RUSSIAN BEAR

Circus bear can hula hoop and play the trumpet

 Animal rights group condemns 'cruel' practice of keeping creatures in captivity

 

Musical ... Tima blows on a trumpet while trainer Pavel looks on

from: thesun.co.uk

by: Ian Garland

01st July 2013

He's shown rolling over, sitting on a chair and clapping his paws, before blowing a tune on a trumpet.

For his finale, he spins the hoop around his neck and huge tummy.

Pavel claims he only uses treats to teach Tima tricks.

But an animal rights group has condemned the practise of keeping dancing bears in captivity.

PETA associate director Mimi Bekhechi told The Sun: "Bears belong in nature. They do not belong in captivity, where they are trained with force to do something uncomfortable and baffling, over and over again.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4991573/circus-bear-can-hula-hoop-and-play-the-trumpet.html#ixzz2Xx7fOSH5

JAMAICA CIRCUS

Circus comes to the city

 

Professor Crump, the clown, will be on show.
from: jamaicaobserver.com
by Cecelia Campbell-Livingston
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
CIRCUS In the City, a fun-filled family event, is scheduled for the National Arena in St Andrew on July 12-14.
According to Solomon Sharpe, CEO of organisers Main Events Entertainment, said the event is aimed to fill a void on the local scene.
"Quality family entertainment is lacking. So we decided to focus on something for the kids. Usually the kids have to tag along to an adult event with their parents. Now the parents will be tagging along," Sharpe told the Jamaica Observer.
 "There will be four acts per night, plus a clown and a local magician."
 Acts include jugglers, acrobats, and dancers.
 Co-sponsor Pepsi Cola Jamaica through its brand Tropicana Tropics said they were pleased to be part of the venture.
 "We are proud to support wholesome family events like Circus in the City because it ignites imagination and creativity and allows families from all walks of life to share quality time," said Kimberly Mullings, brand manager, non-carbonated beverages.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Circus-comes-to-the-city_14528107#ixzz2Xx9P2Gv0

CARDEN TIGERS

Circus tigers take hiatus at fairgrounds

 

Scott Wick, president and CEO of W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds, and Israel Alvarado. floor manager of George Carden International Circus, talk about the tigers staying at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, July 1, 2013. (Emily Spartz / Argus Leader)

from:  argusleader.com

Written by Nick Lowrey

Jul. 1, 2013

The W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls is playing host to a set of tigers while their circus takes a two-week break from touring.

That meant unsuspecting visitors to the fairgrounds during a weekend busy with events were walking near the caged tigers without even knowing it.

 

The George Carden Circus International had two weeks off between a show in Minnesota and its next one in Winner, and decided to keep the tigers at the fairgrounds in Sioux Falls instead of traveling back to the circus’ home base in Missouri.
The tigers would have had to travel as far as Florida and back again for the show in Winner next week, according to circus floor manager Israel Alvarado.
read more:
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20130701/UPDATES/307010035/Circus-tigers-take-hiatus-fairgrounds

WARD HALL

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THIS ONE!
SOON TO BE RELEASED

 

FLASH IS CASH!

 

KELLY-MILLER NOVELTY STAND
(2013)

WAYBACK MACHINE

Jim Albanese: Hippos, circus acts tickled fancy
from:  thecalifornian.com
Written by, JIM ALBANESE , wayback machine
July 1, 2013
I get inquiries all the time from readers who want to know about “firsts” in Salinas and Monterey County: Jim, when did Salinas get its first telephones?

I dunno. Probably around 1877 or 1878.

Who was the first person in Salinas to own an automobile and when?

Don’t know. Probably someone with a fair amount of money around 1902.

What was the first moving picture shown in Salinas?

Beats me. Probably Edison’s “Great Train Robbery” around 1905.

Jim, what do you know, probably?

Well, I’ve got the real scoop on a significant “first,” something you’ll never read about in a textbook, historical work or any other newspaper. And no “probably” about it:

The first hippopotamuses to ever grace a Monterey County mud hole did so in Salinas on Sept. 25, 1888. “They are big, brilliant and bewildering,” alliterated the publicists for Sells Brothers Circus about the traveling menagerie’s show-stopping act.

