The Criollo Circus (Circus Theatre) in Argentina. The emergence of a unique circus form in connection with the consolidation of the Argentine nation state

JULIETA INFANTINO

The Cambridge companion to the Circus

Cambridge University Press

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2021; p. 63 - 77

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Argentina established a unique circus form known as Criollo Circus. The performances were characterized by a first part of circus skills and a second part of theatrical drama based on the criollista-gaucho genre derived from a literary movement that exalted the figure of the Argentine gaucho as an emblem of nationality. This fusion produced an innovative modality and a modification in the evaluative appraisals of the circus, which, between the years 1880 and 1910, shifted from being considered as a ?minor art? to being legitimised as the ?origin? of the authentic Argentinian national theatre. However, this period of transitional appreciation ended, and the circus was again dismissed as a minor art. This chapter discusses the process of emergence and legitimisation of the Criollo Circus ? or Circus Theatre -, examines its stylistic and thematic characteristics and evaluates the imprint left by this generic variant upon the subsequent national circus and theatre forms. It also analyses the construction of hierarchies based on the weighting of the spoken drama and high art over the popular bodily based performances and the way these hierarchies become brands that continue to influence contemporary valuations of art in Argentina.