World Circus Culture Movie - IndieGoGo Video


Following five circus acts from around the world to the 'Academy Awards' of circus competitions, the Monte Carlo Circus Festival, the film will reveal the behind the scenes life, history, and culture of circus on an international scale as never done before. At stake is the equivalent of an Academy Award, recognition, respect, and guaranteed work - it's the Golden Clown!

Uploaded by WorldCircusCulture on Jan 17, 2012
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FROM CASEY GIBBS--

THE JAN AND BILL BIGGERSTAFF TENT #176/GIBBS SHOWFOLKS PARTY--PART I

AT THE WAZZAN FAMILY HOME, LAS VEGAS

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

ALL PHOTOS BY WINNY McKAY

??, BILL BIGGERSTAFF, RON MORRIS

REJAN ST JULES, GENE MARC ST JULES, ?

CASEY GIBBS, BA HILLARY AKA WARKMISTER, WIENER PLUNKET

???, RENEE GIBBS

????

????

????

????

ALWAYS HELD DURING THE WEEK OF THE LAS VEGAS

ASSOCIATION OF FAIRS & SHOWFOLKS OF AMERICA CONVENTIONS.

IT WAS ORIGINALY HELD AT CASEY GIBBS HOME AND WAS HOSTED BY

BOBBY & CASEY GIBBS.

I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO ATTEND BACK IN 1994.

CAN YOU BEGIN TO IMAGINE THE JACKPOTS BEING CUT UP HERE????

Circus animals to arrive in Raleigh Monday

Ringling Bros. presents ZING ZANG ZOOM at the RBC Center in February. By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
From: www.wral.com Blog
Sunday Feb. 5, 2012
I've gotten your emails. I know many of you want to know when the animals from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be arriving in Raleigh.
Here's the official word right now: 6:30 p.m., Monday.
The actual arrival time is a moving target and can change, but 6:30 p.m., Monday is the plan right now. The animals are usually unloaded from a dozens-car-long steel coach on Hillsborough Street across from Dorton Arena on the N.C. State Fairgrounds. In the past, the best place to see the animal walk is along the road adjacent to the back loading dock of the RBC Center.
"Fully Charged" will be at the RBC Center from Wednesday to Sunday with multiple shows. Click here for details and tickets. And here's more information on a Go Ask Mom ticket discount.

Webers Circus delights young crowd

ON THE ROPES: Linda West performing for Webers. Picture by Simone De Peak

by AMY EDWARDS

From: theherald.com.au

06 Feb, 2012

THE miniature ponies and trick dogs are proving a hit with Hunter children attending Webers Circus.The circus, which last visited the Hunter Region two years ago, boasts 25 performers and is proud to claim it does not feature wild animals.
Webers, one of the long-standing names in the business, finished a stint of shows at Swansea yesterday and will open at Richardson Park, Hamilton on Thursday.
The acts include a Colombian who defies the wheel of death, swinging and somersaulting acrobats, miniature ponies, trick dogs and clowns. The artists come from a wide and diverse background of circus families and countries including Colombia, Germany, Hungary, New Zealand and Australia.
Webers Circus is run by owners Rudy and Natalie Weber who have worked on hit musicals Cats, Grease, Shout and Long Way to the Top. They also co-produced and toured The Great Moscow Circus and Cirque Le Voyageuse.
The Webers came to Australia in 1972 from Germany.
Their family’s circus connection goes back six generations, with three generations currently here in Australia.

