FROM MODERN MECHANIX, JULY, 1931

MODERN MECHANIX,

JULY, 1931

Florida State Fair runs Feb. 10-21

By LEE CLARK ZUMPE
Monday, Feb. 7, 2011
TAMPA – It’s time to munch on candy apples, corn dogs and cotton candy.
Those are a few of the staples people will find at the Florida State Fair, running Feb. 10-21, at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N. in Tampa.
The annual fair is a celebration of and salute to the state’s best in the agriculture and equestrian industry. The event includes a wide variety of shows, music, rides, food and shopping. Running 12 consecutive days, there’s nothing quite like dazzling sights, sounds, and tastes the fair has to offer.
read more at:http://www.tbnweekly.com/editorial/local_entertainment/festivals/content_articles/020711_lefest-01.txt

Circus director’s event educates and entertains

February 8, 2011 by BECKY ATKINSON
Once the tent is packed up and the circus moves to the next city, all that remains is a circle of sawdust in the now empty field where the circus ring used to be.
This is the inspiration for the name of a touring multi-media one man show presented tonight at Canopy Studio — “Circle of Sawdust: Circus Tales of Mud, Myth, Magic, Mirth and Mayhem” with Rob Mermin.
“I’ll be telling stories and anecdotes of my various adventures and misadventures at the circus,” said Mermin, host of the event. “I have some old film clips in the early circus I traveled with 40 years ago in Europe. It will be a very entertaining, but very educational show about the world of circus and what life is really about for a circus performer.”
In his 20s Mermin ran away to join a traveling circus in Europe.
With training in mime and a degree in drama and literature from Lake Forest College, Mermin’s career exploded in a variety of directions.
He became director of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College; founder of Circus Smirkus; a clown in circuses across Europe, Scandinavia and the former Soviet Union; an author; a director and a university lecturer.
Sharing stories of his life under the big top and vintage circus clips from his own personal collection, Mermin will tell about the traditions of circus culture and the lifestyle of being a circus performer.
“Circus has a revival of interest among young people and students studying circus arts,” Mermin said. “I’ve found there’s a good two dozen of these circus schools and training places around the country that teach great skills, but no one is really teaching the traditions of the circus culture.”read more at:http://www.redandblack.com/2011/02/08/circus-director%E2%80%99s-event-educates-and-entertains/

The circus is coming

Submitted by Megan Seckman

February 7, 2011

LOUISVILLE, KY--
The Kosair Shrine Circus is coming to town! This Thursday, February 10th-Sunday, the 13th, your family can witness, according to the Kosair Shrine Circus website, “a masterful show for children of all ages” at The Kentucky State Fairgrounds. Performed by George Carden Circus International, a fifth generational showman and led by Ringleader Ms. Audrey Michelle, the circus will feature pyramiding elephants and flamboyant fliers high above the rings. Bruno’s tigers, trained in Polish, are boasted to come to the trainer for hunks of reward instead of being isolated on their platforms. Princess Elayne, a 17-year-old contortionist, is said to be able to hold her entire body up by her mouth, gripping a metal bar with her teeth. Ow. She is also lauded to shoot a bow and arrow with just her feet. And let’s not forget the clowns. After reading "Water for Elephants" and witnessing the aerial acts at Turner’s of Louisville, I have mixed feelings about the circus: bizarre, questionable in the treatment of animals, steeped in the strangest of traditions, but nonetheless, grand and intriguing. If the circus tickles your family’s fancy, be sure to scoop up some tickets at the KY State Fairgrounds, Broadbent Arena box office, or through Ticketmaster at: 1(800)745-3000. Tickets are $16-22 depending on seat locations and free to lap-children 2 and under. The Kosair Shiners, a fraternity known for their philanthropy (and red fezzes) also accepts donated tickets to the circus that benefit children from Cedar Lake Lodge, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Home of the Innocents, Center for Women & Families, and many others. If you’d like to donate a ticket or two, call (502) 585-5497. For more information, visit www.kosaircircus.com Photo courtesy Kosair Shrine Circus

FROM MODERN MECHANIX MAGAZINE, JUNE 1937

MAKE SURE TO CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO ENLARGE AND READ!

