The Prague Post
November 22nd, 2008
Endowment Fund     Business Listings ONLINE      Reservations      Classifieds    Subscriptions
Hotel Prague Centre

Home » Archives » Night & Day

A circus for the smart set

Letní Letná returns with international headliners and a mission
Stage Review | Search restaurants | Archives

By Brooke Edge
For The Prague Post
August 15th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
One measure of how much the traditional notion of a circus has changed: Teatro Tatro's Bianka Braselli.
enlarge
Letní Letná

When: Aug. 20–Sept. 2
Where: Letná Park
Tickets: 60–540 Kč, available through Ticketpro and at the venue
For individual events, see the daily Calendar listings; for a
complete schedule, check www.letniletna.cz

What comes to mind when you think of the circus? Particularly if you’re an American, probably visions of ringmasters, elephants and buffoonish clowns, along with the names Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
If that’s the case, you are in need of some circus re-education, according to Ondřej Cihlář, program director of the Letní Letná new-circus festival. The fourth installment of the annual event takes place in Letná Park this year from Aug. 20 to Sept. 2.
The concept of “new circus” is widely recognized as a contemporary art form that emerged from France in the 1970s. From its initial underground beginnings, the theatrical performance style is now popular throughout Europe and continues to gain fans in other regions of the world; a notable proponent of new circus is the constantly touring Canadian powerhouse Cirque du Soleil (appearing at Prague’s Sazka Arena in October).
New circus involves traditional circus elements and art forms like juggling, trapeze, music, clowns and aerial acts, but with a more dramatic style, a sort of fusion between theater and big-top entertainment.
More mature and theatrical methods of traditional circus performance began to catch on in the Czech Republic nearly a century ago, Cihlář says. But World War II put a damper on its development, as did the subsequent four decades of communist rule. Cihlář recalls the circus during his youth in the 1980s as pedestrian, “stupid” stuff.
In recent years, however, particularly with the region’s mastery of puppet theater, new circus has been steadily gaining fans in and around Prague.
“Now, new circus is a chance for the Czech Republic to have a new atmosphere and a new energy,” Cihlář says. He is playing a personal role in nurturing the art form’s popularity within his native country, both by performing with a new-circus ensemble and recently writing and publishing a book (in Czech) that he described as “a guide to new circus.”
As part of his mision, Cihlář and other Letní Letná organizers worked hard to bring an originator and innovator of new circus to this year’s festival. Cirque ici, an internationally renowned French group, was founded by — and showcases works created and performed by — one man, Johann Le Guillerm. Finding time in his schedule for a Prague visit took two years.
“In France, this guy is the star of new circus,” Cihlář says. “His program is absolutely full, but this year we finally caught him,” he adds with a triumphant smile.
Secret, the Cirque ici work (shown on the cover), will be performed 10 times during the festival. It’s the first work in a four-part series titled “Attraction” that Le Guillerm is still creating. This first installment has been popular and highly praised in its international showings so far. In it, Le Guillerm appears to give life to inanimate objects, combining acrobatics and magic.
The second most anticipated piece in this year’s festival is by Teatro Tatro, a “very high-quality group” from Slovakia, Cihlář says. Teatro Tatro’s productions are based on the work of traditional nomadic entertainers and traveling theater troupes, and have made many Central European theatergoers fans of new circus. Their entry in the festival is entitled Bianka Braselli: a two-headed lady, and it features the group’s take on circus and sideshow mainstays such as a talking dog, knife-throwing, levitation, hypnosis and clowns.
“Because they’re from Slovakia, we can feel an Eastern energy,” Cihlář says. “We wanted to show the difference between new circus coming from France, its home, and Teatro Tatro coming from the east, with new spirits in it.”
Letní Letná will also present works from artists closer to home, including two premieres. The popular Czech group Krepsko will debut a work that Cihlář describes as “a very beautiful suite … very delicate, like performing in a teacup.” Another, less dainty performance will be premiered by the Czech group SKUTR, which Cihlář says is “something like Chinese and Japanese fighting style, but transformed for new circus.”
As with all circuses, old or new, a major emphasis in this one will be on children. Cihlář regards Letní Letná as an opportunity to show the next generation of circus and theater fans that there are different interpretations of art and entertainment.  Four sessions of fairytale-telling will be held in the park each day of the festival, along with professional bubble-blowers and clowns suited for the new circus.
“Not McDonald’s clowns,” Cihlář promises. “It’s important to show children that they can laugh not just at a stupid clown, but clowns that are intelligent, too.”

Brooke Edge can be reached at features@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (15/08/2007):

Browse the Current Issue

If you enjoyed this article, why don't you subscribe to the print version!
We accept secure online transactions provided by PayPal and Moneybookers

Be the first to add a comment!


Full Name: *
City: *
E-mail: **
This comment can be published in the print version of The Prague Post
Enter the text on the right:
 visual captcha
Comment: *
* Required field. In order to be approved for display, comments must have a first and last name and a city.
** E-mails are required and will only be used for internal purposes.

Most visited in Business Listings

Provokator
Hotel booking
The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in
The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic.
To subscribe to the print paper, click here.
Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.