The Greatest Show on Earth

The circus is an old tradition in America. It started over two hundred years ago. The first circuses were very small. The first circus opened in 1793. John Bill Rickets was a skilled horse rider. The acrobats, a clown, a rope walker, and horses perform ed in one ring. Over the next fifty years, there were many different shows. When the railroad came, circuses became even bigger because trains could carry heavy animals. The shows could go to towns that were far away. Hackaliah Bailey and P.T. Barnum had the largest shows. In 1880, they combined them and became the Barnum and Bailey circus. They had three rings for their circus. Each ring had a different show. A person paid and could watch clowns, rope walkers, acrobats, elephants, or tigers and lions at the same time. The late 19th century was the golden age for the circus. By the 1950s, the world changed.

Television was a new technology. Rock’n’roll was the new music. The circus was old - fashioned. Then, a rock’n’roll promoter, Irvin Feld, bought Barnum and Bailey’s circus. He promoted it like a rock show. Nowadays, the circus are still popular. There are no longer tents. The shows happen in sports arenas, like music concerts. The circuses perform all year round. The acts are different too. The circus uses pop music and has concerts in its shows. There are more people performing than animals. In the twenty-first century, circuses continue. There are circus schools all over the world. France, Germany, Russia and America have famous circus schools. They teach classes on how to be a clown, an acrobat, or a dancer. Cirque du Soleil is one modern circus. As time passes, the circus will continue to be enjoyed by new audiences.