Huesca Brothers

Risley Act (Icarists)

By Dominique Jando

Giovanni and Nikolai Huesca were born to a circus family of Spanish, Italian, Austrian, and Irish descent. Their father is Natalino "Fumagalli" Huesca, one of Europe's most famous clowns. Their paternal grandfather was Austrian, their paternal grandmother an Italian of Spanish descent with ties to such great Italian circus dynasties as Larrible and Casartelli. Giovanni and Nikoloai's mother, Angela, was born Fossett, a legendary Irish circus dynasty. The two brothers were trained in all traditional acrobatic disciplines and specialized in icarism(French: Jeux Icariens) Act performed by Icarists, in which one acrobat, lying on his back, juggles another acrobat with his feet. (Also: Risley Act) or risley. Among other venues, they have been featured at Cirkus Benneweis in Denmark and the Big Apple Circus in the United States.

See also

• Video: The Huesca Brothers in the Big Apple Circus production of Celebrate (2007)