Selective Cultural Memory and the Disabled Body: Uncovering Narratives in Circus Performance

This article explores the intricate narratives surrounding disabled bodies in circus performance, emphasizing the interplay between historical representations and contemporary practices. By examining fictive narratives and their impact on the contemporary circus scene, the article reveals how these stories influence societal perceptions and power dynamics between able-bodied and disabled individuals. It discusses the selective nature of cultural memory in remembering and forgetting historical events and figures, which can maintain or challenge normative assumptions about disability. The article delves into the history of freak shows, highlighting their role in perpetuating stereotypes and marginalizing disabled bodies for entertainment. A critical analysis of the film The Greatest Showman illustrates how popular culture often sanitizes exploitative aspects of historical freak shows, thereby shaping contemporary understandings of disability and normality through selective memory. This film serves as a case study for examining how cultural remembering and forgetting reinforce ableist ideologies. The article further investigates the concept of the gaze and its implications for visual activism. Drawing on the work of disability studies theorists including Rosemarie Garland-Thomson and David Bolt, it examines how the act of looking at disabled bodies is imbued with power dynamics that sustain social hierarchies. Visual activism, as practiced by artists like Erin Ball and Vanessa Furlong in their performance World at Our Feet, seeks to reclaim visibility and challenge stigmatizing narratives by celebrating difference and demanding a shift in perception. Ultimately, this article calls for a reassessment of how disability is remembered and represented in both historical and contemporary contexts. By deconstructing ableist narratives and embracing the diverse contributions of disabled artists, the article advocates for a more inclusive and equitable understanding of circus arts and the broader cultural landscape.