Beyond the circus

from: The Washington Post,

Capitol Business by Thomas Heath

Feb. 5, 2012

Vienna-based Feld Entertainment, which produces shows from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to Monster Jam to Disney On Ice, knows how to do big stuff.
Its Monster Jam truck fleet consists of 110 trucks.
Its two circus trains are the largest privately owned trains in the country — each over a mile long.
Feld employs more professional ice skaters than any other organization in the world.
So when the company announced last week that it was moving its production headquarters to a 47-acre facility on Florida’s Gulf Coast to economize operations, chairman Kenneth Feld saw other business opportunities.
The company has become so expert at moving and building live entertainment infrastructure that it wants to do the same for other events and companies — and charge for it.
“We have the ability to build the largest stages ever. We can fabricate the stage for the Super Bowl,” Feld said. “Right now, there are only a few companies that specialize in that kind of stuff. We will have the ability to do it as well.”
Ka-ching

Insects inspiration for new circus show

Insects inspiration for new circus show

Stephen Bevis, The West Australian

February 6, 2012

After leaving its distinctive yellow and blue grand chapiteau at home last year, Cirque du Soleil will return to Perth under the big top with its latest show Ovo.
Opening on April 14 next year at Langley Park, the show will stop in Perth on the final leg of its Australian tour, which starts in Brisbane in July this year.
Ovo means egg in Portuguese and the show is said to take its inspiration from the frenetic colour and energy of the insect world.
The Australian tour will be the first time Ovo has toured outside North America since its premiere in Montreal in 2009.
The Canadian circus company presented a tent-free Saltimbanco at Challenge Stadium last April.
Advance tickets to Ovo are available from Wednesday to Cirque Club members, who can join free at www.cirque club.com.
General public tickets go on sale on February 20.

Circus mishap lands stuntman, clown in hospital

From: wnem.com, Feb 06, 2012

"Unforeseen accident" sends two Shrine Circus performers to Saginaw hospitals

Sunday, February 05, 2012

By Sue White For MLive.com

The Saginaw News

SAGINAW - Daredevil stunt driver Josh Headford and local Shriner Al Basner were injured tonight but are expected to recover, Shrine Circus officials say, after a low guide wire sent Headford's motocross bike plunging 25 feet to The Dow Event Center's floor.
Headford broke his femur, or thigh bone, said Craig Hatch, executive director of the Elf Khurafeh Shrine circuses, and Basner was hit in the face by a flying cable.
The Brett Carden Circus stunt, one circus spokesman Nick Singelis had called a highlight of this year's event, had Headford riding up a ramp in one corner of Wendler Arena and crossed through the air to another at the far end.
"Everyone was in shock," Hatch said of the night's crowd. "The lights were coming up – it was the end of the show – and at first, even our ringmaster wasn't sure what had happened."
But he quickly took action, Hatch said, and announced that the fall was not part of the act and that people should clear the building so the rescue crew from Mobile Medical Response could do its job.
"It looked as if Josh was doing a somersault, which he does at the end, but the bike hit the floor instead of the ramp. That's when we knew it was an unforeseen accident."
It was the final act of the final show on the final day, said The Dow director Matt Blasy, who did not witness the incident.
"I was working in my office when one of my guys stopped by and said I really should head to the arena to see this," he said. Then came another call, and he was racing to the floor.
"From what I heard, the wires above were not raised high enough before the act and the driver got tangled in them. "He was moving his limbs and he was conscious when the ambulance was here."
"Everything went fine at all the shows in Lansing, and in Flint, and here, in the last show of the last day, something like this happens," Hatch said. "We know everyone there was very concerned for their well-being, so that's what we want to let everyone know.
"Both have been treated and it looks like Al is going home tonight. They're both doing well."

