Kovgar Troupe

Teeterboard

By Dominique Jando

Born in Russia, Andrey Kovgar is a former gymnastics champion who, like many of his Russian counterparts, converted to circus when his competition days were over. He learned his trade with the famous Russian teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. troupe of Viacheslav Chernevsky, in which he became the first acrobat ever to achieve a triple somersault on the teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. while standing on a single stilt.

Andrey Kovgar created his own teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. troupe in 2000, at the Circus Nikulin Studio in Moscow, with other former competition gymnasts—some of whom Olympics medalists. The act, choreographed by Irina Voevodina, was originally called "Freilix". It immediately won a Golden Lion at the International Circus Festival of Wuqiao, China, in 2001.

When subsequently, Dominique Mauclair selected them to participate in the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, he noted the Jewish musical atmosphere of the act, and suggested they give the same feeling visually to their act. The costumes were redesigned after Marc Chagall's paintings of old Russia's Jewish scenes, and the choreography was redesigned with a definitely Jewish tone.

The Kovgar Troupe's revamped teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. act was the revelation of the 2002 Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, where it won the Gold Medal. Two years later, it won a Silver Clown at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. Today, the Kovgar Troupe is considered one of the greatest teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. acts of all times. It has appeared in some of the world leading circuses, including Circus Knie in Switzerland, Circus Carré in Amsterdam, the Big Apple Circus in the United States, and, of course, Circus Nikulin in Moscow.

See Also

• Video: The Kovgar Troupe, Jump Rope Act, in the Big Apple Circus production of Celebrate (2007)