Circuses originated as a form of entertainment long before the era of movies, television, and social media. The circus arena was a place of exotic mysticism. However, I wondered about the future of the circus in a period filled with many forms of entertainment. We attended the Knie Circus in Zurich twice in one month!

Knie Circus is a family business

Friedrich Knie, a medical student, founded the Knie Circus in 1803 after falling in love with a horse rider. It is a family business and one of the oldest and most prominent European circus groups. Nowadays, members of the 7th generation manage the family business, and their children (the 8th generation) already perform in the arena. I understand the challenges of family businesses and have a lot of respect for the Knie family.

My circus experience over time

I was in a circus as a child when Boswell Wilkie Circus visited our small mining town, Sishen, in South Africa. I was excited but scared of the clowns, and the acrobats stressed me out. It was consequently an experience with mixed feelings. I was curious to see what a contemporary circus has to offer.

In essence, the building blocks of a circus have remained the same over time with acrobatic stunts, slapstick comedy and animals. Circuses have provoked many negative comments regarding the cruel and unfair way they treated animals in the past. The Knie Circus use only horses and ponies but handles the animals incredibly respectfully inside and outside the circus tent.

There were, as then, two clowns who provided continuity. Fortunately, they had no face paint! Their funny pun in German was a bit lost on us, but we had a good laugh with the other people.

Technology in the circus

They used technology cleverly in the shows for a visual spectacle. The Extreme Light Dance Crew created an enjoyable display of light, music, and dance with LED costumes. The group consists of members from Ukraine and Russia despite the war between their home countries.

The quick acrobatic movements on a trampoline and a LED-lit wall were entertaining. Illuminated drones in the circus tent created an incredible visual effect.

Pipistrello

Every year I see the Pipistrello circus tent pitched at our Zumikon’s town square. Their circus wagons stand on the town square, and the crew eat together at long wooden tables. This circus group moves between towns during the warmer months.

They are a co-op circus and organize projects with schools, remedial educational institutions, and holiday organizers. Together with the Pipistrello team, the participants set up the circus tent, developed a circus show with their ideas and presented it at the end of the week.

Circus is a tradition

A friend, who grew up ʼn Switzerland, told me they attend the opening show of the Knie Circus every year. The circus tent was on a square beside the lake for a month. On weekends there were up to three performances per day. The circus tours this way through the cities and larger towns in Switzerland.

The Hirslanden group bought all the tickets for several shows in Switzerland as a thank-you gift to employees. It provided many people and their families with enjoyable entertainment and escape. That’s why we’ve been to the circus twice during May.

The place of the circus in the entertainment arena

All the excited kids’ faces and the smell of popcorn brought the childlike excitement back to me. I enjoyed every moment of the show. Sometimes I had a good laugh, but other times gasped for breath. The quad bike that made a backflip high in the arena tested my nerves. The trick is unique in the world.

Sometimes our family feels like a circus. I will keep the clowns’ identities secret for privacy reasons. However, we all do regular balancing tricks. A circus, however, is a team of people who work together like a well-oiled machine. The team members have specific skills and roles on stage. However, they also help with the usual household chores backstage.

I now understand that the circus is a tradition that connects generations but adapts to the times. I believe it still has a place as entertainment in the future, provided it can continue to innovate.

Regards

Emsia