An Introduction to Contemporary Circus follows the dwindling paths of the development of contemporary circus. Its first part describes the acts, moments and events which have fashioned the genre into what it is today. In the latter part of the book, the reader will find articles on the history and current situation of circus in each of the Nordic countries.

Tomi Purovaara’s text on the history of contemporary circus was originally published in Finnish in 2005 and has been translated, updated, and expanded with a chapter on the Finnish context for this edition. The book also contains newly written texts by Camilla Damkjær together with Kiki Muukkonen about Sweden, Sverre Waage about Norway, and Stine Degerbøl and Katrien Verwilt about Denmark.

The book is intended for circus students, artists, spectators, researchers, festival directors and circus funding decision-makers.