And the hippos — after the fashion of Noah’s cargo, a male and female pair — were among the most valuable creatures on Earth. “(We) declined a proffer of $40,000 for them just recently,” the circus flier said.

But a circus cannot live by hippopotami alone. This one had some unique human acts, including the Gelford Brothers. The Gelfords practiced an art that reached its zenith on the vaudeville stage in the late 1910s then quickly declined, as moving pictures became the public’s entertainment genre of choice. They were posers.

Call someone a “poser” today, and you’re not necessarily complimenting them. But in 1888, posing as a statuesque work in marble — and holding the pose for the better part of an hour — was high-class stuff.

For those who preferred their entertainment to be mobile, the circus featured a virtual cavalry unit of fancy horse riders. Adelaide Cordona and Viola Rivers were bareback trick riding specialists.

William M. O’Dell stood astride two horses while driving 21 other steeds around a mile-long hippodrome track, straddling the bare ground as it sped beneath him. Most people of that era interacted with equines on a daily basis, so their appreciation of O’Dell’s control of 23 beasts at one time probably was greater than their curiosity about the hippos.
read more:
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20130701/NEWS01/307010013/Jim-Albanese-Hippos-circus-acts-tickled-fancy?nclick_check=1

CIRCUS JUVENTAS

Circus Juventas To Present 'Oz' Summer Show

 

Circus Juventas will hold 21 performances for 'Oz'
Photo Courtesy Circus Juventas
By: Jenna Jaynes
from: KSTP.com
07/01/2013
Circus Juventas is gearing up for the summer production, “Oz.”
The non-profit youth performing arts circus school will debut its most advanced performers in the new production loosely based on Dorothy's adventures over the rainbow.
 The 21 performances will run August 1-18 at Circus Juventas, 1270 Montreal Ave, St. Paul. More than 21,000 people are expected to attend. Tickets are now on sale.
 The organization, founded in 1994, has helped students learn circus arts through beginning, intermediate and advanced classes. Students as young as toddlers can join in on what the group says is, “an alternative to organized sports.”

CARNIVAL OWNER

Clinton carnival company's co-owner enjoying the ride
Battling bad economy, changing times and stereotypes, Billy Swafford of East Coast Midways says he's building a true Maine company


East Coast Midways owners Billy Swafford, left, and Faron Young, right, in Fairfield on Tuesday.
from: kyonline.com
By Jesse Scardina
July 1, 2013
The carnival industry isn't a business that someone just decides to get into. Sure, it may sound fun, owning all those games and rides, snacking on nothing but corn dogs and candied apples, but the idea of hauling those giant rides and working long, hot summer weeks while almost everyone else is relaxing on vacation or at the town fair can be exhausting and challenging.
It's that challenge that Billy Swafford loves about his business. Swafford, who is co-owner of East Coast Midways in Clinton, grew up in the carnival business before starting his company three years ago.

"I just love it," Swafford said on a hot, sticky Monday in Fairfield as he and his crew worked throughout the day to set up for the Fairfield Days celebration.

"I love pulling into the town and meeting new people. We dealt with country folks last week. Before that we were in Philadelphia," he said. "It's really the challenge of constantly being on the move. The new challenge is what I love."

 

Adam Trott, 25, left, and Tim Siwek, 32, right, install a horse on the merry-go-round at the East Coast Midways carnival in Fairfield on Tuesday.
Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans
Swafford, 33, has faced a variety of challenges throughout his business venture, whether it be the issues that come with being a start-up in an old-fashioned industry, working with a variety of safety regulations that change with the location or dealing with the stigma that comes with the carnival industry.
http://www.kjonline.com/news/Clinton-carnival-companys-owner-enjoying-the-ride-.html#addPhotos

BARNYARD CIRCUS

PHOTOS: Farmyard circus pitches its tent

Pictures: PETER MERKESTEYN
from: bordermail.com.au
By SARAH DEAN
July 1, 2013

ROLL up, roll up — the circus is in town.
A trick pony, donkeys, Scottish highland cattle and British Alpine goats are all ready to perform.
Circus Olympia arrived at the weekend and will perform twice each day, except Mondays, at Gateway Lakes until July 14.

