Acrobats, Aerialists and other Circus Sights Quiz

Answer: Big Top

Circuses have taken place inside a tent since the late 19th century. The Big Top is so called because, as the tent where the performance takes place, it is the biggest tent there.

Answer: Ringmaster

Circus performances take place inside a circle, called the ring. The man who introduces all the performers is the stage manager of the performance, and also, when there were a lot more circuses than there are now, was often the owner of the circus as well. He is called the Ringmaster because he is in charge of what goes on inside the ring.

Answer: Contortionist

Many contortionists start to train when they are very young. If they leave it until they are older their limbs are not flexible enough. Constant practice means they can dislocate some joints at will, to do tricks like passing their hand behind their head and laying it across their shoulders.

They can move themselves into what most of us would regard as impossible positions, as well as fold themselves inside small objects.

Answer: Safety net

Trapeze artists are some of the most glamorous performers. They leap from trapeze to trapeze, often performing somersaults on the way, with apparently effortless ease. Often there will be three or four performers with two of them catching the others as they fly from person to person.

Answer: Liberty horses

Liberty horses are so called because they perform without any harness and with no rider or human contact. They perform their moves in response to signals from someone standing in the circus ring with them, often the signals are given by cracking whips, but the whips never touch the horses at all.

Answer: Car

Often called the 'Crazy Car' this is a universal clown act. The car backfires, the doors fall off, it goes backwards when it should go forwards. Sometimes it goes round the ring without a driver chasing one of the clowns.

Answer: Knives

Knife throwing requires a lot of practice, as if the thrower misses or is off target by even a little bit he could injure his assistant. Not all knife throwers use a blindfold. In some acts the target with the girl attached to it spins round, making accurate placing of the knives even more difficult.

Answer: Juggling

Juggling takes a lot of practice and hand/eye co-ordination. Most people start off with three balls, but a good juggler will often use five or even seven - it is almost always an odd number. Fruit, crockery and furniture are also favourite things to juggle. Some jugglers use more dangerous objects such as knives, or even chainsaws.

Answer: Tightrope walker

Tightrope walking is balancing on a very thin wire some distance above the ground. Many walkers use a long pole to help them keep their balance and this is called a balance pole. Often they will sit in a chair in the middle of the wire, or jump something fixed to the wire.

Answer: Grand Parade

The Grand Parade is the end of the circus. All the performers come out in turn, and walk round the ring waving to the audience. Some, who perform on the ground, like the juggler and the clowns, will perform on their way round. When they are all in the ring they take a final bow and the performance ends.