Kris Kremo

Juggler

By Dominique Jando

A true juggling legend, Kristian (Kris) Gaston Kremo was born in Paris in 1951, the son of Béla Kremo, a former icaristAcrobat who juggle another acrobat with his feet. See Icarism, Risley Act. whose "Gentleman Juggler" act was world famous, and his wife Marianne, née Kalbitz, both Swiss citizens. Kris went to school in Switzerland, often spending his summer vacations with whatever circuses his father was touring with at the time. In this way he learned various circus disciplines, which he then performed with other circus kids in amateur shows. His father soon began to train him as a juggler, discouraging him from pursuing an acrobatic career. During the school year, Kris's juggling education was carried out through written instructions his father sent him by mail. (Béla Kremo would check his son's progress whenever Kris returned home.)

At fifteen, Kris began juggling in amateur shows. A few years later, he turned professional. In 1970, at age 19, he partnered with his father in an act in which father and son performed the same routine in unison and at dizzying speed, with series of three objects (three balls, three hats, three cigar boxes...), which was Béla Kremo's trademark. Kris Kremo began his solo career in 1975. He signed his first circus season with Blackpool's Tower Circus in England. His success was immediate, and he embarked upon a brilliant international career with an act reminiscent of his father's, but significantly improved—notably with triple and quadruple pirouettes while juggling his cigar boxes.

Kris Kremo has performed in major circuses, nightclubs, and variety theaters all over the world, as well as for Queen Elizabeth of England and King Carl Gustav of Sweden. He was featured for a record eleven consecutive years (1978-89) at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas. Both an American and Swiss citizen, Kris Kremo is married to Russian hula-hoop artist Yelena Larkina.

See also

• Biographies: The Kremo Family, Béla Kremo
• Oral History: Kris Kremo: interview with Dominique Jando (2007)
• Video: Kris Kremo in the Big Apple Circus production of Celebrate! (2007)

Image Gallery

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  Béla & Kris Kremo (c.1970)

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  Kris Kremo

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo (2007)

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  Kris Kremo's triple pirouette(French) A full rotation of the body in the vertical axle. Double pirouette: two rotations, etc. (2007)

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  Kris Kremo at Circus Knie (2009)

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  Kris Kremo at Circus Knie (2009)

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  Kris Kremo at the Royal Hanneford Circus (2010)