Super Nova Rocket

 

Uploaded on Apr 13, 2007

Showreel of Supernova Rocket aerial circus artists Aerolite

Miami George Carden Super Circus
From: fourswtateshoimepage.com
By: Drew Moore
November 2, 2012

MIAMI, OK.--- The George Carden Super Circus spectacular set up the big top at Miami Civic Center to entertain families from across the Four States. Bringing along the staples you would expect to see at the shows.

"Amazing tigers, elephants, dogs, acrobats, and we brought motorcycles we've got fun and thrills for the entire family for all ages," states Roseanne Munson, George Carden Circus Marketing.

In between the tigers and elephants, there was a special message of hope for children who get abused. Sponsoring the event is a group called 'Bikers Against Child Abuse", or BACA.

"We want to make kids not afraid of the world in which they live," states Paw, BACA Member.

The group hands out coloring books and flyers with information on where children can turn if someone is abusing them. BACA members will be there to help.

"We let them know that we're here for them," states Paw.

In the past 4 years the group has helped more than 60 kids who were victimized by abusers. They will go to extreme lengths to make sure the kids feel safe again.

"We'll camp in their yard, if their abuser, if they're afraid for any reason, we'll do their home work with them," states Paw.

There are 3 more shows tomorrow at the Miami Civic Center.11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets cost between $12 and $18 and can be purchased at the center before the show. People can pick up free children's tickets at Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum located on Main Street in Miami. 
SEE THE VIDEO AT:
http://fourstateshomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=336602

Circus days are here again: Loomis Bros. event runs Nov. 9-11

 

Justin Loomis serves as ringmaster during a past Loomis Bros. Circus show at Old Spanish Trail Park in Crestview. The circus returns Nov. 9-11.
By MATTHEW BROWN | News Bulletin
from:  crestviewbulletin.com
November 2, 2012
CRESTVIEW — After a year hiatus, the Loomis Bros. Circus will return to Crestview Nov. 9-11 at Old Spanish Trail Park. Performances are 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9; 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Nov. 10; and 3 p.m. Nov. 11.
 Advance tickets cost $10 at several locations including Cooney Island restaurant and Mickey's Grocery and Grill in Baker. Tickets cost $15 at the gate. Military members get a 10 percent discount. Proceeds go to the Main Street Crestview Association, event sponsor.
 Attractions
 “It’s a more traditional family circus … there is going to be something for all ages,” owner and ringmaster Justin Loomis said. “We have elephants, tigers and horses that will perform tricks during each performance.”
 One elephant particularly should garner some attention.
 “Okha is the only elephant in North America that can walk on a ball,” Loomis said.
 Specialty acts include an Argentinean family who can juggle with their feet and a comedy act from Melvino the clown.
 Kids can ride on elephants one hour before each show, Loomis said. Food and drinks will also be available.
 Additionally, three elephants and clowns from the show will appear at the Veterans Day parade 10 a.m. Nov. 10 on Main Street.
 Background
 Loomis has continued a family tradition handed down from his father, Arnold. Since he was 7, Justin has been involved in the circus business. His father also helped start the Loomis Bros. Circus in 1997.
 Out of 10 siblings, three have stayed with the business.
 “At one point, they were all involved in the circus,” Loomis said, adding that the circus tours Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
 “We feel more at home in smaller communities,” Loomis said. “That’s why I always look forward coming to Crestview.

One of the Longest Running and Most Distinguished Circus Troupes in the World to Showcase the Inaugural Performance of its New “Cirque Chinois” Program.

 

Chinese National Circus to Dazzle at the Park Theatre
from:  cranston.patch.com
November 2, 2012
The National Circus of the People’s Republic of China will perform “Cirque Chinois” at the historic Park Theatre in Cranston RI on Thursday, Nov. 8.  Founded in 1953, the award-winning troupe is currently in the midst of their first ever cross-country tour of the United States and Canada.
Straight from Beijing, the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China is highly acclaimed for their unique acts such as Great Teeterboard, Grand Flying Trapeze, Group Contortion, Straw Hats Juggling and more. Along with being one of the longest running circuses in China, and in the world, this group was responsible for changing the concept of circuses from animal-focused to performance-focused; influencing the creators of “Cirque du Soleil.”
“We’re delighted to bring this distinguished group of performers to Rhode Island for the first time,” explained Yusuf Gandhi, Executive Director of the Park Theater. “It’s important to the Park Theatre to showcase the different cultures that make up our communities while also providing our patrons with an unforgettable experience – it’s going to be an amazing show!”
The National Circus of the People’s Republic of China has won over twenty Gold and Silver medals at international circus festivals such as the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, Cirque de Demain and the China National Acrobatic Competition.  The group’s flying trapeze act has performed with the “Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus” along with tours throughout Western Europe.
The National Circus of the People’s Republic of China’s performance of “Cirque Chinois” will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 8.  Tickets are priced at $35, $45 and $55. Discounts are available for seniors and children, along with a special “Family Circus Pack” for families and groups of four or more by calling the Theatre directly at (401) 467-7275. Tickets may also be purchased through the Theatre’s secure website: www.ParkTheatreRI.com.
The Park Theatre is located at 848 Park Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910. Free parking is available for all shows.
read more at:
http://cranston.patch.com/articles/chinese-national-circus-to-dazzle-at-the-park-theatre#c

Questions surround death of former Cirque du Soleil acrobat

 

