World Circus Day fell on April 18 this year. The artistic director of the Great Moscow State Circus on Vernadsky Street, Askold Zapashny, spoke to “Moscow Evening” about the value of this art.
– Askold Valtrović, What is the unique power of the circus?
– This is one of the oldest basic arts. With its own functions: to entertain, educate and remind. This is a powerful tool for influencing people. Like any tool, circus is used differently depending on the tasks at hand. At the same time, the possibilities for circus are truly endless.
— What tasks does the circus face today?
— I am convinced: art is a concentrated reality, and in the circus, in the language of tricks, balancing act, by showing human interaction with nature (if we are talking about actions with animals), simple truths are said that people should be reminded of…. What is real life and truth? What is our heritage and traditions? All this can be told in the language of any basic art, and it seems to me that the circus is the strongest here.
— Can you determine the direction of development of the Russian circus?
— I will not undertake to say in which direction the Russian circus is moving, as if it has a clear goal. Although there are already certain trends.
— Trends.
– Yes. This is a buzzword…. These trends indicate the evolution towards new technologies: artificial intelligence is introduced, theatrical performances are created, and live events are combined with movie footage on screens. All this speaks of the circus as a living art that absorbs everything new and important. And that’s great! The circus must satisfy the viewer’s aspirations, satisfy his needs here and now.
Our circus offers programs throughout the year on a variety of topics and topics. For example, we now have a program on the tales of the Brothers Grimm, and last year on the works of Pushkin. In today’s globalized world, circus should not focus only on the sovereign themes of any particular national culture. This is a destructive path that limits development.
file
Askold Zapashny was born on September 22, 1977 in Kharkov. Son of People’s Artist of the RSFSR, wild animal trainer Walter Zapashny. Circus performers in various genres, including training and balancing. Professor of the Department of Circus Directing at RATI (GITIS). He often performs with his brother Edgard. People’s Artist of Russia.