Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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<div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
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<br><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ
<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia was originally created with the support of the Big Apple Circus Ltd. and inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation]''.</div><br/>
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ε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
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<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia is an independent educational website, originally created as a project of the non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
===MOSCOW'S BOLSHOI CIRCUS===
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===FRANCIS BRUNN===
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[[File:Francis_Brunn_in_Paris.jpeg|right|300px]]Francis Brunn (1922-2004) is justly considered one of the greatest jugglers of the twentieth century. In 1950, the legendary ''New York Times'' theater critic Brooks Atkinson said that he was "the greatest juggler of the ages," adding with his usual humor: "Not many people in the world are as perfectly adjusted as Mr. Brunn is. He will never have to visit a psychiatrist." What characterized Francis Brunn was not so much the tricks he performed (although they were spectacular) as the speed, precision and balletic quality of his act.
 +
 
 +
He was born Franz Josef Brunn on November 15, 1922, in Aschaffenburg, southwest of Frankfurt, in Bavaria (Germany). His parents were not in show business: his father, Michael Aloysius Brunn (1898-1980) was a restaurant owner, but he was also a three-time champion diver; his mother Pauline, née Schobert, was a homemaker. Franz had three sisters, Lotti (1925-2008), Jutta, and Anni. He also had a half-brother, Ernst Kuhn, later known as Ernest Montego (1936-2016), who would also become a great juggler. (All siblings and their parents would eventually resettle in the U.S.)
  
[[File:Bolshoi_Circus_Aerial.png|right|400px]]The "Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue" (''Большой Московский цирк на проспекте Вернадского'' in Russian), better known as Moscow's ''Bolshoi Circus'' ("Grand Circus") was built under the tenure of Leonid Brezhnev as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR, and opened its doors on April 30, 1971. It is located on Vorobiovy Hills (formerly Lenin Hills), in the Gagarin District, between Vernadsky Prospect (avenue), which separates it from the Moscow University campus, and Nikolai Kopernik (Copernic) Street; Lomonosov Avenue joins them on the southern side. Although it is far from Moscow's center, it is well deserved by the ''Universitet'' metro station.
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Juggling entered the family during WWI, when Michael Brunn was interned in a prisoner camp in France. Through the barbed wires, he observed a man who was juggling three balls. Out of boredom, Michael decided to teach himself to do the same with three stones. Later, he taught his children the basics of juggling using three oranges: Under his guidance, Franz and Lotti acquired the basics of the craft, but didn't yet seriously consider developing their skills.
  
The building was conceived by Yakov Borisovich Belopolsky (1916-1993)&mdash;one of the busiest official architects of the Brezhnev era&mdash;in cooperation with E. Bulikh, S. Feoktistov and V. Khavin, the engineers who developed the unique technology of this revolutionary circus. With its 3,350-seat house, 56 meters in diameter (approximately 185 feet) and a height of 28 meters (92 feet) under the cupola, and its numerous specialized features and facilities, it is the world's largest and technically most advanced circus building.
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Like his champion-diver father, Franz was very physical. Michael trained him in gymnastics, diving, and acrobatics, which gave his son a strong base. Franz then attended Berlin's University of the Arts, which had an important performing arts section. It is in 1937, in the brand-new ''Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen'' show at Berlin's Deutschlandhalle, that Franz saw an artist who truly inspired him, the Italian juggler Angelo Picinelli (1921-2004). Picinelli worked mainly in variety theaters, which were numerous and very popular then in Germany, and this charismatic and gifted juggler was a major variety star.
  
Its unique fittings make it an exceptional tool for the presentation of all sorts of large-scale circus productions. The ensemble includes a rehearsal ring, located backstage behind the ring entrance in a space vast and high enough to accommodate aerial acts; a stage above the ring entrance, which can connect to the ring with a telescopic staircase that unfolds automatically; the possibility for aerialists and technicians to access the house or their apparatus from the ceiling; a multitude of dressing rooms, offices, and workshops (for costumes and equipment), a canteen and a cafeteria for the personnel, and several spacious rooms with controlled temperatures to accommodate the upkeep of all sorts animals.  
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Franz was hooked: he already knew the basics, and then, a friend took him to watch a juggler rehearsing; he saw what could be done with training, and he liked it. He heard of the legendary Enrico Rastelli (1896-1931), the greatest juggler of all times who died untimely at age thirty-five, and he watched the films that had recorded his work. He also read ''Das Wunder der tanzenden Bälle'' ("The Miracle of the Dancing Balls", 1938) by the great circus chronicler and novelist A.H. Kober, which became another source of inspiration.  
  