Anton Alferov
from:  wftv.com, Orlando
Friday, Nov. 2, 2012
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
Anton Alferov, 34, was arrested for disturbing the peace in Mexico last week, but then died in jail. Now his death is under investigation. 
"It looks like a story somebody made up. It looks like a very scary situation, like some movie or something," said Samik Tadjiev while talking about the death of his friend.
A cloud of mystery hangs over the death of Alferov,  a talented acrobat who, up until recently, performed for Cirque du Soleil and in SeaWorld's "Odyssea" show.
"He loved what he did," said Tadjiev.
Alferov recently left Orlando and went to Acapulco, Mexico, trying to create his own circus show there.
Friends said he was popular in the town and had received the backing of several well-known people, until his arrest last week.
"They don't know exactly what happened, how he ended up in jail," said Tadjiev.
read more--
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/questions-surround-death-former-cirque-du-soleil-a/nSwch/

 

Incredible train runs through garden

from: myfoxtampabay.com

Ringling Bros. Circus rides into Pittsburgh


Ryan Bildhauer, 14, a student from Mon Valley School's autism support class, stands between Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus clowns Joy Powers, left, and Breeza Gonalez on Wednesday at Consol Energy Center. At far right is Ryan's classmate Anthony White, 14, trying on a circus costume.
By Scott Mervis / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
from:  post-gazette.com
November 1, 2012
Last weekend, the tireless Bruce Springsteen amazed fans by crowd-surfing halfway across the floor of Consol Energy Center.

Brian "The Human Fuse" Miser has a quicker way to get there. He is mounted on a giant crossbow and launched at 65 miles per -- while on fire!

Ringmaster Brian Crawford Scott doesn't hesitate to say that it's his favorite spectacle in Fully Charged, the current incarnation of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which pulls into Consol tonight.
"It's amazing to watch," Mr. Scott said, "but I have the very unique perspective of being directly beneath him when he fires."

"The Human Fuse" got his start in the local amateur circus in his native Peru, Ind. He's been with the circus for eight years, launching more than 6,000 times, but every flight is an adventure. "You're pretty sure you know where you're going to land," he has said, "but sometimes you worry you'll be a little short or a foot over."

"He's got to make changes and adjustments everywhere we go, depending on how big the space is," the ringmaster said. "There are times when he flies a little lower than normal and I can kind of feel the flames, and I think, 'Uh, he's a little close today.' "
 

 

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Cathy Garden's Mixed Liberty Act at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Mr. Scott is the 36th ringmaster in the 141-year history of Ringling. A musical theater major at the University of Northern Colorado, he got the part after answering an ad for a New York City audition.

"I had just decided that I wanted to start pursuing job opportunities, and there was no reason for me not to. I felt, 'This can't hurt me.' It's a great way to start in."

Amazingly enough, Mr. Scott had never seen the circus before he joined Ringling two years ago.

"It just never came up," he says. "It's not like we were against the circus or anything. I grew up in San Jose, Calif., and it certainly was there. My parents, much to their chagrin, never took me and they get no end of grief from their friends now because of it."

As ringmaster, he's surrounded by the comical cut-ups in Clown Alley; Tabayara, who goes face to face with 12 tigers and gets 4-ton Asian elephants to dance; the Fernandez Brothers, who perform daring feats on the Twin Turbines of Steel; Mongolian strongmen The Titanic Tulga and Mighty Meetal, who lift, um, telephone poles.

And there's much more where they came from.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/life/lifestyle/ringling-bros-circus-rides-into-pittsburgh-660055/#ixzz2BAO5kV00

MOSI in Tampa cancels Cirque Italia performance

 

Performers and visitors to Cirque Italia’s tent at MOSI in Tampa mill around Thursday after the announcement that the show had been canceled.
By John Fleming, Times Performing Arts Critic
from: tampabay.com
Friday, November 2, 2012
The show by Cirque Italia did not go on Thursday at the Museum of Science and Industry.

 

 

MOSI stops Cirque Italia's ACT XII because of lack of insurance
By CLOE CABRERA | The Tampa Tribune
November 02, 2012
TAMPA --
The Museum of Science and Industry has canceled the first five days of performances of Cirque Italia's ACT XII until the circus owner pays for insurance.

The circus, featuring aerialists, high-balancing acts and contortionists performing on an elevated stage surrounded by 35,000 gallons of water, was to have begun Thursday night and run through Dec. 2.

Patrons, expecting to see circus acts Thursday under the blue-and-white big top, were instead turned away, but not empty handed. MOSI handed out museum passes to each person who came to see the circus.

Thomas Sandwich of Clearwater came out for the show. He said he had free tickets and was anxious to see the performances because it had been 60 years since he'd been to the circus.

"Last time I went to a circus they used elephants to raise the big top," said Sandwich, who said he was in his 70s. "I guess now, they use four-wheelers.

"We were looking forward to this," he said.

MOSI Thursday afternoon canceled all performances of the circus but later decided to give owner Manuel Rebecchi five days to pay $43,000 for liability and workers' comp insurance.

If he does not make the payment by Tuesday, all performances will be canceled, MOSI officials said.

MOSI officials pulled the plug on the circus when they learned the circus did not fulfill the insurance requirements specified in the contract, said Shannon N. Herbon, MOSI's communications manager.