“It’s very much a family orientated show,” manager Aliya Abisheva said.
“For the first time in Australia we are presenting our mixed farmyard animal review that displays the talents of many animals, from British alpine goats to miniature horses.
“It’s our first time in Albury-Wodonga and the feedback has been great.

 

Circus Olympia is a family owned operation that works with The Great Siberian Circus and features circus artists from around the world.
Tickets can be bought on site, from 10am to 7.30pm.

For show times visit aladdinstix.com.au.

Elephants Vs Humans In Watermelon-eating Contest At Southwestern College (PHOTOS)

 

 

Members of the Southwestern College Jaguars football team attempted to outeat two Asian elephants Friday afternoon at the San Diego Fair.
from: The Huffington Post.com
By David Moye
Posted: 06/29/2013
It was a defeat the members of the Southwestern College Jaguars football team may find tough to stomach. But try as they might, the players just couldn't eat more watermelons than the two Asian elephants they were battling.

Sure, football players are known for their immense appetites, but their bulging waistlines were no match for two voracious eaters named Becky and Rosie who out ate the athletes from the San Diego-area college on Friday.

The eight Jags gorged themselves heartily, and managed to eat eight watermelons in a 15-minute battle. But they were no match for the pachyderms who each consumed five for a grand total of 10 at the San Diego County fair.

Becky and Rosie could have eaten even more melons, but their trainers decided to truncate the amount of fruit they were given so they'd have more to eat on the weekend.

The jumbo competition was part of an effort to raise $5,000 for the International Elephant Foundation, an organization that currently has 70 projects around the world designed to save the species from extinction.

To see just how this elephantine effort went down, take a look at the gallery.
see and read more at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/29/elephant-human-watermelon_n_3520466.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news#slide=2635787

Lillian Leitzel, The High-Flying 'Queen' Of The Circus


Aerialist Lillian Leitzel came from a family of performers. In 1905, she toured Europe as part of the Leamy Ladies circus attraction, which included Leitzel (far left), her aunts Tina and Toni Pelikan, her mother Nellie Pelikan, and Lily Simpson.
Dean Jensen's collection/Courtesy Crown Publishing Group
from:  npr.com
by NPR Staff
June 29, 2013
In the first half of the 20th century, aerial performers — not elephants or tigers — were the big draw at circuses. And nobody was a bigger star than Lillian Leitzel, a tiny woman from Eastern Europe who ruled the Ringling Brothers circus.
"She was a child of another trapeze artist — her mother, Nellie Pelikan," says Dean Jensen, who has written a new biography of Leitzel called Queen of the Air: A True Story of Love and Tragedy at the Circus.
Jensen tells NPR's Jacki Lyden that as a young girl, Pelikan was forced to work in a small traveling circus where she was sexually abused by the troupe's owner.

Leitzel is remembered as the first true circus diva.
Dean Jensen's collection/Courtesy Crown Publishing Group
Eventually, Pelikan left the circus and became a star aerialist, touring Europe and leaving her daughter behind for years at a time.
"Leitzel wanted to be like her mother so she worked very hard at becoming an aerialist," Jensen says. "Ultimately, when she was about 14, [she] joined her mother in an aerial troupe."
 

 

New book is available at amazon.com
Leitzel was a star from the moment she first grabbed a trapeze bar. But her signature act was the Roman rings, which are similar to the rings male gymnasts use in the Olympics today, except much, much higher. Leitzel's act took her up into the heavens of the circus tent, often 50 or 60 feet in the air, with no net or safety features below.
listen to the interview and read more:
http://www.npr.org/2013/06/29/195971072/lillian-leitzel-the-tiny-high-flying-queen-of-the-circus

Copy of Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey circus, Hartford, CT 1944

 

 

Published on Jun 29, 2013

The Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey circus arrives in Hartford, Connecticut on July 5th, 1944 - one day before the circus fire that would take the lives of more than 160 fans. This clip from a film called Circus Colossus shows the trains being unloaded, elephants exiting the train, circus folks going about their business, plowing the fields and preparing food.