York rodeo organizer fires back at animal-rights protesters

Kenny Churchill of York just received approval to hold a rodeo this June at York's Wild Kingdom. Churchill is a retired rodeo rider and is pulling in people all over the country to participate in the event.Deb Cram/dcram@seacoastonline.com

By Susan Morsesmorse@seacoastonline.com

February 07, 2011
YORK, Maine — Animal rights groups oppose rodeos and bull riding as a form of animal abuse, but the organizer of an event in June at York's Wild Kingdom said protesters need to educate themselves on the sport.
"The N.H. SPCA does not support rodeos. We haven't in the past; we wouldn't anticipate we would in the future," said Lisa Dennison, executive director of the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Stratham, which covers York County. "A rodeo is an opportunity, much like dog fighting or dog racing, to have a good time at the expense of the animal."
Jordan Crump, spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States, said the organization opposes rodeos, "since they typically cause torment and stress to animals; expose them to pain, injury or even death; and encourage an insensitivity to and acceptance of the inhumane treatment of animals in the name of sport.
"Accordingly," he continued, "we oppose the use of devices such as electric prods, sharpened sticks, spurs, flank straps and other rodeo equipment that cause animals to react violently, and we oppose bull riding, bronco riding, steer roping, calf roping, 'wild horse racing,' chuck wagon racing, steer tailing and horse tripping."

Ken Churchill, organizer of the rodeo coming to York, Maine, this June, rides a bull at an event in the 1990s.
The York rodeo will feature bull riding and barrel racing, an event in which horses gallop around barrels, according to organizer Kenny Churchill of York. There will be no calf roping or other events involving animals. Churchill, 49, a former professional bull rider, denied that bulls are mistreated and said he has heard such claims before.
"For many years, I've tried to sit down with them," Churchill said of animal-rights activists. "I've offered to educate them about the sport and how well the animals are taken care of. The problem with these groups is, they don't want to be educated."
Churchill is chief executive officer for World Cup Bull Riders, an organization he formed in 1999. He takes his bull riding and barrel racing rodeo to between 15 and 18 venues nationwide each year through his Extreme Country Stampede Tour. The World Cup Bull Riders Extreme Country Stampede Tour will be held June 4-5 at York's Wild Kingdom. This is the first time the rodeo will be held in York.read more at:http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110207/NEWS/102070314/-1/NEWSMAP

When the circus comes to town

Circus posters dating back to the 1950s are on display in a circus-themed exhibit at the Fleming Museum on Thursday evening Feb. 3, 2011.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
For many artists in the United States and Europe, the circus has meant much more than a show. Circus performers, like artists, have the ability to create and entertain yet are not fully understood or appreciated by the public. That connection is at the heart of the new Fleming Museum exhibit at University of Vermont called "The Fine Art of the Circus in America," which runs through May 22.
Says a Fleming description: The circus "provided a spectacle of man's tragic failings as seen in the foolish performances of the clowns; a vision of man's rich potential symbolized by the daring and skill of the aerialists and acrobats; and it offered artists a lens through which to see themselves."

read more at: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110206/LIVING16/102060303/When-the-circus-comes-to-town

Circus family life is a balancing act

By Gwenn Garland, The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times

Feb 05, 2011
Most families caught up in the day-to-day chaos of life with kids might think that between school, activities and playdates, life is like a three-ring circus and an icy commute can feel like a Globe of Death.
But the fact is, most parents would envy the life of a real circus family.
The Urias family has performed its motorcycle stunt act for close to 100 years, wowing crowds with tricks in a steel cage known as the Globe of Death. Now they travel with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and the daredevils on the motorcycles are also parents.
"When your kids go to play with their friends, you not only know the children they're playing with, but you also know their parents — and maybe their uncles, cousins and grandparents," said Jodie Urias, who with her husband, Erwin Urias, performs in the act and take cares of Geovi, 10, and Alyssa, 6.
They say the life is exciting, educational and secure for their children.
"I think it's the best family environment to grow up in. Your family is always with you, and you become really close," said Jodie Urias's brother-in-law, Melvin Urias, 35, who grew up in the circus and is a fourth-generation performer. "And it's a really close-knit community, with a lot of other families with kids."read more at:http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2011/02/Circus-family-life-is-a-balancing-act/43323454/1

