Equestrian Circus - Revision history

Satj: /* The Equestrian Circus in South Africa */

2015-07-10T06:09:54Z

The Equestrian Circus in South Africa

Satj: /* The Equestrian Circus in South Africa */

2015-07-10T06:09:12Z

The Equestrian Circus in South Africa

Satj: /* The Equestrian Circus in South Africa */

2015-07-10T06:09:00Z

The Equestrian Circus in South Africa

Satj: /* The Equestrian Circus in South Africa */

2015-07-10T06:07:12Z

The Equestrian Circus in South Africa

Satj: /* The Equestrian Circus in South Africa */

2015-07-10T06:01:19Z

The Equestrian Circus in South Africa

Satj at 05:50, 10 July 2015

2015-07-10T05:50:47Z

Satj: Created page with "has been used in three ways in South Africa: as the name for an activity or performance form, and as a collective name for a set of circus acts (most often referred to as an..."

2015-07-10T05:16:09Z

Created page with "has been used in three ways in South Africa: as the name for an activity or performance form, and as a collective name for a set of circus acts (most often referred to as an..."

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has been used in three ways in South Africa: as the name for an activity or performance form, and as a collective name for a set of circus acts (most often referred to as an [[Equestrian Circus]]), and as the name of a specific circus company.

= [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] or [[Equestrian Vaulting]] as a specialized sport =

More commonly referred today as '''Equestrian Vaulting'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_vaulting], [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] is a (competitive or non-competitive) activity often described as "gymnastics and dance on horseback". As a competitive sport it is open to both men and women, and is one of ten equestrian disciplines recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (Fédération Équestre Internationale).

The [[Equestrian Circus]] or [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] as a [[Performance|performance]] form =

Vaulting on horseback has a long history as an [[Equestrian Act]] used in [[Circus|circuses]], hence it the terms [[Equestrian Circus]] and [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] are often used as descriptors for a set of such acts, and its origins stretch back at least two-thousand years, with its circus roots most probably lying in the ancient Roman games, where '''acrobats'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrobatics] usually displayed their skills on cantering horses.

According to ''The Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (1979), the [[Equestrian Circus]] thus "constitutes the oldest form of circus art, in which most of the acts involve performing horses and displays of horsemanship. The equestrian circus originated in horse festivals, equestrian competitions, and riding schools and was the main type of circus in the 18th and 19th centuries. The traditional circus ring, 13-14 m in diameter, came from the equestrian circus."[http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Equestrian+Circus]

Some international examples include ''The Royal Australian Equestrian Circus'' (185), ''Hughes' Great Mammoth Equestrian Circus'',

= The [[Hippodrama]] =

A very specialized 19th century theatrical version of the [[Equestrian Circus]] is what is known as the [[Hippodrama]], or "horse drama"; a genre of theatrical show evolved in England by Philip Astley at the beginning of the 19th century as a way to circumvent the restrictions of the the Licensing Act of 1737. In such dramas circus horsemanship displays are combined with popular [[Melodrama|melodrama]] theatre, using texts written specifically for the genre.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippodrama] They were usually performed in specially constructed venues referred to as [[Hippodrome|Hippodromes]].

A number of these were done in South Africa over the years, ''inter alia'' by [[Astley's Circus]], the [[Equestrian Gymnastics]], **

= [[Equestrian Gymnastics]], as the name of a [[Circus|circus]] troupe/company =

In the South African context, [[Equestrian Gymnastics]], first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance|performances]] and as the name of a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town in late 1850 (October-December) under the auspices of the governor Sir Harry Smith, and featured [[Hippodrama|Hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire (i.e. shows which featured pantomime-performances and dramatised equestrian displays . In advertisements the presentations were referred to as "[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]". [[Temple Hauptfleisch|Hauptfleisch]] (1997, p. 28)[http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85401] has pointed out that that some of these performances are clearly related to equestrian style models familiar at the time in England and the United States (e.g. the "military re-enactment" or the "Wild West Show").

Among the acts included in their [[Performance|performances]] were ''[[Admiral Lord Nelson, or The Life of a Sailor]]'', ''[[The Ballad of the Villagers]]'', ''[[The Jolly Miller]]'', ''[[The Golden Dream]]'', ''[[Fra Diovolo, or The Banditti of the Anrouzes]]'', ''[[The Shipwrecked Sailor]]'', ''[[Par a Par, a Gar a Nous, or Harlequin Protected by the Magician]]'', ''[[The Miser, or Happiness found in Gold]]'' and ''[[The Kafir War, or The Burnt Farm]]''.