"We have been on the telephone all day (with Cirque Italia)," Hebron said. "(Cirque Italia) refused to pay for the liability insurance. We will not leave our performers and guests not protected."

Rebecchi said MOSI acted too quickly in canceling all of the shows.

"That's not right," he said Thursday. "We've been working like animals and this happens."

Rebecchi said he would pay for the coverage today and the show will go on.

Rebecchi, 32, purchased Cirque Italia for $1.3 million. A native of Italy, he grew up traveling with his uncle's renowned Noira Orfei's Circus.

About a month ago, Rebecchi and his crew began setting up the big top next to MOSI. The 1,266 seat tent spans more than 10,000 square feet and is more than 50 feet high.

Anyone who purchased tickets can call (813) 987-6000 for a refund.

A story in today's Friday Extra about Cirque Italia went to press before Thursday's cancellation.

Cirque Italia at MOSI - Nov.1 - Dec. 2, 2012 .

Published on Oct 25, 2012 Cirque Italia comes to MOSI's adjacent property, Nov. 1 -- Dec. 2, to perform ACT XII, its 2012 opening show. With talented artists from across the world, Cirque Italia will have you dazzled under the big top.

ABC World News Now : Halloween 2012: An $8 Billion Holiday

Published on Nov 1, 2012

ABC's Dan Lieberman investigates the origin of Halloween in this edition of 'Ever Wonder?'

BIG APPLE NEWS

from: westport-news.com

November 3, 2012
Kim Leonard and her young son, Jack, traveled from Westport to New York City for a Friday performance of the Big Apple Circus after service was restored by Metro-North Railroad. Photo: Paul Schott / Westport News

When gourds fly
Sandy's sog cancels today's Punkin Chunkin, but 'Little Big Gun' family aims for Saturday and Sunday

 
Ready for battle, chunkin devices are lined up at Punkin Chunkin in Bridgeville in 2008. Thousands will descend on the Bridgeville field Saturday and Sunday to see the devices and see how far they can throw the punkins. / File photo

Written by Ryan Cormier--The News Journal
from: delawaretoday.com
Nov 1, 2012
It’s going to take more than the news that Punkin Chunkin will shrink to two days this weekend due to soggy conditions caused by Superstorm Sandy to slow down the Hartman family’s excitement.
The family behind the “Little Big Gun” team will not only once again compete using its small gun with big power, but they will also be featured in a new documentary about their love of chunkin punkins next weekend.
For the family and their fans, the weekend competition adds another dimension to the quarter-century-old only-in-Delaware competition that this year managed to sneak in between a nasty hurricane and an equally nasty national election. This 27th version includes reservations for parking spots online, and a Miss Punkin Chunkin Pageant, which also allows online entry.

 

A scene from 'Little Big Gun,' a documentary about the Punkin Chunkin team of the same name, led by the Hartman family of Laurel. Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival

The film about the Hartmans, “Little Big Gun” by Canadian filmmaker Simon Trépanier, will make its Delaware debut Nov. 9 at 10 a.m., at the Rehoboth Independent Film Festival with Mark, Faith and 10-year-old Phillip Hartman all attending and taking part in a question-and-answer session.
The Hartmans have already seen the film, which shows them both on the field and at home – all at a time just after both Faith’s parents died 14 months apart.
“There are a couple of parts that are a little emotional for me,” Faith Hartman admits about the all-access documentary.
read more:
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20121102/LIFE/311020017?source=nletter-top5&nclick_check=1

CIRQUE ITALIA

INSIDE THE BIG TOP!

FROM CIRQUE ITALIA FACEBOOK PAGE

 

 

 

 

Chicago to get tough on cruelty in circuses ahead of Ringling Brothers tour

Circus trainers make these performances appear natural when they are anything but.

 Credit: Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images
November 1, 2012
By: Eve-Angeline Mitchell
The City of Chicago’s inspector general has released a report on the city’s regulation of circuses and how they treat their animals, according to an article on PETA’s website. PETA has asked Chicago repeatedly to investigate the circuses that visit, particularly Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which has been plagued with protests and legal problems in recent years due to their cruel treatment of their animals and violating state animal-treatment laws without enforcement action taken.

Chicago’s inspector general requires changes in the way the city handles animal exhibits, including requiring veterinary records with applications for permits, and having Chicago Animal Care and Control give additional training for inspectors and vets to properly inspect and identify any health, sanitation, treatment or other issues facing exotic animals in the circuses that come to Chicago.
read more--
http://www.examiner.com/article/chicago-to-get-tough-on-cruelty-circuses-ahead-of-ringling-brothers-tour

The Amazing Nik Wallenda

from--mytampabay.com

Fox 13, Tampa

 

A more whimsical Wallenda stunt

 

STAFF PHOTO / DAN WAGNER
Nik Wallenda takes time for photographs and autographs after walking on a chalked "high-wire," at the Sarasota Chalk Festival on Thursday. Spectators were allowed to try the wire after Wallenda.
By Billy Cox
from:  heraldtribune.com
November 1, 2012

SARASOTA - Guinness record-holding aerialist Nik Wallenda took a break from his white-knuckle legacy Thursday afternoon and injected some levity into the Sarasota Chalk Festival.

“Will I make it?” asked Wallenda as he pretended to stumble across a tight-rope painted into a circus scene on Pineapple Avenue.

The crowd cheered as the 33-year-old performance artist completed the stunt — “and without a net!” shouted a spectator, alluding to an ABC network contract that forced Wallenda to wear a safety harness during his Niagara Falls wirewalk last June.

