This is a good looking act with the white horses and white costumes. Any guesses on the breed of these beautiful draft horses. I don't think Percheron, although they may be crosses.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Unknown Bareback act
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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9 comments:
Alexis Gruss' Cirque National from a couple of years back. I think they might be a French breed-- Boulonnais or Ardennais. Gorgeous act, and I expect nothing less from this family!
-Chris
this is an act presented by the Gruss family on Cirque Alexis Gruss.
Thomas
Chris,
You like liberty acts. What are your thoughts on the two acts below. Which one looks good and which one looks a mess.
Wade
this is the real circus -- among the things i miss the most. at one time, you had to have a bareback riding act if you wanted to be considered a major show. it's really sad that we have so few acts like this -- i hope the one they are framing on kelly miller for next season brings this tradition back. yes, i know they are expensive in today's world, but riding acts have always done a number of second acts as well -- the cristiania and the hannefords and the santiagos could have almost filled in a whole program with real acts -- no hula hoops, no chiffons or silks -- feature center ring caliber acts.
Henry,
Bareback acts have never been my cup of tea, no disrespect to the great performers. The beautiful white horses and costuming is what makes this act beautiful.
I is a real shame that even back in the day, greatness like the Christiani's were required to do
"two or more." Promote that little feature at the next job fair as students are deciding what they are going to do after graduation. Where did everyone go, why is there no new blood?
I hope you are feeling well, Henry.
Wade
i don't think these acts were required to do two or more -- i think it was a desire to do something new. their second, third, etc acts were not end ring filler -- the cristianis did a teeterboard that was superb, a perch pole that by all accounts was remarkable, one of the wives did a great trapeze -- even in the later years, delilah did a great trapeze act, the family did leaps over elephants, ortans and her husband did the best rola bola i've ever seen, oscar's elephants were definitely not a second act, all the cristiani acts were first class. as far hanneford second acts, struppi's princess tajana was one of the top single trapeze acts of its day and the perch pole of george hanneford and vicki -- and later with dianne -- was among the most impresdsive i've ever seen. these troupes did a number of acts, but none that would fall into the "we've got to come up with a second act to get booked." most of the time, there were several cristiani acts left out of the show because there was no place to put them, and the same with the hannefords.
however i will admit that some of the lesser-known, often lower-quality acts, like other big family acts, stretched to fill more slots of the smaller shows. the girls may have done web and ladder but none of the firstie acts that pass as features today.
i think it's a crime that most shows don't encourage young people to stay in the business and develop first class acts of their own. money would do a lot in that direction, but also better treatment in terms of respect and working conditions. you can't take the mud out of a mud show, but you can pay your people enough that they don't have to butch popcorn or floss when they aren't in the ring. a good cook house and comfortable sleepers might help and not requiring so much cherry pie would be a plus.
even with the differences unique to circus vs other forms of entertainment, the main focus of the performers should be performing, not running concessions or driving a semi or scrounging to find a ride to burger king at meal-time. free time should be used for resting or polishing their acts or learning something new or maybe even watching tv instead of all the other things performers are now required to do so they can be hired to do their acts.
Henry,
"firstie acts!!!" What the hell is that. LOL Did you make that up, and can I use it if I credit you. I like that. At some point the performers started letting themselves be considered nothing, in the success of a show. Again I can only point to Irvin as an example of a producer who was thrilled to take a back seat to a performer of his in the press department. When the performer started doing anything necessary to have a job, it was only about 15 years before the shows were reduced to what we see today. The thought that a producer is somehow better or due more respect then a performer is a shame. He's not the Pope, he isn't a King, and he sure isn't the President. He is just like us, only has a different occupation. A great trainer cares for the animals under his care, he does not "lord" over them.
Wade
wade - you never heard of a firstie act? it's something a first of may learns in a few days, rarely even semi-entertaining, an act with one purpose: to fill time and occupy space. i know you've seen them. when they're over, you look around and say "what did they do" and the answer is usually nothing. some shows fill three-ring displays with firstie acts, often with performers who are capable of doing better. (say, a cat act where the cats come in slowly, take their seats, one does a situp, they do a laydown, the cats leave. and the producer is excited because he has a cat act, often where the "trainer" is also the show mechanic or boss canvassman or electrician -- you know what i'm saying. )
as long as acts like that are booked, and fans rave over them, we are stuck with them. i know of one instance involving a show that everyone -- fans and show people -- rave about -- what a great guy the owner was, etc. the show had a three-ring display of similar acts, but one was really good. it started the season in the center ring where it belonged. but a girl in an end ring wanted center ring. her husband was the show's top candy butcher -- he brought in more money than any other butcher. he went to the owners and said he and his wife would have to leave because his wife belonged in the center ring and they had to find a show that would put her in center ring. in less than five minutes, the good act was moved to an end and the wife was center ring. this owner even has a CFA tent named after him. he offered me a job and i considered it but turned it down. i have been so happy i did. i could not have worked for an owner who would let popcorn sales define a center ring act.
this is the kind of thing that i believe helped destroy out quality. if someone -- anyone -- would hire a few good acts, treat them with respect and not expect them to do everything on the lote acts would be happier and would do a better job. eventually, the show would get a reputation as a good show and business MIGHt pick up. once upon a time, a show needed a good performance to make money. now all it needs are enough concession items and photo ops, but that's not circus.
as you know, we';ve had this discuussion on david's blog and it is appropriate here too.
why don't we have any riding acts any more? because nobody will let the riders ride and learn new tricks and enetertain the crowd. that's ultimately why our quality is down.
one thing ringling still does better is make an act look good. so does circue du soleil. both have filler acts, all aren't star but both give even the weak acts enough smoke and mirrors to make it passable.
Henry,
We rue the loss of quality acts, and then applaud mediocrity because they are our friend, or "cute and charming." There are a lot of folks responsible for the current decline.
Wade
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