Transatlantic Circus — Artistic Flows Between Portugal and Brazil

Abstract

The circus constitutes an artistic practice historically characterised by mobility, circulation, and cultural reconfiguration. The movements of circus artists have occurred across different geographical contexts since the 18th century. This article analyses the migratory flows of circus artists between Portugal and Brazil at two historical moments: the presence of Portuguese artists in 19th-century Brazil and, in the opposite direction, the migration of Brazilian artists to Portugal from the late 20th century onwards. Drawing on bibliographical, documentary, and fieldwork research, this study examines the trajectory of Bartholomeu Corrêa da Silva in Brazil and the cases of Fernanda Dutra, Adriano Marçal, Beatriz Quintella, and Juliana Moura in Portugal. We argue that the circus, as a space of transculturality, not only involves the movement of artists between countries but also reconfigures artistic practices and aesthetics. The article contributes to addressing the paucity of studies on Luso-Brazilian cultural relations within the circus sector. The analysis brings together contributions from cultural history, transcultural studies, and field research to understand how the circulation of artists, techniques, repertoires, and pedagogical practices has produced both continuities and transformations on the two shores of the Atlantic. By placing 19th-century periodical sources, bibliographical documentation, and interviews with artists in dialogue, the article demonstrates that Luso-Brazilian circus flows should not be understood merely as individual movements but as processes of cultural mediation, knowledge circulation, and institutional formation. It is therefore argued that the notion of a “transatlantic circus” enables the study of Lusophone cultural relations to be broadened beyond the domains most frequently analysed, incorporating popular, itinerant, and pedagogical performing arts.