Types of Circus Acts
Types Of Circus Acts is a structured entertainment dataset with 17 entries. Its fields include Act, Category, Origin Era. The source values are preserved as a structured reference table.
Every row is shown below and is also available as CSV, JSON, or Excel.
Dataset details
- Table scope
- All 17 rows
- Fields
- 6 columns
- Source
- Community curated
- Data updated
- Apr 9, 2026
Included fields: Act, Category, Origin Era, Risk Level, Signature Troupe/Performer, and 1 more.
The table contains every record in this dataset; the same records are available in each download format.
Preview observations
- Category groups
- 10 distinct values
- Across 17 preview rows
- Risk Level groups
- 4 distinct values
- Across 17 preview rows
Useful for
- Comparing Act, Category, and Origin Era across entertainment entries
- Building reference tables, charts, or analyses from 17 downloadable records
Act↕ | Category↕ | Origin Era↕ | Risk Level↕ | Signature Troupe/Performer↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flying Trapeze | Aerial | 1859 (Jules Leotard) | High | The Flying Wallendas | Performers swing and release between bars, catchers snag them mid-air, quadruple somersault is the holy grail |
Tightrope Walking | Balance | Ancient (funambulus, Rome) | High | Philippe Petit, Nik Wallenda | Walking a thin rope or wire high above the ground, sometimes without a net, Petit's 1974 Twin Towers walk |
Lion Taming | Animal | 1830s (Isaac Van Amburgh) | Extreme | Clyde Beatty, Gunther Gebel-Williams | Tamer enters cage with big cats, uses whip and chair, largely phased out due to welfare concerns |
Juggling | Skill | Ancient Egypt (2000 BCE) | Low | Anthony Gatto, Jay Gilligan | Throwing and catching multiple objects, record is 14 balls momentarily, clubs and knives for spectacle |
Contortion | Flexibility | Ancient China and Mongolia | Medium | Mongolian State Circus | Extreme flexibility, backbends, front-folds, performers train from age 4, Cirque du Soleil staple |
Trapeze (Static) | Aerial | 19th century | Medium | Cirque du Soleil | Single performer on stationary bar, poses and drops, less speed more grace than flying trapeze |
Clowning | Comedy | Commedia dell'arte (16th c.) | Low | Emmett Kelly, Grock, Bello Nock | Slapstick, pratfalls, oversized shoes, makeup archetypes (whiteface, auguste, character clown) |
Acrobatics | Tumbling | Ancient Greece | Medium | Chinese State Circus | Flips, handstands, human pyramids, Chinese acrobats train from early childhood, precision tumbling |
Knife Throwing | Skill | 19th century sideshow | High | The Great Throwdini | Thrower outlines assistant with blades, wheel of death rotates target, zero margin for error |
Fire Breathing | Fire | Ancient India (yogis) | Extreme | Jim Rose Circus | Performer sprays fuel across torch to create fireball, burns and lung damage common for amateurs |
Sword Swallowing | Sideshow | India 2000 BCE | Extreme | Dan Meyer | Inserting solid blade down the esophagus, fewer than 100 active professionals worldwide |
Aerial Silks | Aerial | 1959 (Andre Simard) | Medium | Cirque du Soleil | Performer climbs, wraps and drops from long fabric hanging from the rigging, modern circus staple |
Human Cannonball | Daredevil | 1877 (Zazel) | Extreme | The Zacchinis, David Smith Jr. | Performer launched from spring-loaded cannon up to 200 feet, most dangerous act in circus history |
Elephant Act | Animal | 1812 (Old Bet) | Medium | Ringling Bros. | Trained elephants perform tricks, retired by Ringling in 2016 amid welfare protests |
Unicycling | Balance | 1860s | Low | Kris Holm | Single-wheel balancing, often combined with juggling, giraffe unicycles up to 10 feet tall |
Motorcycle Globe of Death | Daredevil | 1900s | Extreme | Urias Globe of Death | Up to 7 riders loop inside a steel mesh sphere at 60 mph, collisions are fatal |
Horse Dressage / Vaulting | Animal | Ancient Rome | Medium | Cavalia | Acrobatic gymnastics performed on the back of a moving horse, oldest continuous circus act |
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Frequently asked questions
How is Types of Circus Acts organized?
The table starts in the source data's default order. You can sort and filter the loaded rows by the displayed fields.
How much data is available on this page?
This dataset contains 17 entries, and every row is available in the table and in the downloadable files.
Can I download the complete dataset?
Yes. CSV, JSON, and Excel downloads contain all 17 rows. Before republishing the data, review the source and any usage terms listed on this page; dtbse does not replace the original source's licensing terms.
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