Tino Wallenda searches carefully for an answer before commenting on these events.
"We learn from these experiences," he muses. "But we are also very strong — like my grandfather was — and there is a perfect saying: the show must go on."
But the circus itself is under threat.
"The level of circus has in some ways diminished because of the commercialism that is used. And so sometimes people have gone to see what they thought would be a quality circus and it was more of a promotional package that was sold to them and they got less than what they deserved. And so people get disappointed and don't want to come back to the circus," Wallenda said.
Compounding this was the development of the animal rights movement in the 1960s, which resulted in traditional circuses losing much of their appeal. As a consequence, circus performances began a gradual decline up until the 1970s when a new kind of circus began to emerge. Beginning at the end of that experimental decade, a new generation of circuses known as the New Circus — or Cirque Nouveau — began appearing in France.
New Circus
The new circus — most recently popularized by troupes such as Cirque du Soleil — features highly physical activities and no animal tricks. Known also as physical theater, many of these new circus groups have vague narratives that are closer to theater than the entertainment found in the traditional circuses. The island will have a chance to see this newer kind of circus performance beginning Oct. 27 with a festival called Spotlight on New Theater.
"The new circus in some ways feels that the traditional circus is inferior. But I always think that there is going to be room for the traditional circus," Wallenda said when asked about the differences between the two styles.
"But the thing about the new circus that is good is that it's brought a new interest to circus [overall]," he added.
Andrew Guild, a producer from the Great Moscow Circus agrees. "Today, [the] circus relies much more on human skills," he said in an email interview. "Circus is now an art form — in Russia it is likened to opera and ballet," he added.
The Great Moscow Circus has some of the world's best performers and, like the new theater, also has a line-up of world-class athletes.
"Some of our artists have performed at the Olympics," he said.
But their Taiwan performances have not been without controversy. Last week a conservation group called on the legislature to amend the law to ban animal shows in circuses.
But Guild pointed out that even though watching animals in circuses have gone out of vogue in certain quarters, "the people of Taiwan want to see performing animals." Guild is also at pains to express that animal cruelty is not something his circus condones.
"[The animals] have grown up in the circus. They are well cared for and loved by their trainers," he said.
Though the Flying Wallendas typically incorporate animals into their show, there will be none for their Taipei performance. Wallenda says this decision has nothing to do with activism, but rather is due to the logistics of getting them over to Taiwan.
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