Win tickets for Circus of the Orient

by Janet Tansley, Liverpool Echo

Feb 6 2012

ROLL up, roll up, as the circus comes to town.
A spectacular, fun- packed circus for all the family is coming to Liverpool to entertain during the half-term holiday.
The Big Top will be at Dobbies Garden World, Speke Hall Avenue, Liverpool, from Saturday, February 11 to Sunday, February 19.
Carol and Phillip Gandey’s new production of Circus Of The Orient includes the red dragon Chinese acrobats, leaping, rolling and somersaulting hoop divers and lavish lion dance.
To book, call 0871 7055507 (BT 10p / min), or for details visit www. circusoftheorient.co.uk
Performance times will be: Saturdays, 2.30pm, 5pm & 7.30pm; Sundays , 2.30pm & 6pm; weekdays, 2.30pm & 7pm and Sunday, February 19, 2.30pm only.
Tickets start at £6.
Time Off has performed a fantastic feat of its own to get 10 family tickets for you to win.
Just tell us the title of the person who hosts any circus spectacular.
Answers need to get to us quickly to ensure you can get your tickets before half term so email entries to janettansley@liverpoolecho.co.uk and include your name, address and daytime number.
Alternatively, send postal entries – to arrive by Wednesday, February 8 – to: Janet Tansley, Liverpool Echo, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool L69 3EB.
The first 10 correct entries selected randomly from each win a ticket for a weekday performance. Usual ECHO competition rules apply.Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/liverpool-lifestyle/2012/02/06/win-tickets-for-circus-of-the-orient-100252-30272645/#ixzz1lbT23PWP

THE CISCO KID

(Duncan Renaldo)

GEORGIA STATE FAIR, MACON,GA, 1952

CAMEL RIDERS

Uploaded by CircusTVru on Oct 11, 2011

Unstoppable Maximum Destruction wows the Monster Jam Orlando crowd with a split-second win



Uploaded by AttractionsMagazine on Feb 3, 2012

Monster Jam has had many shows, but has rarely seen a racing winner take the title by .03 seconds (laser timed) and then go out and win Freestyle in the way that Maximum Destruction did last on Jan. 28, 2012 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Peru circus to begin charging performers fees

04 Feb 2012

PERU, Ind. (AP) - Performers at Peru's Amateur Circus won't just need skill this year. They'll need some cold, hard cash if they want to show off their talents.
The Circus City Festival Board says it will begin charging performers a sign-up fee after donations from businesses and benefactors declined.
"It's a situation where we looked around us — there aren't a lot of free, unstructured activities that give the kids everything they get out of (the) circus," producer Mark Hall told the Peru Tribune (http://bit.ly/yR8z6a).
The new fees are $30 per child. Families with more than one child participating will pay $30 for the first child and $20 for each additional child.
"We looked at the minimum we could charge to make a little bit of an impact on our budget," Hall said. "We also looked at youth circus programs throughout the country. Ours is definitely a true bargain. There are places that charge thousands of dollars just to work in a similar program for shorter periods of time. It's a very unique skill set."
Circus City Festival treasurer Kurt Krauskopf said the festival has a 2012 budget of about $260,000. The festival spends more than a fourth of that on insurance and utilities, with other money going toward scholarships, publicity, a parade and the event itself.
"We haven't raised ticket prices in four years and we can only charge so much for certain things," Krauskopf said.
He said organizers decided to implement the performer fees after reviewing the budget and realizing they wouldn't have enough money to cover their expenses.
"This was not a decision taken lightly by the board," he said.
The board expects the fees to generate about $6,000. The $30 fee doesn't guarantee that a child will be chosen for the show; participants still have to pay for equipment such as boots, tumbling leotards and wrist tapes.
The Circus City Festival dates from 1960 and draws on the area's rich circus history. Many of the country's top circuses wintered in Miami County in the late 1800s, and the area is home to the International Circus Hall of Fame, according to the festival's website.
The circus is held each July. About 250 people ages 7 to 21, along with a team of clowns, join forces to present performances over eight days. This year's circus is scheduled for July 14 to July 21.

Special price for circus

by Brent Knoll

FROM: http://www.burnhamandhighbridgeweeklynews.co.uk/

Saturday 4th February 2012

PEOPLE will be able to get tickets next Monday (February 6, 2012) at a special price for the opening night of a circus taking place at a garden centre in Somerset.
Paulo’s Circus will be hosting the show at Sanders Garden World in Brent Knoll on Thursday, February 16 with all tickets costing the same price.
The performances start from Thursday, February 16 and run until Sunday, February 26. There is a special ticket price of £6.99 for the launch show at 7pm on February 16.
The usual price for adult grand stand tickets cost £16. For children, tickets cost £14. Ring side seats are £14 for adults and £12 for children. Side view tickets are priced at £11 for adults and £9 for children.
Paulo’s Circus has just ended a UK tour including taking part in the ITV1 show ‘Red or Black’. The troupe will be on-site at Sanders Garden World from February 6.
The shows will take place at 7pm on Thursday, February 16, 5pm and 7.30pm on Friday, February 17 and 3pm and 6pm from Saturday, February 18 until Sunday, February 26. Performances will last between one and a half and two hours.
Tickets will be available from Monday, February 6 from the circus’ box office at Sanders Garden World or by calling the circus on 07021 125 454.

