Circus skills

performing art involving the use of illusion

thumb|A plastic yo-yo A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy documented since 440 BC. It was also called a bandalore in the 18th century.

thumb|A showgirl performing [[aerial silk]]

thumb|Children performing juggling as part of the International Jugglers' Association supported Mobile Mini Circus for Children

Ventriloquism is the performance art of speaking or producing sounds so that the voice appears to come from a source other than the performer, most often a puppet or "dummy." Ventriloquists create the illusion of a separate character by manipulating the puppet and producing distinct voices, often for comedy, storytelling, or theatrical entertainment. The technique requires precise vocal control and minimal lip movement. Ventriloquism has historical roots in ancient cultures and theater, and it continues to be practiced in live performances, television, and media worldwide.

thumb|300px|Slacklining

skill involving walking on a thin wire or rope

thumb|right|260px|Firewalking in Sri Lanka Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones. It has been practiced by many people and cultures in many parts of the world, with the earliest known reference dating from Iron Age India . It is often used as a rite of passage, as a test of strength and courage, and in religion as a test of faith. thumb|260px|Firewalking festival in Japan, 2016

act of making a plume or stream of fire by creating a precise mist of fuel from the mouth over an open flame

thumb|309x309px|Kendama

thumb|150px|Contortionist Julia Akmaletdinova performing at the International Contortion Convention, 2003 alt=Purple contortionist|thumb|150px|Contortionist Maria Efremkina performing in 2010. Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is a performance art in which performers called contortionists showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other live performing arts. Contortion acts are typically performed in front of a live audience. An act will showcase one or more artists performing a choreographed set of m

ensemble of performative disciplines practiced in the circus domain

performance skill

Strongman is a competitive strength sport that tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limits. In modern strongman, athletes compete to score points based on their relative position in an event. An athlete who engages in the sport of strongman is also called a 'strongman'. They are often regarded as some of the strongest men of the world.

Ejection of a human being from a specially designed cannon

sport that combines dance and color guard to create coordinated routines

thumb|An advanced two-handed flourish

performance art using fire skills

style of dance that combines classical dance technique with precision acrobatic elements

the act of putting a flaming object into the mouth and extinguishing it, either as a part of Hindu, Sadhu, or Fakir performance to show spiritual attainment, or as a sideshow or circus act (starting in the late 1880s)

combat skill or entertainment technique

form of competitive indoor cycling

circus performer

skill set; act of performing stunts while riding a horse

form of entertainment

type of performance in which one or more artists perform aerial acrobatics while hanging from a special fabric

form of gymnastics using a wheel-shaped apparatus

In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. They historically featured human oddity exhibits (so-called “freak shows”), preserved specimens (real or fabricated, such as the Fiji Mermaid), live animal acts, burlesque or strip shows, actually or ostensibly dangerous stunts, or stunts that appear painful like human blockhead.

Traveling in a vertically inverted orientation with all body weight resting on the hands

foot juggling

thumb|320px|The Ursar, drawing by Theodor Aman

Acrobatic formation

rectangular juggling props

Circus art balancing spinning objects

Circus apparatus

most typical form of juggling

thumb|Acro dancers perform a stag shoulder stand. thumb|Three people and a spotter performing a pyramid thighstand on throne Acrobalance is a floor-based acrobatic art that involves balances, lifts and creating shapes performed in pairs or groups. A performer on the ground doing the lifting and supporting in an acrobalance formation is often called the base, while a performer being lifted or tossed can be referred to as the flyer (or flier). Formats include male/female duo, trio, female/female, and other variations.

training big cats for performance

aerial circus performing act

acrobatics technique