A aliança dos contrários: a ginástica protagonizada no circo (Brasil, 1840-1880)

Abstract

This study's research focused on the presence of gymnastics in circuses in Brazilian soil during the nineteenth century, especially with companies that visited the court of Rio de Janeiro, but also tracking troupes elsewhere. During the period surveyed it was possible to see the circus as an institution that has contributed to the dissemination and popularization of knowledge regarding gymnastics and horse riding. The presence of artists and circus business in Brazil contributed to the discussions relating to bodily practices which were devoted to education, introducing new gestual elements for building a strong race. The same knowledge was also rejected in the newspaper pages being linked to disorder and lack of forming intentionality of the circus. In this ambiguous space inhabited by circus in the daily life of the cities, other training spaces have been provided within the riding stables, providing gymnastics and riding lessons. Artists also circulated in other places, such as clubs, theaters and schools, where their knowledge of gymnastics were mobilized. For this research became possible was necessary to collect sources in several newspapers in the 1840 period to 1880, aided largely by Digital Newspaper Library's collection of the National Library (BNRJ), and expanded with other online and physicalcollections. It was also necessary to build a database that would allow tracking troupes, artists and especially the features that the gym presented by the circus represented. Aided by this database several elements were identified allowing visualize the movement of gymnastics and its hybridization with other bodily practices - such as riding, acrobatics, balances - expressing a circus gymnastics. Finally, this study shows the path taken by the circus family Casali, and Vincent Casali, circus gymnast who taught at school Pedro II in the year 1881, one of the ring of knowledge of traffic paths for the classrooms.