CIRCUS DROPS ANIMAL ACTS AFTER PUBLIC STAY AWAY

Circus owner Kenny Darnell said his decision was made for strictly commercial reason / GETTY

Sunday February 5,2012

By Ted Jeory

Paulo’s Circus had attracted protests from animal rights activists but owner Kenny Darnell said his decision was made for strictly commercial reasons.
His circus had been using animals for decades until the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001. It then had only human performers, like the majority of modern circuses.
However, last year Mr Darnell began using horses and ponies in acts to see if it would improve business.
“There was no difference in takings,” he said, and added: “There’s a lot of hassle having them. When you have animals, you have to have other tents, you have to have hay and straw delivered, you have to have sawdust for the ring.
“There are extra costs for us in looking after them, making sure the sites have got water and enough space in their compounds. When you’ve got all humans you don’t have to worry about those sorts of things.
“When we put animals back in last year it shocked some of our customers, so we’re now making it clear we don’t have them any more. We had animal rights protests but that wasn’t part of our decision.”
Amid outrage over the maltreatment of Anne the elephant at the Bobby Roberts Circus last year, MPs voted unanimously to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.
They demanded the Department for Food and Rural Affairs introduce legislation by this summer.
However, Defra has so far refused, saying it intends only to design a “tough new licensing regime”.

Is Ringling's show still 'the greatest'?

Unlike other circuses, Ringling Bros. has live animals, including elephants and more.

by:Théoden Janes

From: Charlotteobserver.com

Friday, Feb. 03, 2012

In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to believe Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's famous claim: that its circus is "The Greatest Show on Earth."Ringling might even have difficulty convincing certain people this is the greatest show to land in Charlotte, which has hosted two major Cirque du Soleil productions in the past 10 months and welcomed the ambitious, equestrian-focused Cavalia in 2010.Yet here it is again, back like clockwork for its annual five-day winter stop at uptown's Time Warner Cable Arena, trotting out its typical cast of characters: clowns, dancers, daredevils, elephants, horses, tigers - this time using an electricity theme and branding the show "Fully Charged."And you know what? It really is a darn good show.

Ringmaster Brian Crawford Scott joins the parade at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. PHOTOS BY ROBERT LAHSER

Truth be told, I think part of what's happening here is that Cirque du Soleil has been seen by so many people, it has forced Ringling Bros. to elevate its game by coming up with stunts and daredevil acts on par with Cirque's.So you'll see aerialists rolling up into the air on straps, swinging, somersaulting, plummeting before stopping suddenly just inches above the floor. You'll see two big-bodied Mongolian strongmen doing yoga-style partner poses that would present a challenge for contortionists one-third their sizes. The show's finale, in fact, seems ripped from Cirque du Soleil's playbook: eight acrobats zipping through a series of dizzying tumbling passes on a power

