Gamma Phi Circus

Gamma Phi Circus, sponsored by Illinois State University, is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States. It began as the Gamma Phi fraternity, founded in 1929 by ISU gymnastics instructor Clifford "Pop" Horton. The fraternity's first circus performance took place in 1931. Gamma Phi Circus is a performing arts fraternal organization and is no longer affiliated with social fraternities or sororities and is a Registered Student Organization. Membership is available by audition to all full-time ISU students, faculty, and staff, and students can receive one semester of credit for participation.

Gamma Phi Circus is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States. Illinois State University and Florida State University are the only two four-year universities that have full-fledged circuses. Gamma Phi Circus allows students to practice, perform, and participate in a performing arts organization. Along with providing fun for students, this organization also brings family entertainment to Bloomington-Normal and many other communities.

History of the Gamma Phi Circus

The Gamma Phi Circus was founded in 1926 by Dr. Clifford Horton, who was a gymnastics instructor for Illinois State University. The Gamma Phi fraternity was then founded in 1929 and was dedicated to physical education, fitness, and gymnastics. The first gamma phi circus performance was in 1931 on the Illinois State campus which is located in Bloomington-Normal, IL. The Bloomington-Normal community has had strong ties to circuses since the 1880s, and it has served as a home to the Flying Wards and the Conciellos, both famous trapeze acts. In 1938, female members began to perform with the all male circus, at which time the name was changed from Gamma Phi, to Gamma Phi Circus. These women were then elected into the organization in 1940. After graduating college, the circus alumni have gone on to perform in the Shrine Circuses, the Circus Kingdom, Roberts Brothers Circus, Kelly Brothers Circus, the Great American Circus, and the Circus Alleluia. They have also performed in places such as Disney World, Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, Great America, and at Club Med Resorts. Members and alumni have also competed several times internationally in the Rhoenradturnen (Wheel Gymnastics) World Championships.

Financial Aspects

The Gamma Phi Circus is financed mainly by revenue from the home performances, the Gamma Phi Circus receives no funding from the state or the university. Not only do the “Home Shows” (a home show is the circus performance put on at Illinois State University) allow people to come to the university to see the circus, but there are also free exhibitions which are not only entertaining but also serve to broadcast and publicize the show and the talented students at Illinois State University. Many businesses and corporations also help with the cost of the show by sponsoring certain acts and taking out ads in the program. The circus rents the arena from the university at full cost, buys or makes the costumes, and does maintenance and buys equipment for the rehearsal areas. Advertising is through TV, radio, newspapers, and the handing out of brochures. Gamma Phi Circus is completely self-supporting and all the money raised goes towards the organization.

Circus Participants

Anyone can join the circus that meet a few necessary requirements. They can be any full time student, faculty, or staff member at Illinois State University. All that is asked of an applicant is that they must audition for two separate acts and are judged on their potential, skill, and development. Once a member makes it through this process, the participant has to work with the circus for a full year, and they must attend all practices. Practices are held at the Horton Field house on the ISU campus, starting at 7 p.m. Student participants are not paid and, generally, receive no academic credit for being a performer.

Shows

Every April, Gamma Phi puts on their “Home Show” at Redbird Arena. The Home Show is over two hours long and usually consists of twenty or more acts (none of which use animals) and typically the show pulls in an audience of over 16,000 fans. Gamma Phi performs twenty to thirty road shows and exhibitions each year for schools, businesses, and charities. Over the years this fraternity has performed in over 90 cities and towns throughout Illinois. The organization has a loyal fan base that attend the annual circus performances as well as road shows and exhibitions. The Gamma Phi road show performances are approximately two hours long, and are performed in advance of the main "Home Show". They perform double-duty as both a full circus performance and a preview and tune-up for the main show. The road show performances are held outside the Bloomington/ Normal area and Gamma Phi is only available for a limited number of these each year. Exhibitions are another set of performances that Gamma Phi puts on. These performances are usually forty-five minutes in length and will normally consist of floor acts only. These floor acts are along the lines of acrosport, globes, unicycles, gymwheel, chair balancing, juggling, etc. Exhibition shows are often put on for school assemblies and open houses.

Circus Acts

Action packed with live entertainment, Gamma Phi Circus gives high energy performances. Gamma Phi has the main circus acts that most top-notch circuses perform today. Usually these acts include: Aerosport, Aerial Silks, Spanish Webs, Gymwheel, Multiple Trap, Swinging Trap, Skating, Russian Bar, Unicycles, Russian Swing, mini-Teeterboard, High-Cradle, Teeterboard, and Vaulting/Tumbling. Each years performance also includes specialty acts such as Trap/Cradle, Hand Balancing, Perch-Pole, or Lira Hoop. In the recent past Women's rings and swinging ladders have not been in show. Gamma Phi also has clowns.

References:

* http://www.gammaphicircus.ilstu.edu/

* http://www.dailyvidette.com/media/storage/paper420/news/2006/04/06/News/Redbird.Arena.Becomes.Big.Top.For.Gamma.Phi.Circus-1797796.shtml?norewrite200610151954&sourcedomain=www.dailyvidette.com

* http://www.dailyvidette.com/media/paper420/news/2003/08/26/Features/Myths.About.Gamma.Phi.Circus.Disproved-452717.shtml?norewrite200603180508&sourcedomain=www.dailyvidette.com