styles of presenting wild animal acts. In the 19th century Van Amburgh, believing that the trainer must demonstrate physical superiority over his “pupils,” had customarily beat his animals into submission. Unfortunately, this practice was followed by many of his American successors. Clyde Beatty, an American cat trainer popular from his debut in the 1920s until his death in 1965, used a rough, fighting style in the cage; his act was punctuated with the cracks of his whip and shots fired from his blank gun. He subjugated as many as 40 “black-maned African lions and Royal Bengal tigers” at one time.

The European style of presenting wild cat acts was developed by the Hagenbecks in Germany near the end of the 19th century and was soon followed by most trainers in Europe. This style of training uses the natural abilities of the animals and presents them as obedient, even playful pets in harmony with their trainer, rather than in opposition. The wild character of the animals, however, is revealed just often enough to remind the spectator that what was seen was indeed the result of skillful training.

Beginning in the late 20th century, in both Britain and the United States, circus owners were often challenged by animal-rights activists who believed that cruelty was involved in the training of circus animals and who consequently agitated to have such acts banned. Many circuses responded to such charges by claiming that the days of training animals through punishment (à la Beatty) were long gone; instead, they insisted, the humane techniques of such trainers as Gunther Gebel-Williams, a German trainer who became famous with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, had become the norm. Nevertheless, increasingly frequent protests and lawsuits by animal-rights groups succeeded in generating public concern for the well-being of animals used in circuses, particularly elephants. Some jurisdictions in Europe and the United States adopted bans on wild-animal acts or on the bullhook, a sharp pokerlike device used to train and guide elephants. Changing public sensibilities contributed to the growing popularity of animal-free circuses such as Cirque du Soleil and to depressed ticket sales at Ringling Bros. and other traditional circuses. Ringling’s announcement in 2015 that it would phase out elephant acts within three years ironically reduced ticket sales even further, and in 2017 the circus ceased operations. Ringling began touring a new show, without animals, in 2023.

Circus music

Most circus performances maintain a seemingly perpetual flow of music, signaling the changes of emphasis among simultaneous presentations as one event after another is highlighted. For most of the 20th century, major circuses such as Ringling Brothers made great use of the music of the “march king,” John Philip Sousa. Sousa’s music proved highly popular in circuses because its brassy sound and stirring beat added to the sense of spectacle and grandeur. American circuses also incorporated such popular forms of music as the foxtrot, the tango, and the gallop, whereas European circus bands made heavy use of violins, a traditional instrument in the many cultures of that continent. Although one does not tend to think of musicians as star circus performers, Merle Evans, the “Music Maestro of the Big Top,” is fondly remembered for his skilled conducting of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus band for more than 50 years until his retirement in 1970.

Circus music changed drastically during the late 20th century. The march was no longer king, having been supplanted by more-modern forms, including rock music, while the number of live musicians diminished as many circuses made wide use of the synthesizer and other electronic instruments.