FLORIDA STATE FAIR LIVE CAM---

5:55 pm 02.06.2011

FT WORTH STOCK SHOW

SUNDAY MORNING FUNNIES

BEHIND THE SCENES, SHRINE CIRCUS, SAGINAW,MI

JIM DAVIS BIG TOP CIRCUS

By Bill Prickett

Big Top Circus was a hobby of Jim Davis, a native of North Baltimore, Ohio, a life-long circus buff and a CFA member, just on a larger
scale. Jim worked on Fisher Bros Circus, from 1973 thru 1975, and 1976 season on Franzen Bros. In 1990 he started to create his full
size circus. He present his frist one day show in 1992 in North Baltimore, Ohio. In 1994, he again showed in North
Baltimore, Ohio. On June 10, 1995, the show appeared in Arcadia, Ohio, and I was the Road Office Manager on this date. On June
15,1996, he once again showed In North Baltimore, Ohio, and I was the Road Office Manager. Jim's equipment included sideshow tent,
marquee, cookhouse tent, the big top, spool trailer, and lighting system.The dining tent contained four tables, two of which were formerly
on Mills Bros Circus. The generator was a rental unit. All performers were contracted. All staff and helpers were volunteers. I believe the
show appeared in North Baltimore, Ohio again on June 19,1999, but I was unable to participate. Alll of the equipment has
since been sold and the Big Top Circus is no longer in existance. Written by Bill Prickett - all photos 6-15-1996 by Bill Prickett.

BIG TOP CIRCUS CONT'D (PART 1)

Big Top

Marquee & Suzsanne Davis

Spool Trailer

Pole Trailer

Walt Kings' Popcorn Wagon

FROM MODERN MECHANIX MAGAZINE, JULY, 1931

DON'T FORGET, CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO ENLARGE & READ!

Generations create Vietnamese circus

06/02/2011
(VOV) - After more than half a century of ups and downs, the Vietnamese circus has made a unique impression on the public.
The Vietnamese circus has experienced many changes over the last 55 years. Through performing in foreign countries, the country’s circus gained a foothold and developed its own style.
The Central People Circus was established on January 16, 1956, and included a private circus, led by People’s Artist Ta Duy Hien, who is closely connected to the development of the modern Vietnamese circus and the unique of the Vietnamese style.
The talented artists from the Red Rose, the Heroic Capital Arena and Thang Long Circus, were the foundation of the Central Circus, which has since broadened and become more professional on a larger scale with a wide variety of human and animal acts.

Meritorious Artist Ta Duy Hung, a descendant of People’s Artist Ta Duy Hien, and famous for his animal acts, said the young generations that inherited a career in the circus followed the trade they were taught by great-grandfather Ta Duy Hien.
State leaders from Uncle Ho to late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and others always encouraged members of the Ta family as well as colleagues following Ta Duy Hien’s trade to fully develop their abilities, said Mr. Ta Duy Hung.In spite of many difficulties, the artists of the Vietnamese circus continued to practise and arrange many performances during the US war to encourage compatriots and soldiers across the nation from the mainland to the remote islands and border areas. When receiving foreign visitors, Uncle Ho often arranged for the circus to perform, which was a great honour for the Vietnam Circus Federation at that time.
read more at:http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/Generations-create-Vietnamese-circus/20112/123653.vov

Shrine Circus coming to Billings

JIM WOODCOCK/Gazette Staff

A performer works with the elephants during a performance of the Shrine Circus in 2010. This year the Shriners are trying a new approach to help get the word out about ticket availability to the show.

By CHELSEA KROTZER Of The Gazette Staff The Billings Gazette

Friday, February 4, 2011
In just a few months, Billings will host acrobats, clowns and performing pachyderms.
The 60th annual Al Bedoo Shrine Circus is scheduled for March 30 through April 3.
The Shriners are ready to get things rolling and are set to send out 15,000 postcards to business owners and select residents across the region.
“We are asking them to be sponsors of the event,” said the Shrine's Dave Bergeson.
This is the first year the Shriners have sent out preliminary postcards.
“Last year we didn't do as well as we could in getting people to do what they needed to do,” Bergeson said.
“It's getting tougher to get people out working and soliciting. The weather hasn't always cooperated the last couple years.”
The postcard says a Shriner will personally call the businesses to find out if they are interested in sponsoring.
After that, Shriners will go to schools and day cares within 100 miles of Billings, giving out at least 20,000 free tickets to children in preschool up to sixth grade.
Bergeson said that, in past years, they've given out as many as 40,000 tickets to children.
“Our main goal has always been that every child be able to see the circus,” Bergeson said.
“We don't turn them away. Usually if we get kids, even junior high kids or older who want to go in and see the circus, we'll let them in.”
While the act list is still undetermined, Bergeson said he's sure it will be a great show.
“We have a real strong advantage here in our community with our little auditorium here,” Bergeson said. “The elephants and the tigers and whatever we bring in are no more than 50 feet away from you.”
Bergeson said the floor to the auditorium was built with elephants in mind back in the 1950s.