“It wasn't quite as windy and it wasn't quite as wet,” quipped Wallenda, who will return to ChalkFest Sunday afternoon about 2:30. That's when he and wife Erendira will team up for a more challenging swaypole act.

This year's ChalkFest theme is “Circus City USA,” which gave Wallenda an opportunity to promote his Jan. 25-Feb. 15 appearance at Circus Sarasota. He also plans to wirewalk the Grand Canyon in June 2013.

Pineapple Avenue has been blossoming into vivid color all week as international pavement artists tuned up for the festival's big weekend.

Bryan Moon, at 84 the oldest artist on the street, took a break from his first-ever attempt at pavement art during Wallenda's appearance Thursday.

“It's the size of this thing that blows your mind,” Moon said in his native British accent. “It's a lot of fun, but it's very much hard work. It's grueling.”

Retired to Sarasota, Moon has made news headlines for his MIA Hunters missions, which involve traveling to remote locales to find the remains of Allied aircraft shot down during World War II.


Government officials promise to oversee Port St. Lucie circus
By Marsha Branch
from--tcpalm.com
Posted November 1, 2012
PORT ST. LUCIE — Cole Bros. Circus has brought its act to St. Lucie County for seven years and is gearing up for another visit Nov. 15-18, but this time it's amidst some controversy.

Fort Pierce resident Jen Feuerstein, who appealed to the government to reject the circus, objects to its use of elephants and tigers in its acts because, she claims, the training methods are cruel and the exotic animals could pose a threat to public safety if any escaped or went berserk, as has happened.

Feuerstein said she specifically objects to elephant trainer Tim Frisco because of his training methods and safety record.

"There is (YouTube) video of the elephant trainer beating elephants and telling other elephant trainers to use abusive techniques," she said. "He is actually quoted as saying make them [the elephants] scream."

She also cited a 1992 Palm Bay case in which an elephant in Frisco's care, with a different circus, had to be shot and killed after it went on a rampage while a woman and four children were riding in a howdah on its back.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cited Cole Bros. for animal rights violations and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has filed complaints against the circus.

St. Lucie County Commission Chairman Chris Dzadovsky also is opposed to the circus bringing its animal act to Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie, but he was outvoted 4-1 in an informal vote on the matter in October.

Commissioner Chris Craft said the board was notified of Cole Bros.' previous fines, but the county has no jurisdiction over the circus. By leasing the county-owned stadium to the circus, however, the county can implement an oversight process to ensure the animals' well-being, he said.

"If we do it right, we can actually set the standards for things happening in the future in particular communities that the circus may go to," Craft said. "If we don't allow them to lease the county's property for this event, they could very well put it on private property and we'd have no oversight, other than what is outlined by the state."

Port St. Lucie also issued a permit, because the stadium is in city limits. Animal Control supervisor Bryan Lloyd said the circus' previous fines did not influence the city's decision, but certain requirements must be met.

"Nothing in our ordinance specifies that we do any kind of backtracking for other locations," Lloyd said. "The ordinance just states that they have to have liability insurance, a current inspection certificate from the USDA and a veterinarian that actually has some experience with wildlife or captive wildlife."

City and county officials will be on location when the circus arrives, Lloyd said, to ensure the animals are not being abused and their basic needs — water, food and shelter — are being met.

Waves erupt under boardwalk

Rockaway Beach, NY

from: usatoday

 

 

Eighteenth century market fair returns to Dover Nov. 3
from: capegazette.villagesoup.com
Nov 01, 2012
The First State Heritage Park will leave the 21st century behind Saturday, Nov. 3, when the 18th-Century Market Fair returns to The Green in Dover from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the market fair is free; food and goods will be available to purchase.

The event re-creates the sights and sounds of the autumn market fairs held in Dover in the mid-1700s. During those fairs, traveling merchants and local tradespeople exchanged goods, while entertainment of all sorts brought excitement to The Green.

Appearing at the market fair for the first time is Signora Bella, the Great Italian Equilibrist, who delights audiences by balancing and juggling knives and flaming torches. Also making a first appearance at the market fair is Rudy Tucker, a well-known Virginia artisan who will demonstrate pottery making with a foot-powered wheel and sell his traditionally made salt-glazed stoneware. Tavern cook Constance Greene, portrayed by Kim Costa, will greet visitors at the Golden Fleece Tavern site and show what it was like to travel and eat at an 18th-century tavern.

Two of last year’s popular performers will make repeat visits. The Arrogant French Lacemaker returns with his combination of history and humor. Also returning is Dr. Balthasar’s Marvelous Miracle Medicine Show to offer audiences a "magical miracle medicine that cures everything from a common cold to death of two weeks' standing” during this comical, interactive show.

Children will enjoy the hands-on activities, and the living history characters for which the Heritage Park is known will be making appearances. Completing the period atmosphere are traditional music and dancing provided by the Market Fair Minstrels Jan and Kelly Crumpley and by the Dover English Country Dancers. The Century Club will offer hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches, desserts and hot drinks for sale and Fifer Orchards will be selling cider donuts and cider.

Information about all the entertainers, demonstrators and vendors is available at destateparks.com/marketfair.


