CIRCUS ANTHOLOGY : HARLEQUIN 12,5 in Height

CIRCUS ANTHOLOGY : HARLEQUIN 12,5 in Height

A small anthology of the characters that have nurtured popular theatres and fairs and that have marked the collective imagination of road shows. Ancestors of the modern circus, here are five figures selected for the qualities still present today in the circus.

Harlequin : A character of the Commedia dell’arte, Harlequin wears a suit of multicoloured diamonds symbolizing the multiple sides of his personality. Elegantly rigid, he manoeuvres hoops and balloons with dexterity, the ancestors of the modern-day circus accessories.

Besides the thousand and one facets of the circus highlighted by his costume, the character’s posture reveals several qualities typical of the circus. His stiff elegance evokes nobility; is there not a whole lineage of circus people? He seems aloof, yet concentrated. He follows four accessories at the same time with gestures that seem effortless. His stoic manner also underlines rigour. Rigour and concentration: two essential qualities in order to acquire outstanding dexterity. The difficulty is inversely proportional to the ease of gesture. The appearance of ‘lightness and ease’ when in reality everything is laborious and arduous. And a smile when muscles complain…

Nicole Taillon