Walker Bros. Circus a big hit at Brockton Fair

 

Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise.
Tatiana Ariestov performs with hula hoops during the circus at the Brockton Fair on Saturday, June 29, 2013.
from: wickedlocal.com
By Morgan True, Enterprise Staff Writer
Jun 30, 2013
BROCKTON —
Ring Master Brain LaPalme, who’s spent close to 40 years under the big top, hasn’t lost his touch as he spewed flames into the air Saturday at the Brockton Fair accompanied by pulsing techno.
 LaPalme leads the Walker Bros. International Circus, doing three shows per day all week at the fair with an ensemble of acrobats, jugglers, a hula-hooper, and an equestrian act featuring camels, llamas and a mini-horse, as well as the irascible Orlando the Clown.
 “I love this job because there’s nothing like the feeling of when people laugh,” said Orlando Gomez, who hails from Lima, Peru, and at one point during his act broke out into the signature Gangnam-style dance of Korean pop star Psy to fits of laughter in the crowd. “To me that’s better than money.”

Shashi, who does the equestrian act, could give the Romneys a run for their money in dressage as she coaxed her horse Navarro to high step, sashay and raise up on his hind legs, wowing the crowd.
 The talented Ariestov family, with mother and father Igor and Tatiana juggling, and son George performing a balancing act, stacking chairs close to 20 feet in the air and doing a handstand atop them, are impressive as well.
 Grace Nelson, 19, of Brockton, said she comes to the fair most years, and though she’s seen the circus on a number of occasions it’s always a good time.
 “It’s pretty consistent,” she said, “and the kids love it.”
 Her daughter Faith, 4, said she loved seeing the camels and llamas.
 The three shows are at 3, 7 and 9 p.m., if you’re at the fair you’d be remiss not to poke your head under the big tent circus yourself – it’s free with admission.
Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x1293261443/Walker-Brother-s-Circus-a-big-hit-at-Brockton-Fair#ixzz2XhEJVgfB

Heritage Center exhibit profiles ‘Circus Big Top, 1890-1965’

 

from: enidnews.com
June 29, 2013
ENID, Okla. — Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center’s current temporary exhibit, “Step Right Up! Behind the Scenes of the Circus Big Top, 1890-1965,” takes viewers behind the scenes of the circus, exploring the pageantry, colorful past, and presence of one of America’s oldest theatrical traditions.
 The circus provided a source of entertainment and amazement that thrilled audiences from shore to shore. 
 Another type of circus — Wild West shows — also were popular in the early 20th century. The Wild West shows brought the thrill and adventure of the West to Eastern audiences fascinated with the Western frontier.
At noon  July 10, Erin Brown, curator of the Pawnee Bill Ranch, and Anne Davis, education director, will provide a Brown Bag Lunch & Learn presentation on Pawnee Bill Ranch in Pawnee and Pawnee Bill Wild West Show. The presentation will be held in the Humphrey Heritage Village Church and is free to the public.
 Pawnee Bill Ranch once was the showplace of the world renowned Wild West Show entertainer Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie. The ranch now is the property of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is open to the public. Lillie’s 1910 fully furnished mansion is filled with family memorabilia, photographs and original artwork. The property also houses a museum with exhibits related to Pawnee Bill, the Wild West shows and the Pawnees. The 500 acre grounds include the original blacksmith shop, a 1903 log cabin, a large barn built in 1926 and an Indian Flower Shrine, all open to tour.
 Pawnee Bill Ranch also is home to a herd of bison, longhorn cattle and several draft horses. A drive-through pasture makes viewing these grazing herds accessible to visitors. Each year, the Pawnee Bill Ranch also recreates Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show the last three Saturdays in June.
 “Step Right Up! Behind the Scenes of the Circus Big Top, 1890-1965” will be on display at Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center through Aug. 11. Visitors to the Heritage Center will receive a $1 discount off admission by showing their ticket stubs to Cirque Musica, which was held June 27 at Enid Events Center.
 The Heritage Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For information on the Brown Bag Lunch & Learns or other CSRHC programs, contact the Heritage Center at 237-1907 or online at www.csrhc.org.
 Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is located at 507 S. 4th.