But the true jewel of the crown is without a doubt its interchangeable ring: It is placed on a hydraulic circular platform that can be lowered into a gigantic basement, where four other full-size specialized rings are stored around this central elevator, and can roll on and off its platform.... ([[Bolshoi Circus|more...]])
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Ball manipulation, which was one of Rastelli's many talents and became a Francis Brunn trademark, was not completely unknown to him thanks to his practice of football (soccer). Then, to pure juggling, Francis added his acrobatic and dancing abilities. (He developed in time a passion for Flamenco, which eventually defined his style.) His sister Lotti also entered the game, and became his partner&mdash;although she developed impressive skills of her own, sometimes comparable to her brother's.... ([[Francis Brunn|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
  
* [[Pablo Noel]], Animal Trainer
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* [[Francis Brunn]], Juggler
* [[Big Apple Circus]], History
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* [[Tereza Durova]], Animal Trainer
* [[Gerry Cottle]], Circus Owner
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* [[Alessandro Guerra]], Equestrian, Circus Director
* [[Sarah Chapman]], Aerialist
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* [[Jimmy Scott]], Clown
* [[The 3 Bragazzi]], Comedy Acrobats
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* [[Alexis Gruss, Jr.]], Equestrian, Circus Owner
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Veronika_Teslenko_Video_(2013)|Veronika Teslenko]], Aerial Straps (2013)
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* [[Reverhos_Video_(1947)|The Reverhos]], acrobatic jugglers (1947)
* [[Zander_Video_(2018)|Carmen Zander]], Tiger Act (2018)
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* [[Cyclopes_Video_(2024)|Trio Cyclopes]], jugglers (2024)
* [[Bolshoi_Circus_Video_(2021)|The Bolshoi Circus]], Documentary (2021)
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* [[Triple_Breath_Video_(2023)|Triple Breath]], high wire act (2023)
* [[Duo_Fusion_Video_(2015)|Duo Fusion]], Hand-to-Hand Balancing (2015)
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* [[Evsukevich Video (2010)|Pavel Evsukevich]], juggler (2010)  
* [[Caveagna_Tiger_Video_(2015)|Giordano Caveagna]], Tiger Act (2015)
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* [[Acroart_Video_(2024)|Duo AcroArt]], Cyr wheel (2024)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
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* [[Circopedia Books|Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus]], by Dominique Jando (2018)
 
* [[Circopedia Books|Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus]], by Dominique Jando (2018)
  
==A Message from Dominique Jando==
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==A Message from the Founder==
  
 
''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;basis. Keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
 
''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;basis. Keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  

Latest revision as of 21:11, 15 November 2024


Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!
Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ ε!
Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!
Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!

Circopedia is an independent educational website, originally created as a project of the non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

FRANCIS BRUNN

Francis Brunn in Paris.jpeg
Francis Brunn (1922-2004) is justly considered one of the greatest jugglers of the twentieth century. In 1950, the legendary New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson said that he was "the greatest juggler of the ages," adding with his usual humor: "Not many people in the world are as perfectly adjusted as Mr. Brunn is. He will never have to visit a psychiatrist." What characterized Francis Brunn was not so much the tricks he performed (although they were spectacular) as the speed, precision and balletic quality of his act.

He was born Franz Josef Brunn on November 15, 1922, in Aschaffenburg, southwest of Frankfurt, in Bavaria (Germany). His parents were not in show business: his father, Michael Aloysius Brunn (1898-1980) was a restaurant owner, but he was also a three-time champion diver; his mother Pauline, née Schobert, was a homemaker. Franz had three sisters, Lotti (1925-2008), Jutta, and Anni. He also had a half-brother, Ernst Kuhn, later known as Ernest Montego (1936-2016), who would also become a great juggler. (All siblings and their parents would eventually resettle in the U.S.)

Juggling entered the family during WWI, when Michael Brunn was interned in a prisoner camp in France. Through the barbed wires, he observed a man who was juggling three balls. Out of boredom, Michael decided to teach himself to do the same with three stones. Later, he taught his children the basics of juggling using three oranges: Under his guidance, Franz and Lotti acquired the basics of the craft, but didn't yet seriously consider developing their skills.

Like his champion-diver father, Franz was very physical. Michael trained him in gymnastics, diving, and acrobatics, which gave his son a strong base. Franz then attended Berlin's University of the Arts, which had an important performing arts section. It is in 1937, in the brand-new Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen show at Berlin's Deutschlandhalle, that Franz saw an artist who truly inspired him, the Italian juggler Angelo Picinelli (1921-2004). Picinelli worked mainly in variety theaters, which were numerous and very popular then in Germany, and this charismatic and gifted juggler was a major variety star.

Franz was hooked: he already knew the basics, and then, a friend took him to watch a juggler rehearsing; he saw what could be done with training, and he liked it. He heard of the legendary Enrico Rastelli (1896-1931), the greatest juggler of all times who died untimely at age thirty-five, and he watched the films that had recorded his work. He also read Das Wunder der tanzenden Bälle ("The Miracle of the Dancing Balls", 1938) by the great circus chronicler and novelist A.H. Kober, which became another source of inspiration.

Ball manipulation, which was one of Rastelli's many talents and became a Francis Brunn trademark, was not completely unknown to him thanks to his practice of football (soccer). Then, to pure juggling, Francis added his acrobatic and dancing abilities. (He developed in time a passion for Flamenco, which eventually defined his style.) His sister Lotti also entered the game, and became his partner—although she developed impressive skills of her own, sometimes comparable to her brother's.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • The Reverhos, acrobatic jugglers (1947)
  • Trio Cyclopes, jugglers (2024)
  • Triple Breath, high wireA tight, heavy metallic cable placed high above the ground, on which wire walkers do crossings and various acrobatic exercises. Not to be confused with a tight wire. act (2023)
  • Pavel Evsukevich, juggler (2010)
  • Duo AcroArt, Cyr wheel (2024)

New Oral Histories

Circopedia Books

A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. Keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to contact us: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.

Dominique Jando
Founder and Curator