[TH, JH]

= Sources =

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_vaulting

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Equestrian+Circus

[[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1928[http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]: pp. 439-440.

[[Temple Hauptfleisch]], 1997[http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85401]: pp. 27-28.

Go to the [[ESAT Bibliography]]

= Return to =

Return to [[The South African Context/General Terminology and Thematic Entries]]

Return to [[South African Theatre/Terminology and Thematic Entries]]

Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Venues|South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc ]]

Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]

Return to [[Main Page]]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 In the South African context, this activity first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance|performances]] in ***
-In 1850 a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe of [[Circus|circus]] artistes visited Cape Town and featured [[Equestrian Act|equestrian acts]] and [[Hippodrama|hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire, billed as [[Equestrian Gymnastics]].  ('''For details, see:[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]''')
+In 1850 a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe visited Cape Town and featured [[Equestrian Act|equestrian acts]] and [[Hippodrama|hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire, billed as [[Equestrian Gymnastics]].  ('''For details, see:[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]''')
 [TH, JH]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 In the South African context, this activity first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance|performances]] in ***
-In 1850 a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe of [[Circus|circus]] artistes visited Cape Town and featured [[Equestrian Act|equestrian acts]] and [[Hippodrama|hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire, billed as [[Equestrian Gymnastics]]. ('''For details, see:[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]'''
+In 1850 a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe of [[Circus|circus]] artistes visited Cape Town and featured [[Equestrian Act|equestrian acts]] and [[Hippodrama|hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire, billed as [[Equestrian Gymnastics]].  ('''For details, see:[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]''')
 [TH, JH]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 In the South African context, this activity first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance|performances]] in ***
-In 1850 a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town and featured [[Equestrian Act|equestrian acts]] and [[Hippodrama|hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire.
+In 1850 a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe of [[Circus|circus]] artistes visited Cape Town and featured [[Equestrian Act|equestrian acts]] and [[Hippodrama|hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire, billed as [[Equestrian Gymnastics]]. ('''For details, see:[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]'''
 [TH, JH]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
-=== [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] (1850) ===
+In 1850 a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town and featured [[Equestrian Act|equestrian acts]] and [[Hippodrama|hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire.
-In the South African context, this activity first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance|performances]] and as the name of a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town in late 1850 (October-December) under the auspices of the governor Sir Harry Smith, and featured [[Hippodrama|Hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire (i.e. shows which featured pantomime-performances and dramatised equestrian displays . In advertisements the presentations were referred to as "[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]". [[Temple Hauptfleisch|Hauptfleisch]] (1997, p. 28)[http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85401]  has pointed out that that some of these performances are clearly related to equestrian style models familiar at the time in England and the United States (e.g. the "military re-enactment" or the "Wild West Show").
+'''See [[Equestrian Gymnastics]]'''
 [TH, JH]

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:01, 10 July 2015
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	== The [[Equestrian Circus]] in South Africa ==		== The [[Equestrian Circus]] in South Africa ==

		+
		+
		+	=== [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] (1850) ===
		+
	In the South African context, this activity first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance\|performances]] and as the name of a French [[Circus\|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town in late 1850 (October-December) under the auspices of the governor Sir Harry Smith, and featured [[Hippodrama\|Hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire (i.e. shows which featured pantomime-performances and dramatised equestrian displays . In advertisements the presentations were referred to as "[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]". [[Temple Hauptfleisch\|Hauptfleisch]] (1997, p. 28)[http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85401] has pointed out that that some of these performances are clearly related to equestrian style models familiar at the time in England and the United States (e.g. the "military re-enactment" or the "Wild West Show").		In the South African context, this activity first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance\|performances]] and as the name of a French [[Circus\|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town in late 1850 (October-December) under the auspices of the governor Sir Harry Smith, and featured [[Hippodrama\|Hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire (i.e. shows which featured pantomime-performances and dramatised equestrian displays . In advertisements the presentations were referred to as "[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]". [[Temple Hauptfleisch\|Hauptfleisch]] (1997, p. 28)[http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85401] has pointed out that that some of these performances are clearly related to equestrian style models familiar at the time in England and the United States (e.g. the "military re-enactment" or the "Wild West Show").