Ringling Brothers Circus, Hartford, CT, 1942

 

Published on Jun 29, 2013

Rare footage, filmed by William H. Judd, of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus setting up at the Barbour Street lot in Hartford, CT, on July 16 & 17, 1942. The Barbour Street circus grounds would be the site of the Hartford Circus Fire two years after this was filmed. Visit www.circusfire1944.com to learn more about the fire.

MISS GALAXY GIRL
(Tina Winn)

 

Tina Winn and Johnny Rockett
 

ITALIA

Wet and Wild: Cirque Italia Masters Water and Air at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds

 

from:  montgomerymag.com
By Pamela Schipper
Here’s something new. European-style circus arts—aerial acts, hand balancing, contortionists, hula hoops and more—performed above a stage of 35,000 gallons of water.
 While Cirque Italia’s “Aquatic Spectacular” is new (the company made its U.S. debut March 2012 in Venice, Fla.), its founder and many of the performers come from a long line of distinguished circus families. Manuel Rebecchi, president and owner, grew up traveling across Italy and Europe with his aunt, Moira Orfei, and the world-renowned circus that she founded in 1960. Rebecchi’s uncle is Massimiliano Nones, who was presented with the Gold Clown Award by Prince Rainier of Monaco. Nicolette Fornasari is an eighth generation performer whose family has performed for Pope John Paul II, earned the gold medal at the Circus World Championships in London and the bronze medal at the Circus Festival in Monte Carlo.  Fornasari specializes in aerial work, hula hoops and a European musical comedy act performed with her family Doady and Tosca. Coco Kramer is a fifth generation circus performer. As Coco the Clown, he holds the Guinness World Record for riding the world’s smallest bicycle—only five-inches tall! Coco’s son Facundo is a sixth generation circus performer who has already traveled the world with his hand-balancing act. Vladimir Kim is a third generation circus performer from Russia. He began performing with bears and horses when he was seven. Adam Vazquez, who performs a hand-to-hand act with Anton Makukhin, comes from a family known since the late 1800s for its acrobatics prowess.

The talent may be Old World, but the impetus for the show sprung from founder Manuel Rebecchi’s pursuit of the American Dream. When he arrived here in 2003, he couldn’t speak any English and had only $1,000. He attributes talent, hard work and good luck for his current success, and is mindful of economic challenges facing families today. Front row tickets cost $36. All other tickets cost between $18 and $27, and children (ages 2 to 12) are admitted free with a paying adult for all seats not in the front row.

Cirque Italia’s “Aquatic Spectacular” will be at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds through Sunday, June 23. If you miss them in Maryland, you can take a short drive to Manassas and catch them at the Prince William County Fairgrounds June 28 through July 7. cirqueitalia.com

from manassas.patch.com
Posted by CHANTE DEMOUSTES
June 21, 2013
COME SEE A VIVID, DRAMATIC AND MOVING EXPERIENCE UNDER THE BIG TOP AT THE AQUATIC SPECTACULAR SHOW FROM CIRQUE ITALIA June 28TH THRU July 7th ONLY AT PRINCE WILLIAM FAIR GROUNDS IN MANASSAS, VA!
FREE CHILD ADMISSION (AGES 2-12) WITH AN ADULT PURCHASE! Coupons are in the community at local businesses! Tickets START AT $20-$40 FOR ADULTS!!!!

A CHILD IS FREE WITH ANY ADULT PURCHASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CIRQUE ITALIA IS AN UNIQUE ENCHANTING EUROPEAN SHOW THAT FEATURES A STAGE WITH 35,000 GALLONS OF WATER THAT HAS AERIAL ACTS, HAND BALANCING, CONTORTIONIST, AND MANY MORE BREATHTAKING PERFORMANCES UNLIKE ANY YOU HAVE EVER SEEN AND IS GUARANTEED TO THRILL AND DAZZLE AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES!

GO TO WWW.CIRQUEITALIA.COM FOR SHOW TIMES AND TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS OR CALL 941-704-8572 OR ONLINE TODAY THAT’S WWW.CIRQUEITALIA.COM