Unlike some states, Oklahoma's unclaimed property program works as intended
from:  newok.com
The Oklahoman Editorial
Published: November 2, 2012

Every year for the past several, the Oklahoma treasurer's office has set up a booth at the state fairs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to return unclaimed property to taxpayers. It works. This year, more than $250,000 in cash and stock were returned to fair attendees in Tulsa. About $190,000 was given back during the Oklahoma State Fair.
Unclaimed property includes bank accounts, security deposits, overpayments, royalties, rebates, and stocks and bonds that are turned over to the treasurer's office when the businesses holding them lose track of the owners. The fair appearances are highly visible examples of what the office actually does year-round. Its website makes the unclaimed property division easy to find, and the treasurer's office occasionally uses tabloids in newspapers to reach out to Oklahomans. During the 2012 fiscal year, about $18.5 million in property was given back to its owners.

Read more: http://newsok.com/unlike-some-states-oklahomas-unclaimed-property-program-works-as-intended/article/3724501#ixzz2B4LM2eWN

HOW I SPENT MY HALLOWEEN!

 

 

She had a very nice personality!

But not much of a cook!

Superstorm Sandy's Destruction: Wind, Floods and Fire

 

Published on Oct 31, 2012

Across the northeastern United States, scenes of unbelievable destruction and rescues still underway

Raw: Sandy Throws Roller Coaster Into the Ocean

Published on Oct 31, 2012

In New Jersey, superstorm Sandy destroyed several blocks of Atlantic City's world-famous boardwalk and wrecked several other boardwalks up and down the coast.

CAN YOU HELP THIS LADY?

 

ROYAL ICE PALACE REVUE
ROYAL AMERICAN SHOWS-1940's
I received this e-mail yesterday.
 Daisy Mae 5:10pm Oct 30 
I have started a Facebook Page in gathering and sharing information about my birth mother's ice skating career. She was a professional skater on the Royal Ice Palace Revue of the Royal American Show in 1940-1941. She was one of the first to skate on Iceolite.
I will be posting many photos from her scrapbooks. I have newspaper clippings and articles about many "vintage' skating act, skaters and R.A.S. show people and of course my mother Charlotte Stempniak, billed as “Rhythm on Ice"
If you are interested in this 1940 era of ice skating or carnival, perhaps know some of the people mentioned, please visit my new Facebook page, Skates on a Suitcase.
Right now I am researching Lion Dromes, Walter, Marjorie and Bill Kemp Thrill Arena and my mom's sweet heart from the show, "George Murray"
George was a thrill rider and the lion trainer, and after the war he had his own Lion Drome. Did anyone in your family know George? He rode from the late 1930’s till the 1970’s. He passed away in 1984. He worked on a few shows, but primarily James Strates and Royal American Show.
www.facebook.com/pages/Skates-on-a-Suitcase/460384527334810

CIRCUS SARASOTA NEWS---

 

 

 

 

Cole Bros. Circus Performing Six Shows at Tigertown

The Cole Bros. Circus presents its Bengal and Siberian tigers during shows in Lakeland from Monday to Wednesday.

(MIKE SPENCER/WILMINGTON STAR-NEWS PHOTOS)
By Matt Reinstetle
From:  THE LEDGER.com
October 31, 2012
Lakeland, FL--Ringmaster Chris Connors has been around the circus since he was a baby.
Connors, whose family attended many circus performances, has spent 11 of his more than 20 years in the circus as ringmaster. Now he's doing what he's always wanted to do as part of the Cole Bros. Circus.

"I used to tell my parents, ‘Well, if you don't like me, I'll run away and join the circus now,'" Connors said. "It took me many years later to do it, but here I am."

The Cole Bros. Circus will be performing two shows a day from Monday to Wednesday at the Tigertown complex in Lakeland.

The Cole Bros. Circus is the is one of the oldest traveling circuses, second only to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. It is the oldest circus to perform under a big top tent.

Elephants, Clowns, Tigers, Aerialists Among the Acts Coming to Lakeland. (MIKE SPENCER/WILMINGTON STAR-NEWS PHOTOS)
"When people go under the big top, it has a different feeling by itself," Connors said. "It feels more like a circus than when you go into a building. I've played in circuses in buildings and even when you're a performer, it doesn't feel the same.

"You feel like this is the real circus when you're under the tent."

Cole Bros. features several signature acts, including Baby Val, a 5-year-old elephant who does a show with Haley, the 5-year old daughter of the elephant's trainers.
read more--
http://www.theledger.com/article/20121031/ENT/121039882/1308?Title=Cole-Bros-Circus-Performing-Six-Shows-at-Tigertown-

 

Cirque Italia opens today next to Tampa's Museum of Science
Cirque Italia, which opens its show tonight, boasts a movable water stage and ultra-modern theme.
from--tampabay.com
 By John Fleming, Times Performing Arts Critic
 Thursday, November 1, 2012
Circus fans in the Tampa Bay area have an embarrassment of riches to enjoy in November and December.

Cirque du Soleil is returning with Kooza, opening Nov. 8 in St. Petersburg, but the first aerial artists, contortionists, hand balancers, clowns and other circus acts in the area this month will be with a newcomer to the field, Cirque Italia. From tonight through Dec. 2, it will be performing Act XII — so named because this is the first year of the show — under the big top on property adjacent to the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa.

"Cirque Italia is not your average, traditional circus," according to its website. "(Owner Manuel Rebecchi's) vision is to present something new and fresh, with an exceptionally modern theme that has never been seen before — a sort of Soleil meets Age of Aquarius! The show Act XII is unique for its movable water stage that will allure audiences through colorful dancing fountains."

Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday. $25-$40 for adults, $10-$35 for children 2 to 12. (813) 987-6000; mosi.org.
John Fleming, Times performing arts critic

Bass Hall to come to life with physical, artistic mastery of Cirque Musica, Fort Worth Symphony

FWSO
Performers share stage space with the symphony, so they have to be aware of their surroundings.
from:  star-telegram.com
By Punch Shaw
Special to the Star-Telegram
October 30, 2012
You might think it is odd that the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will be performing with acrobats, jugglers, aerialists and strong men in its weekend of circus-themed concerts that begin Friday at Bass Hall.
But wait. It gets stranger.
One of the stars of the troupe providing the circus element, Cirque Musica, is a cowboy from New York City.

"I grew up in the Bronx. But I am a cowboy and I do a Western act," explained A.J. Silver, who will be offering a trick roping routine backed by the likes of Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky. "There is a lot of park land in the Bronx, and there are stables where you can ride horses. My greatest love was always being outdoors around the horses."

So Silver learned to sit a saddle at an early age. But the career path that would lead him to Bass Hall did not reveal itself until he was taken to an entertainment event that had nothing to do with circuses or symphonies.

FWSO
The cast of Cirque Musica will perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
"I saw the rodeo at Madison Square Garden when I was 11 years old and it made me want to be a cowboy. What little boy doesn't want to be a cowboy?"

But unlike so many buckaroo wannabes, Silver made the dream a reality.

"I started my rodeo career as a trick rider. I traveled all over the United States," said Silver, who added that Fort Worth was among his stops in his rodeo days. "From that I developed a trick roping act that has taken me all over the world."

Silver explained that he and his cohorts work on other Cirque du Soleil-like projects when not doing Cirque Musica. After the concerts this weekend, he will be heading to Germany to spin his lasso.

This weekend's concerts promise to be quite a departure from what is usually offered in the symphony's Pops Series.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/10/30/4375182/bass-hall-to-come-to-life-with.html#storylink=cpy

Kids under the big top
Circus Juventas isn’t your grandma’s three-ring.

 

 

Seventeen-year-old Libby Ulm, center, of White Bear Lake, practices on a hoop Oct. 26 at Circus Juventas in St. Paul. Ulm has been practicing in the circus for 12 years.
from: mndaily.com
By Spencer Doar
November 01, 2012
Walking into the Circus Juventas big top is like entering the construction site of a world wonder. But it’s really the largest youth circus school in the country.

Budding acrobats tumble over stacked mats and clamber on equipment in the cavernous room, all under the watchful eye of a lattice work of exposed steel supports and girders.

“Once you have sawdust in the veins, it’s really hard to clear out,” co-founder of Circus Juventas Betty Butler said. “We were so nostalgic — we wanted to keep [circus] in our lives.”

Butler and her husband Dan established Circus Juventas 18 years ago.

The upcoming 2012 Gala will provide highlights of their Western themed summer production, “Showdown,” and a multi-course meal to raise funds for the 900-strong school.
foto
Circus students walk on balls during a balance practice Friday at Circus Juventas in St. Paul. By Anthony Kwan
Seven-year-old Olivia Abraham is one of the 900 enrolled in the entry-level circus experience class, which gives children a foundation in what the Butlers call the five genres of circus arts: acrobatics, juggling, theater, aerial and balance.

“We’ve done trampoline and something called web, and we also climbed the cloth and balanced on balls,” Olivia said.

There are multiple benefits for those participating in Circus Juventas.

“It does build their confidence,” Olivia’s father John Abraham said. “From the first class they were doing things that I was surprised at — it does give you a bit of a heart attack.”

Students sit on trapezes waiting for class to start Friday at Circus Juventas in St. Paul.
By Anthony Kwan
During usual class hours, a red sash divides a section of seats from the main floor, allowing Abraham to have his heart attacks in the company of like-minded parents grappling with their children’s antics.

With so much going on, the activities of Circus Juventas encounter an almost semantic problem of classification.

“There’s really no good elevator speech for circus,” University of Minnesota freshman and Juventas performer Shena Tschofen said. “Most people think lions, tigers, bears and wire acts in tutus. What I do is a combination of theater and circus stunts — putting that together.”
read more--
http://www.mndaily.com/2012/11/01/kids-under-big-top

Modern circus celebrates 'performance power'

 

The high-energy, nontraditional “Fully Charged” features never-before-seen performances. (Feld Entertainment Inc.)
By Andrea Daniel
Special to The Detroit News
From The Detroit News:
November 1, 2012
 The 141st edition of the Greatest Show on Earth isn't the same show your parents or grandparents saw back in the day. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents "Fully Charged," at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday, is a show like no other.

The "Fully Charged" theme is a celebration of "performance power," and a nod to the highly electronic and technological world we live in today.

"The theme is really about people," says Chantal Stringer, the circus' production manager. "These days they have their cellphones, laptops. They're always plugged into something, if you will.

"Coming to the circus is like you're unplugging from your electronics, and you're coming to a high-impact, high-energy show that's gonna make you focus on the show. The clowns plug in for you, the performers plug in for you. And you come out smiling."

