Difference between revisions of "Egorov Troupe"

Revision as of 23:30, 1 December 2008

Flying Act, Russian Barre

By Dominique Jando

Born in Moscow, Russia, on July 5, 1950, Vladimir Egorov developed an early interest in acrobatics, and along with his brother Yury (b. February 9, 1964), he learned a wide range of circus disciplines in an Amateur Circus troupe, the Russian equivalent of a Youth Circus—albeit at a much higher level of training and skills.

Vladimir made his professional debut as an acrobat in 1970 with a hand-to-handAn acrobatic act in which one or more acrobats do hand-balancing in the hands of an under-stander. act with Nikolai Malenkin, and then performed a similar act with Yury Osipov. In 1974, he joined the legendary 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 of Vladimir Voljanski, with which he performed for twelve years, both in Russia and on tour with the Moscow Circus.

In 1987, Vladimir began working on his own act, under the guidance of the great aerial act creator, Piotr Maenstrenko, at the Circus Studio in Moscow. It was originally a combination of Russian Barre and flying actAny aerial act in which an acrobat is propelled in the air from one point to another., which used intricate equipment; although the act would be brought to fruition later by [[the Borsovi, Vladimir chose not to pursue it, preferring instead to develop two separate acts out of one, a Russian Barre act, and the flying actAny aerial act in which an acrobat is propelled in the air from one point to another., which used catchers on upright cradles.

The Egorov troupe, with Vladimir and his brother Yury as the main catchers, and Maksim Dobrovitsky and Regina Dobrovitskaya as the principal flyers, debuted at Moscow’s Bolshoi Circus in July 1988. Both acts were technically and artistically outstanding, and the troupe embarked on a rich international career, touring with various units of the Moscow Circus, and appeared in Sweden with Cirkus Scott and in Germany with Franzi Althoff. The flying actAny aerial act in which an acrobat is propelled in the air from one point to another. changed over the years, peaking with three catchers and four flyers.

The Egorovs’s flying actAny aerial act in which an acrobat is propelled in the air from one point to another. made its American debut at the Big Apple Circus in 1992, and remained with that circus until 1996. In 1995, they performed a simplified version of their Russian Barre act that featured Regina Dobrovitskaya. The troupe dissolved the following season. Regina Dobrovitskaya and Vladimir Egorov remained with the Big Apple Circus, Regina as a member of its resident company, Vladimir as coach and Assistant Performance Director.

The Egorov Troupe participated in the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo in 1999 with their original Russian Barre act, during which Maksim Dobrovitsky became the first acrobat ever to complete a quadruple somersault on the Barre. The troupe was awarded the Journalist Association award, and the TV Monte-Carlo award.

In 1995, Vladimir Egorov was made Artist Emeritus of the Russian Federation. He retired from the ring in 2003, and settled in the United States. His wife, Nadezhda Petrovna (born Voronina on October 25, 1954) was a competition gymnast before working with the Volzhanski troupe, and in the aerial act of Nadezhda Belenko. Nadezhda and Vladimir have two daughters, Elena and Svetlana, who have left the circus. Elena Egorova performed for a while a hula-hoop act.

Yury Egorov returned to Russia in 1996, where he trained his stepson, Sergey Akimov, into a remarkable aerial strapsPair of fabric or leather straps used as an apparatus for an aerial strap act. act that won a Silver Medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris in 2005.

See Also

• Video: [[Egorov_Troupe_BAC_1992_Video|The Egorov Troupe, Flying Act, in the Big Apple Circud production of Goin' Places (1992)