Introduction: a semiotician at the circus -- The production of circus space -- The time of the circus. Cognitive and emotional dimensions of acrobatics and other circus acts -- -- In what sense is a circus animal performing? -- Horses' feathers: from tacit knowledge to circus metaphors -- Circus and cycles -- The pyramid and the wheel: the visual discourse of circus acrobatics -- The logic of clown faces -- Incident, accident, failure: life and death at the circus -- There's no business like show business: the marketing of performance -- The researcher as spectator: the pragmatics of circus performances -- Conclusion: circus in perspective.
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What do circus performances communicate? They are rich in extreme skills and clever staging. They trigger strong emotions. They make beautiful sense. This book, which is grounded in the personal circus experience of the author, uses semiotics, pragmatics, and cultural studies to explain why we are irresistibly drawn to the circus. It shows how semiotics can be applied to understand and enhance our enjoyment.