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
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<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==
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[[File:Big_Apple_Circus_tent_(1996).jpg|right|400px]]
 
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===THE BIG APPLE CIRCUS===
 
  
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A cherished New York Institution, the original, not-for-profit Big Apple Circus was created in 1977 by Paul Binder and his juggling partner, Michael Christensen, as the performing arm of the New York School for Circus Arts. Its enormous success soon put the school in the shadows, and the circus took over as the principal activity of the organization. It became one of the world’s most respected and successful circuses—until the economic crisis of 2008, which dramatically impacted its fund-raising capacity, sadly led it to file for bankruptcy eight years later.
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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.
  
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Its name and equipment were sold to private investors who brought the Big Apple Circus back to life in September 2017 in its traditional winter venue, Damrosch Park, in New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center for The Performing Arts. The new Big Apple Circus quickly abandoned its spring-summer tours of the northeast United States and beyond, and limited its activity to its Lincoln Center four-month winter season. However, the Covid pandemic prevented it from performing in the winter of 2020-21. (As of August 2021, it is not yet known when or if it will resume its performances.)
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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.)
  
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As a child, Paul Binder was occasionally taken to the circus by his parents at Madison Square Garden. "I do have one very powerful memory," Paul said, "a spotlighted Unus, alone in the center ring, doing his one-finger stand on a lighted globe. It was very dramatic!" However, the idea that within the circus ring would lie his career never entered his mind.
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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.
  
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Later, Paul attended Dartmouth College, where he joined the Dartmouth Players and the Hopkins Center Repertory Theatre, and then earned an MBA at Columbia University. After a brief stint at Boston University’s School of Fine and Applied Arts, he went to work on television as stage manager for Julia Child’s cooking shows, and later as talent coordinator for The Merv Griffin Show. It was the end of the 1960s, and Paul was restless with the times.
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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.
  
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Meanwhile, in Walla-Walla, Washington, where he was born, Michael Christensen was struggling with a difficult childhood. Somehow, he needed to act out the feelings stirred by his uneasy life, so, quite naturally, he enrolled in the Professional Actor Training program at the University of Washington. As for the circus: "When the circus came to town in the summer, I helped setting up the tents with my brother in exchange for free passes. I also remember laughing uncontrollably at a clown gag—but I don’t remember who the clown was nor what was the gag."
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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.  
  
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Both Paul and Michael ended up in San Francisco, where they met at the San Francisco Mime Troupe. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, San Francisco was the epicenter of a whole era of student revolt and social change. The San Francisco Mime Troupe was taking in active part in that change through a political street-theater movement aimed at stimulating people through outrageous, right-in-your-face physicality.... ([[Big Apple 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==
  
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* [[Pablo Noel]], Animal Trainer
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* [[Francis Brunn]], Juggler
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* [[Big Apple Circus]], History
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* [[Tereza Durova]], Animal Trainer
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* [[Gerry Cottle]], Circus Owner
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* [[Alessandro Guerra]], Equestrian, Circus Director
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* [[Sarah Chapman]], Aerialist
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* [[Jimmy Scott]], Clown
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* [[The 3 Bragazzi]], Comedy Acrobats
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* [[Alexis Gruss, Jr.]], Equestrian, Circus Owner
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
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* [[Wellton_Video_(2010)|John Wellton]], Comedy Juggler (2010)
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* [[Reverhos_Video_(1947)|The Reverhos]], acrobatic jugglers (1947)
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* [[Espanas_Video_(1983)|The Flying Españas]], Flying Trapeze (1983)
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* [[Cyclopes_Video_(2024)|Trio Cyclopes]], jugglers (2024)
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* [[Wu_Zhengdan-Wei_Baohua_Video_(2008)|Wu Zhengdan & Wei Baohua]], Acrobatic Adagio (2008)
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* [[Triple_Breath_Video_(2023)|Triple Breath]], high wire act (2023)
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* [[Duo_Unity_Video_(2016)|Duo Unity]], Cyr Wheel (2016)
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* [[Evsukevich Video (2010)|Pavel Evsukevich]], juggler (2010)  
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* [[Credo_Video_(2017)|Trio Credo]], Russian Barre (2017)
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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)
  
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==A Message from Dominique Jando==
+
==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
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