Wozniak Troupe

Teeterboard, Russian Swing

By Dominique Jando

Tadeusz (Tady) Wozniak and his wife, Teresa, met when they were both students at the National Circus School of Warsaw, Poland. After graduation, they furthered their training at Moscow's State College for Circus and Variety Arts, where Tady created his teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. act in 1975. His troupe, composed exclusively of Polish acrobats, originally included nine people.

The Wozniak Troupe came to the United States in 1976 for a six-year contract with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. When their contract expired, they joined the Big Apple Circus, where they stayed from 1983-86, first with their teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. act, then with a Russian swingGiant swing used to propel flyers into acrobatic figures onto the shoulders of a catcher, on a crash mat, or into a net. act. Versatile performers, Tady and Teresa Wozniak also appeared at the Big Apple Circus in a bareback riding act in 1984.

During their stay at the Big Apple Circus, the troupe was composed of Tadeusz and Teresa Wozniak, Andrej Olendrzyski, Andrej Nowak, Slawomir Samsel, Julian Stachowski, and Januscz Malinowski. They gave their final performance at the end of the 1986 summer season.

Tady Wozniak went on to work in a technical capacity with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Julian Stachowski stayed at the Big Apple Circus, eventually becoming a member of its permanent company of performers, a position he filled until the 2000-01 season. Afterward, he remained at the Big Apple Circus in an administrative capacity.

See Also

• Video: The Wozniak Troupe, Russian Swing, Big Apple Circus, 1985

Image Gallery

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  The Wozniak Troupe, Russian Swing (1984)