These folks are all as talented as those I've seen in Cirque, and yet it is the more traditional circus acts that I was most wowed by during Wednesday's show.The first was the high-wire troupe. I won't spoil the surprises, but I will say they don't use safety cables and look so natural up there that it almost seems like what you're seeing has to be an illusion. (It's not.)The second was the "Twin Turbines of Terror," featuring two brothers who jump, leap and flip atop steel wheels that are rotating on a giant pendulum. When one of the brothers performed a front flip as the wheel hit its zenith - while spinning at more than 15 mph - seven spotters surrounded the inflatable safety cushion 30 feet below. (The fact that the men stumbled slightly at other moments made this even more thrilling.)
Of course, the other thing Ringling Bros. has that Cirque du Soleil does not is live animals. I was underwhelmed by the horse act, which didn't seem to have much imagination, but impressed as usual by the various dog-like tricks that the elephants were able to perform.
Then there are the tigers. Ever since Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy was mauled by one of these giant cats in 2003, people have viewed this act in a different light. And that light is: you never know what's going to happen in there.In a twisted way, that accident is the best thing that ever happened for a guy like tiger trainer Tabayara Maluenda. This is to say, gosh, he seems awfully brave. These are unpredictable beasts, and when they swipe their paws at Maluenda or bare their teeth and growl, you catch your breath, just a little.The tiger-taming routine adds an element of straightforward, uncomplicated danger that Cirque du Soleil - with its abstract storytelling and contemplative themes - is unlikely to ever offer.Is Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's circus still the greatest show on earth? If you have any interest in the answer to that question, it's worth buying a ticket and judging for yourself.Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/02/03/2980594/is-ringlings-show-still-the-greatest.html#storylink=cpy

MEMORIES

According to the Press of Atlantic City the new

owners of the Steel Pier will try to bring the Diving Horse Back!

Swimming out to 'the pier'

from: pressofatlanticcity.com Sun Feb 5, 2012. I was born on Virginia Avenue in Atlantic City in 1935 and raised in the Inlet section. My very first memory of The Pier was walking, holding on to a baby coach that my mother or grandmother would push along with one of my younger brothers aboard - I had five brothers - and I can still see the towers with the flags waving on top. Growing up in those days, we would try to earn the ticket price by gathering papers and take them to Snyder's Junkyard on Maryland Avenue. We never got enough and would have to try to raise the rest from my parents or older brothers. If you got to The Pier early enough, the price was a nickel cheaper - I think about 18 cents. We always brought our lunch in a paper bag and we would go to the lockers near the Sun Deck and put the bag in an open one. Thinking back, I never remember anything ever being moved or touched, no matter how long it was in the locker. Next step was going down to plan our day. All the movie and show times were always clearly marked on the walls throughout the pier and we didn't want to miss anything - the water sports and circus at the end were always a must. I can remember seeing Henny Youngman, the Ritz Brothers, the Mills Brothers and my very favorite, Abbott and Costello. Once when I was about 9 or 10, I was standing next to Bud Abbott at one of the refreshment stands, and he said, "Hello, young man" - I know I told all my friends about that. ... The war years were very different and exciting to a young boy, and there was an exhibit at the entrance with pieces of shot-down German planes and other war pieces, including a part from a U-boat. There were also wax figures of Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo, along with John Dillinger and other notorious figures from the 1930s.
When I was a teeenager, The Pier was the place to go, especially on Easter Sunday. If you had a girlfriend, you just had to take her to The Pier. We saw great shows then - I can recall Johnny Ray, Al Martino, Tony Bennett and Frankie Laine among many others. At that time, we became more interested in the bands in the Marine Ballroom; we would spend many hours standing in front of the stage just to listen.
We would swim out and watch the Water Circus, by floating and treading water. Then when we would swim back, we would stop at the boat dock, (where) the Tango sightseeing boat docked. We would go up the ramp and sit on the benches in our bathting suits, and when the pier guards came after us, we would dive off and wait for them to leave - then do the same thing again. I was also on the Atlantic City Beach Patrol, and part of our training was learning to go under the pier, time the (waves) coming in, stay away from the pilings and keep our eye on a bather who strayed under the pier and needed help. ... I was in the Navy in the Korean War and it seemed that we all talked about our hometowns, and how great they were. I don't remember anyone who could ever talk about anything like the Steel Pier. When I would describe all that was on The Pier for one low price, I even had trouble convincing many guys that it was true.

Please note that when locals talk about Steel Pier, they just say "The Pier." Although there were and are other piers in Atlantic City, there is just one that's The Pier - Steel Pier. - Joseph Walls, Linwood, NJ