There are the traditional circus acts such as the high wire, tigers, elephants, horses and, of course, there's Barnum & Bailey's Clown Alley that brings the power of laughter.
read more--
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121101/ENT05/211010312#ixzz2AzOUSLTf

 

Sarasota Chalk Festival celebrates 'Circus City'

 

 

A chalk artist prepares his work at a past Sarasota Chalk Festival.

PHOTO PROVIDED
from:  bradenton.comThe Sarasota Chalk Festival celebrates the city's most famous live entertainment export this year with the theme "Circus City: USA." Hundreds of artists from around the world will perform on the streets in historic Burns Square in downtown Sarasota.

The festival will feature two music stages as well as a performance stage showcasing music, drama, dance, and acrobatic and aerial performances.

The main festivities start today and run through Monday with everything free and open to the public including a walk this afternoon by daredevil Nik Wallenda. The world-famous Sarasotan will test the high-wire line created by artists Anthony Capetto, Wendy Stum and Shawn McCann. The public is welcome to make the crossing, too, and will be supported by the Chalk Festival volunteers who will have been trained in advance by Wallenda.

Organizers are expecting more than 200,000 people in attendance as it enters its fifth season.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/11/01/4261221/sarasota-chalk-festival-celebrates.html#storylink=cpy

Raw: Mind-bending Art Works at Chalk Art Fest

AssociatedPress

Published on Oct 31, 2012

On a stretch of asphalt in Sarasota, Florida's downtown, dozens of artists from around the world are sketching, rubbing and painting chalk on the pavement. They are in town for the fifth annual Sarasota Chalk Festival. (Oct. 31)

 

Dutch Government Prepared to ban the use of Wild Animals in Circuses
by AAP Foundation
from:  heraldonline.com
Published: November 1, 2012 
ALMERE, The Netherlands, November 1, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ --

In their coalition agreement presented to the public on the 29th of October, the new Dutch government announced a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. The Dutch animal protection organization Wilde Dieren de Tent Uit  (No Wild Animals in Circuses) has worked towards a ban for years and is, together with co-founder the AAP Foundation, very excited about this animal friendly decision by the Dutch government.
Previously, the Dutch government had not implemented any animal welfare standards required when using circus animals. But now, the Netherlands is the third European country to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, after Austria and Greece which have already made the move. Greece even put an end to the use of all animals in circuses.

In 2008, the Dutch parliament nearly agreed on a ban, but now, in 2012, the new coalition finally states that the use of wild animals in circuses should end.  David van Gennep, director AAP Foundation: "We congratulate Wilde Dieren de Tent Uit on this huge success and thank our partner organizations for their enormous commitment to the elephants, monkeys, tigers and other wild animals that have performed and still perform tricks in circuses in the Netherlands."

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/01/4380137/dutch-government-prepared-to-ban.html#storylink=cpy

Greater Gulf State Fair

Published on Oct 30, 2012

Studio10 - Greater Gulf State Fair

Retired Circus Elephants in Maine
by Joy Hollowell -
from:  wabi.tv.com
October 30th 2012
Hope - The elephants have arrived in Hope.

 

Pictures of caged circus dogs on Facebook 
by Duncan Barry
from:  independent.com.mt
31 October 2012
The idea of a circus featuring animals as being a fun-loving, educational experience, as the circus industry depicts it to be, was thrown into doubt yesterday as images of animals stuck in tiny transportation pens began doing the rounds on Facebook.

The photographs showed at least six dogs and goats locked in a cage at the Naxxar Trade Fair parking lot, among other images. They belong to Circo Fantasy, brought over by Circus Events Ltd, and only demonstrate inhumane care.

Silvio Zammit, who recently tendered his resignation as a Sliema councillor, is behind Circus Events Ltd.

A staff reporter and photographer of this newspaper visited the trade fair grounds after having reviewed the images, only to find that the circus was about to leave for Gozo to continue with its performances there.

Many a time, animal rights protestors have expressed outrage at the way circus animals are treated.

A site petitioning to ban animal circuses in Malta has compiled just under 3,000 signatures – as reported by this newspaper in Monday’s edition.

Back in 2009, animal welfare activists held a protest outside Circo Fantasy in Blata l-Bajda, hours after the circus instituted libel action against the education authorities and television personality and animal activist Moira Delia for implying that the circus was cruel to animals.

The suit against Ms Delia was filed over claims she made on the radio and on PBS, on December 8, 2009, during which she said circuses were cruel to animals. The allegations had a negative impact on the circus’ reputation and the circus held her liable for the damages suffered.

Meanwhile, Naxxar residents originally petitioned against the location of the circus, which was to be situated in a field bordering St Paul Street, a main road, close to the old trade fair grounds. As a result, the local council requested the circus moves to the parking lot in front of the former trade fair. Furthermore, the council said that the organisers would also be cleaning the place daily and if this was not done, it reserved the right to issue default notices against the organisers. However, the images seem to show otherwise.

The Somerville News Historical Fact of the Week – October 31
October 31, 2012, in Latest News, by The News Staff
By Bob (Monty) Doherty

 

 

Tufts University was founded in 1852, and its campus bridges the cities of both Medford and Somerville. Almost all of the original professors, as well as the university’s largest land donor and namesake, Mr. Charles Tufts, resided in Somerville.