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-has been  used in three ways in South Africa: as the name for an activity or performance form, and as a collective name for a set of circus acts (most often referred to as an [[Equestrian Circus]]), and as the name of a specific circus company.
+[[Equestrian Circus]] is the name for a [[Circus|circus]] consisting of or containing a collection of [[Equestrian Act|Equestrian Acts]] (or [[Equestrian Gymnastics]]).  A specialized form of this from the 19th century was the [[Hippodrama]].
-More commonly referred today as '''Equestrian Vaulting'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_vaulting], [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] is a (competitive or non-competitive) activity  often described as "gymnastics and dance on horseback". As a competitive sport it is open to both men and women, and is one of ten equestrian disciplines recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (Fédération Équestre Internationale).
+== History ==
+Both the concept of an [[Equestrian Act]] as part of a performance, and the [[Equestrian Circus]] as an entity,  apparently have their origins in the (competitive or non-competitive) activity  known as '''Equestrian Vaulting'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_vaulting] today (also sometimes referred to as [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] or simply '''Vaulting''').  Often described as "gymnastics and dance on horseback", vaulting on horseback has a long history as an [[Equestrian Act]] used in [[Circus|circuses]], hence it the terms [[Equestrian Circus]] and [[Equestrian Gymnastics]] are often used as descriptors for a set of such acts, and its origins stretch back at least two-thousand years, with its circus roots most probably lying in the ancient Roman games, where '''acrobats'''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrobatics] usually displayed their skills on cantering horses.
 According to ''The Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (1979), the [[Equestrian Circus]] thus "constitutes the oldest form of circus art, in which most of the acts involve performing horses and displays of horsemanship. The equestrian circus originated in horse festivals, equestrian competitions, and riding schools and was the main type of circus in the 18th and 19th centuries. The traditional circus ring, 13-14 m in diameter, came from the equestrian circus."[http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Equestrian+Circus]
@@ Line 15: / Line 11: @@
 Some international examples include ''The Royal Australian Equestrian Circus'' (185), ''Hughes' Great Mammoth Equestrian Circus'',
-= The [[Hippodrama]] =
+== A specialized form: The [[Hippodrama]] ==
 A very specialized 19th century theatrical version of the [[Equestrian Circus]]  is what is known as the [[Hippodrama]], or "horse drama"; a genre of theatrical show evolved in England by Philip Astley at the beginning of the 19th century as a way to circumvent the restrictions of the the Licensing Act of 1737. In such dramas circus horsemanship displays are combined with popular [[Melodrama|melodrama]] theatre, using texts written specifically for the genre.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippodrama] They were usually performed in specially constructed venues referred to as [[Hippodrome|Hippodromes]].
@@ Line 21: / Line 17: @@
 A number of these were done in South Africa over the years, ''inter alia'' by [[Astley's Circus]], the [[Equestrian Gymnastics]], **
-= [[Equestrian Gymnastics]], as the name of a [[Circus|circus]] troupe/company =
+== The [[Equestrian Circus]] in South Africa ==
-In the South African context, [[Equestrian Gymnastics]], first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance|performances]] and as the name of a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town in late 1850 (October-December) under the auspices of the governor Sir Harry Smith, and featured [[Hippodrama|Hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire (i.e. shows which featured pantomime-performances and dramatised equestrian displays . In advertisements the presentations were referred to as "[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]". [[Temple Hauptfleisch|Hauptfleisch]] (1997, p. 28)[http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85401]  has pointed out that that some of these performances are clearly related to equestrian style models familiar at the time in England and the United States (e.g. the "military re-enactment" or the "Wild West Show").
+In the South African context, this activity first occurs, both as a descriptor for a set of [[Performance|performances]] and as the name of a French [[Circus|circus]] troupe which visited Cape Town in late 1850 (October-December) under the auspices of the governor Sir Harry Smith, and featured [[Hippodrama|Hippodramas]] as part of its repertoire (i.e. shows which featured pantomime-performances and dramatised equestrian displays . In advertisements the presentations were referred to as "[[Equestrian Gymnastics]]". [[Temple Hauptfleisch|Hauptfleisch]] (1997, p. 28)[http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85401]  has pointed out that that some of these performances are clearly related to equestrian style models familiar at the time in England and the United States (e.g. the "military re-enactment" or the "Wild West Show").
 Among the acts included in their [[Performance|performances]] were ''[[Admiral Lord Nelson, or The Life of a Sailor]]'', ''[[The Ballad of the Villagers]]'', ''[[The Jolly Miller]]'', ''[[The Golden Dream]]'', ''[[Fra Diovolo, or The Banditti of the Anrouzes]]'', ''[[The Shipwrecked Sailor]]'', ''[[Par a Par, a Gar a Nous, or Harlequin Protected by the Magician]]'', ''[[The Miser, or Happiness found in Gold]]'' and ''[[The Kafir War, or The Burnt Farm]]''.