In 1850, after a
lifetime on the Endless Road, London showman
extraordinaire William Batty completed the
construction of his greatest work: a half-scale
replica of the Greek Hippodrome at Delphi, a permanent
home at last for the finest troupe in all the
Empire.
For the nomadic circus caste, Batty's
Hippodrome became an essential waystation and safe
harbor from the rigours of life on the road. For
audiences, it was a chance to interface with a style
of entertainment that was considered vulgar and
déclassé in the socially-acceptable context of a
respectable downtown theater. Not unlike the Moulin
Rouge or Burning Man Festival, the Hippodrome was a
place of congress between fashion-forward high society
and the secret world of performers. And as has often
followed in such cases, the opening of the Hippodrome
marked the emergence of a venerable subculture into
the canon of high culture.
Premier
practitioners of the circus arts from across the globe
will pitch their proverbial stakes and present their
proudest and most petrifying stunts: aerialists,
acrobats, and equilibrists; jugglers, jumpers, and
jokers; magicians and musicians; dames and flames;
geeks, Sikhs, and frrrrreaks. Come, take our hands and
follow us into the 20th Century, The Age of the
Circus. Let us teach you our ancient ways - Liberty,
Equality, Loyalty, and Self-Expression - older than
the cities, older than the churches, older than the
Crown. Together we shall emerge more wholly realized
in our own image, and the world around us shall
follow.
May abundant blessings rain down over
the buses and big-tops of the underground circus
revolution, and speed them on their way to Batty's
Hippodrome.
Batty's Hippodrome is the latest
performing troupe led by Noah Mickens; founder and
director of Cicuri Curajul, Societas Insomnia, and The
999 Eyes Of Endless Dream. Aside from his work in the
circus, Mr. Mickens has served as booker and promoter
for Rotture, Branx, Someday Lounge, and The Jasmine
Tree; served on the board of directors for 2Gyrlz
Performative Arts; played a major hand in the
international Radon Collective; and performed as a
musician and dancer with Nequaquam Vacuum, P.A.N.
Butoh, Soriah, The Steve MacKay Ensemble, The
Moe!kestra!, Death Posture, and numerous other
projects. Joined by his new creative partner Nick the
Creature, he returns to the traditional circus format
for the first time in five years, and prepares to
throw whatever it is that he's got wholly into this
new Work.
“People have romantic notions about television. In the highest realms they think it's some sort of art medium, and it's not. Others think it's an entertainment medium, it's not that either. It's an advertising medium. It's a method to deliver advertising like a cigarette is a method to deliver nicotine.” ~Bill Maher~