Throughout their campus, you can find memorabilia in honor of the greatest animal attraction in U.S. History.  P.T. Barnum’s six and a half ton elephant was so popular that his very name was transformed into an adjective referring to anything thought of as larger than large. You may not realize it, but jumbo eggs, jumbo shrimp, jumbo jets, jumbo mortgage rates etc. are all referred to as such because of the namesake of a tremendously large and extremely loveable elephant.

In the French Sudan in the year 1861, the soon-to-be world-renowned Jumbo the elephant came into the world not so larger than life. At one point, the Paris Zoo sold this beautiful African Bush elephant to the London Zoo because he was so small and slow to grow. When the famous circus owner, P.T. Barnum, a Tufts University Trustee, came across him 17 years later after he had grown to full size, he purchased him immediately.
read more---
http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/31874

 

Animals of October
from--mercurynews.com
Oct 30, 2012

The month’s best pictures of beasts and birds, in the wild and closer to home.

Almaz, a three-year-old male white African lion, plays with a pumpkin inside his enclosure during the Zoo Halloween Weekend event at the Royev Ruchey zoo in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, October 26, 2012. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin

A meerkat eats a pumpkin decorated for Halloween at London Zoo in central London on October 30, 2012. AFP PHOTO / CARL COURT

Meerkats eat a pumpkin decorated for Halloween at London Zoo in central London on October 30, 2012. AFP PHOTO / CARL COURT

Raja, a Komodo Dragon, bites a carved pumpkin during a Halloween-themed media event at the London Zoo October 30, 2012. Raja appears as himself in the latest James Bond film, "Skyfall." REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

Two giant pandas eat bamboo at the new base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan province, China, October 30, 2012. REUTERS/China Daily

see more at--
http://photos.mercurynews.com/2012/10/30/animals-of-october/

 

As Hurricane Sandy Whips Coney Island, Locals Fish, Fret, Stick It Out

from--huffingtonpost.com

10/29/2012

 

CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. -- The morning after New York City officials ordered people living near the water to pack up and leave, Robert Benetton, 49, and his 27-year-old son Rashawn Peterson hopped over a metal police barrier, screwed together a fishing rod, and jogged halfway down a thousand-foot pier stretching from the Coney Island boardwalk out into the Atlantic.

Benetton flung a neon green lure out into the storm-tossed sea –- he was hoping to land "the big beast," his son said. But the wind was refusing to cooperate, so Benetton made an executive decision: "We're going to the tip." He and his son ran down the pier as waves reared up and sent sprays of icy water up through the slats.

The residents of Coney Island are among the 370,000 New Yorkers who have received evacuation orders in the last 24 hours, and local leaders have been trying to hammer home the message that they need to take those warnings seriously.

Before the first raindrops fell, officials closed the subway system, opened 76 evacuation centers throughout the city, deployed buses to transport citizens to safety, and have been taking to the airwaves for hours. "If they are in an evacuation zone, evacuate!" said Governor Andrew Cuomo at a Monday morning news conference on Long Island. "If I was in that area, I would evacuate and I wouldn't think about it twice."

read more--

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/hurricane-sandy-coney-island_n_2040882.html?utm_hp_ref=green

Fantazia kicks off tour with UMass

 

Rehan Talat/Collegian
frtom-- dailycollegian.com
By: Justin Surgent
October 31, 2012
If death-defying stunts, fire-breathing dancers and electronic music are your idea of a good time, then Fantazia 360 is where you belong.
With its tour premiering tonight at the Mullins Center, Fantazia 360 promises to make this Halloween a little more theatrical.

The brainchild of NV Concepts and MASS EDMC, Fantazia is an audio and visual production that goes far beyond the realm of an ordinary electronic show. With a 360-degree rotating stage, aerial acrobatics, fire breathers and more, Fantazia is as much a visual performance as it is a musical one. Death-defying theatrical acts by Flambeaux Fire and Natasha Circus are performed to the raging beats of electronic music.

Last April, Fantazia was a sell out in the Mullins Center, which is promising for this year’s Halloween event.

“It was a new concept, so when we started off, we didn’t have very much to sell it on,” said Adam Liderman, founder and director of EDMC. “It’s hard to convey something when you don’t have a picture to look at or a video to show.”
“It was a new concept, so when we started off, we didn’t have very much to sell it on,” said Adam Liderman, founder and director of EDMC. “It’s hard to convey something when you don’t have a picture to look at or a video to show.”

Typical concert goers may be a little surprised at Fantazia’s set up. The show will revolve around a center stage surrounded by the audience.

“We’ve changed a lot of things and refined (Fantazia),” Liderman said. “There’s going to be a lot more going on onstage, a lot more going on in the audience. It won’t be you necessarily standing there looking at the stage, but looking at what will be happening all around you.”

The show will start with VOLTRAN. Bamboora will own the stage next and DSK CHK will end the show in his signature Guy Fawkes mask.
read more--
http://dailycollegian.com/2012/10/31/fantazia-kicks-off-tour-with-umass/

 

1:30 PM TUESDAY
Just got off the phone with John Kennedy Kane (Eggroll).
He tells me that the cast and crew of the Big Apple Circus
rode out the storm in a basement shelter at Lincoln Center.
And contary to reports they did not tear the big top down, as
reported by other sources. The only thing that was tore down were
the reception tents and all the smaller tents around the big top.
Jenny Vidbel's animals are just fine.
Management is debating whether or not to do a spcially scheduled
Halloween Show at 12:30 tomorrow for school kids.
Just thought you'd like to hear this good news from the Big Apple.
Dick