| Description |
Rope walking and under-rope performances are a genre of folk-spectacular art and have deep history. Some written sources testify that in the palace of Amir Temur magnificent performances were staged with participation of ropewalkers. There is also information that Uzbek ropewalkers demonstrated in the past (i.e. in XVIII- XIX centuries) their skills in China, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and other countries. But with a lapse of time rope walking developed significantly, so that ropes began to be mounted on a much higher height. Later rope walking began to be performed in circus arenas and became an integral part of circus art. Notably, the performances of ropewalkers were always combined with those of polvons (strongmen), illusionists, dancers, qiziqchi and askiyachi (comedians and wisecrackers) as well as with traditional circus-related performances (such as walking on stilts, tricks, acrobatics, equilibristic, legerdemain; tamed bears, snakes, monkeys, horses, goats, etc.). |
