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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
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===FRANCIS BRUNN===
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===ELSANE===
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[[File:Elsane_Handstand.jpg|right|300px]]
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The remarkable German trapezist Elsane (1906-1997) had a meteoric circus career: After only ten years performing high under the cupola, a bad fall obliged her to abandon her trapeze; she had been until then a true circus star whose ballet training and her past as an acrobatic dancer had made her a headliner in circuses and on variety stages all over Europe, North Africa, and even the Middle East (at a time when performing there—sometimes in prestigious venues—was still a common occurrence).
  
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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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She was born Else Jaekel on October 26, 1906, in Kossakau in Pomerania, near Danzig (today Gdansk), in what was then Eastern Prussia (Kossakau is today Kosakowo, in Poland). She didn't belong to a circus family, but she was attracted at an early age to ballet and studied it, before meeting Rudolf von Laban (1879-1958), an Austro-Hungarian pioneer of modern dance considered to be the "founding father of expressionist dance." This led Else to evolve toward acrobatic dance—a specialty that was very popular between the two World Wars.
  
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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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When she began performing in the early 1920s, right after WWI, German names were not always well received in Europe, so Else gave a French flavor to hers: Else Jaekel became Jacqueline Elsane. Very attractive, with a beautiful figure and a natural grace that came from her ballet training, she had no difficulty finding engagements in the variety circuit, either in dancing companies or as a solo performer. She eventually made a name for herself and worked in many of Europe’s major variety theaters. In 1932, to promote her act, she ordered a personal poster to the trendy Spanish designer Tito-Livio de Madrazo (1899-1979), which is still very much sought after by collectors today.  
  
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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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With her French name, Jacqueline Elsane became quite popular in Paris, where she performed her acrobatic dance act in such prestigious venues of the time as the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, the Palace, and the Casino de Paris. In 1936 at the famous Empire Music-Hall Cirque, which was managed then by the brothers Amar, owners of the Cirque Amar—France's largest and most successful traveling circus—she was surrounded by the dancers of the Empire ballet in a piece titled ''Symphonie en Bleu'' ("Symphony in Blue"), choreographed by the Ballet Master of the Paris Opera, Léo Staats (1877-1952).... ([[Elsane|more...]])
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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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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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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.... ([[Francis Brunn|more...]])
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==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
  
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* [[Elsane]], Aerialist
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* [[Nouveau_Cirque_(Paris)/fr|Nouveau Cirque]], History — Version Française (French Version)
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* [[Cirque Medrano (Paris)/fr|Cirque Medrano]], History — Version Française (French Version)
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* [[The Reverhos]], Acrobatic Jugglers
 
* [[Francis Brunn]], Juggler
 
* [[Francis Brunn]], Juggler
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* [[Tereza Durova]], Animal Trainer
 
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* [[Alessandro Guerra]], Equestrian, Circus Director
 
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* [[Jimmy Scott]], Clown
 
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* [[Alexis Gruss, Jr.]], Equestrian, Circus Owner
 
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
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* [[Reverhos_Video_(1947)|The Reverhos]], acrobatic jugglers (1947)
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* [[Mary_Chipperfield_Video_(1974)|Mary Chipperfield]], horses & zebras at liberty (1974)
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* [[Cyclopes_Video_(2024)|Trio Cyclopes]], jugglers (2024)
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* [[Rampin_Risley_Video_(2006)|The Rampin Brothers]], Risley act (2006)
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* [[Triple_Breath_Video_(2023)|Triple Breath]], high wire act (2023)
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* [[Rafael_and_Lucy_Video_(c.1980)|Rafael & Lucy]], sword balancing (c.1980)
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* [[Evsukevich Video (2010)|Pavel Evsukevich]], juggler (2010)  
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* [[Addis_Abeba_Video_(2024)|Addis Abeba Troupe]], basket acrobatics (2024)
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* [[Acroart_Video_(2024)|Duo AcroArt]], Cyr wheel (2024)
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* [[Yasmine_Smart_Video_(c.1971)|Yasmine Smart]], horses at liberty (1971)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
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==A Message from the Founder==
 
==A Message from the Founder==
  
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''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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
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''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. 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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
  
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:Founder and Curator
 
:Founder and Curator

Latest revision as of 02:57, 2 April 2025


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

ELSANE

Elsane Handstand.jpg

The remarkable German trapezist Elsane (1906-1997) had a meteoric circus career: After only ten years performing high under the cupola, a bad fall obliged her to abandon her trapeze; she had been until then a true circus star whose ballet training and her past as an acrobatic dancer had made her a headliner in circuses and on variety stages all over Europe, North Africa, and even the Middle East (at a time when performing there—sometimes in prestigious venues—was still a common occurrence).

She was born Else Jaekel on October 26, 1906, in Kossakau in Pomerania, near Danzig (today Gdansk), in what was then Eastern Prussia (Kossakau is today Kosakowo, in Poland). She didn't belong to a circus family, but she was attracted at an early age to ballet and studied it, before meeting Rudolf von Laban (1879-1958), an Austro-Hungarian pioneer of modern dance considered to be the "founding father of expressionist dance." This led Else to evolve toward acrobatic dance—a specialty that was very popular between the two World Wars.

When she began performing in the early 1920s, right after WWI, German names were not always well received in Europe, so Else gave a French flavor to hers: Else Jaekel became Jacqueline Elsane. Very attractive, with a beautiful figure and a natural grace that came from her ballet training, she had no difficulty finding engagements in the variety circuit, either in dancing companies or as a solo performer. She eventually made a name for herself and worked in many of Europe’s major variety theaters. In 1932, to promote her act, she ordered a personal poster to the trendy Spanish designer Tito-Livio de Madrazo (1899-1979), which is still very much sought after by collectors today.

With her French name, Jacqueline Elsane became quite popular in Paris, where she performed her acrobatic dance act in such prestigious venues of the time as the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, the Palace, and the Casino de Paris. In 1936 at the famous Empire Music-Hall Cirque, which was managed then by the brothers Amar, owners of the Cirque Amar—France's largest and most successful traveling circus—she was surrounded by the dancers of the Empire ballet in a piece titled Symphonie en Bleu ("Symphony in Blue"), choreographed by the Ballet Master of the Paris Opera, Léo Staats (1877-1952).... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • Mary Chipperfield, horses & zebras at liberty"Liberty act", "Horses at liberty": Unmounted horses presented from the center of the ring by an equestrian directing his charges with his voice, body movements, and signals from a ''chambrière'' (French), or long whip. (1974)
  • The Rampin Brothers, Risley actAct performed by Icarists, in which one acrobat, lying on his back, juggles another acrobat with his feet. (Named after Richard Risley Carlisle, who developed this type of act.) (2006)
  • Rafael & Lucy, sword balancing (c.1980)
  • Addis Abeba Troupe, basket acrobaticsSee Banquine. (2024)
  • Yasmine Smart, horses at liberty"Liberty act", "Horses at liberty": Unmounted horses presented from the center of the ring by an equestrian directing his charges with his voice, body movements, and signals from a ''chambrière'' (French), or long whip. (1971)

New Oral Histories

Circopedia Books

A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. 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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