THE NEW SHOW FOR 2012

SARASOTA NEWS--
FROM " CIRCUS" PETE ADAMS

 

Don’t Miss the Action and Fun at the Sailor Circus Holiday Show entitled Polar Express. Many Circus Fans and Model Builders volunteer at Sailor Circus to help the kids. We can always use more. Let Pete Adams at circusp@comcast.net know if you would be willing to help. The show will be on December 27, 28, 29, and 30th at 7 p.m. and also at 2 p.m. on the 29th and 30th. Tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for children. A flyer is attached to this message.


************************************************
Pete Adams

FROM BROOKE EVANS--
CIRCUS MODELS


These should have been post before the previous two were posted earlier this week.
Sorry Brooke!

Ringling crane truck from the early 40's. Probably one of the most difficult of my projects. Crane raises and lowers and rotates 90 degrees left and right. Hook also raises and lowers. Will send one more picture with stabilizers added. Will get them from the hardware store tonight.
Brooke

 

 

Small site, big cheers for circus
(Silverlake's Santa Claus Holiday Circus)

 

A Santa Claus Holiday Circus performer balances on a "rola bola" – a cylinder beneath several flat platforms.
By Chesley Oxendine Phoenix Correspondent
from:  muskogeephoenix.com
November 24, 2012
— FORT GIBSON — Santa made an appearance Friday in Fort Gibson — as part of a circus.
 The big top came to an old gymnasium in Fort Gibson on Friday night as American Legion Post 20 brought Santa Claus Holiday Circus to Fort Gibson High School.
 With a set of routines specifically geared toward small towns and smaller buildings, the circus put on performers ranging from Nugget the miniature pony to clown Kyle Andrews, who interspersed the balancing acts and trained poodles with comedy.
 More than 100 people cheered in the stands, and many partook of cotton candy, sodas and popcorn. Several times the performers offered souvenirs such as huge balloons and coloring books to the crowd.

Afterward, children were invited to have their photos taken with famous Christmas characters, such as the Grinch and Santa Claus.
 The admission fees went to the post for its general fund, which pays for projects such as the Trail of Honor Flag Project as well as maintaining the Legion’s building, Post Commander Tim Smith said.
“This was very good,” he said. “It’s our first year, so this was an experiment, and it was a success for us.”
It was a success for the crowd, too, said Wagoner resident Cheril Teague.
“I really enjoyed all of it, except for the clown,” Teague said. “I’m really scared of clowns.”
read more:
http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x983008146/Small-site-big-cheers-for-circus

Circus camel loose on the streets of Glendale

from: abclocal.go.com/kabc

Elex Michaelson

Friday, November 23, 2012

Sunday Routine | Daniel Cyr
A Circus Performer Prepares for 5 Minutes of Paradise


from:  nytimes.com
By ALEX VADUKUL
November 23, 2012
Daniel Cyr, 46, performs in the Big Apple Circus’s new show, “Legendarium,” which is in New York until Jan. 13. A native of the Magdalen Islands in eastern Canada, Mr. Cyr is known for his act on the roue Cyr (Cyr wheel), a large, ring-like apparatus that he invented in 1996; he does feats while standing inside it, resembling Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian man. During the run of the circus, he lives beside the Big Top in a trailer village with other performers in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. Sundays are always show days, but Mr. Cyr also finds time to relax off his wheel.
A TWO-SHOW DAY We have two shows on Sunday. The first is at 12:30 p.m., so I’ll wake up around 9 o’clock. I try to sleep always eight hours. We all have trailers here in the back. It’s really a different life than when you’re in Cirque du Soleil living in hotels. Here you’re much more independent.
 

 

BREAKFAST TRADITION My breakfast in general is I take two bananas, whole-wheat toast, put peanut butter on the toast, cut the bananas one little chunk at a time, and put them on the toast. I eat four slices. And a glass of milk. I’m not a big coffee drinker. I’ve been having this breakfast for many years.
WARMING UP After that, I start to warm up in my trailer. I do stretches. I take this elastic band and I squeeze it into a cupboard door and I pull. It’s to warm up the shoulders.
read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/nyregion/daniel-cyr-prepares-precisely-for-big-apple-circus-routines.html

 

Clowns used TV to bring laughter to Hispanic children
By ANGEL CASTILLO JR. | Florida Voices
from:  hernandotoday.com
Published: November 24, 2012
For the baby boomers from Cuba, Puerto Rico, South and Central America, Mexico and Spain who live in South Florida, the last of an iconic TV trio from their childhood has just passed away.

Emilio Aragón, who with his late brothers Gabriel and Alfonso had made children throughout Hispanic America sing, laugh and learn during the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, died in Madrid on Nov. 17, at age 83.

The trio, all born in Spain and later also citizens of Cuba, where their children were born, were known as the television clowns "Gaby, Fofó, and Miliki." Millions of Hispanic children watched them on their TV screens from 1950 through the 1970s.

Emilio ("Miliki"), the youngest brother, played the accordion. The oldest brother, Gabriel ("Gaby"), played a small curved soprano saxophone; he died in Madrid in 1976, aged 53. Alfonso ("Fofó"), the middle brother, played an acoustic guitar; he died in Madrid in 1995, at age 72.

The Aragón brothers grew up in a Spanish circus family and began performing in their teen years in 1939. In 1946, following the end of World War II and their father's death, they moved to Cuba and began a long and stellar career of performing in nightclubs, circuses, radio, television and movies. They also made children's records.

They were pioneers of Cuban television. When another Spanish immigrant, radio entrepreneur Gaspar Pumarejo, inaugurated the island's first television station, Channel 4, in 1950, Gaby, Fofó, and Miliki began their first televised children's program.

While the program changed names, stations, and countries (including Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Argentina and finally Spain in 1973), over the years, the core format remained the same. The TV studio would be configured and decorated like a circus ring, and the audience would consist solely of well-dressed, groomed and behaved schoolchildren.
read more:
http://www2.hernandotoday.com/news/hernando-news/2012/nov/24/haopino1-clowns-used-tv-to-bring-laughter-to-hispa-ar-574680/


Local Skater Is Flying High

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF FELD ENTERTAINMENT
Joseph Jacobsen-on silks with Kendra Moyle
Joseph Jacobsen and his skating partner, Kendra Moyle, do acrobatics on silks representing Rapunzel’s hair in “Dare to Dream.”
from:  mountain-news.com
By Mary-Justine Lanyon, Editor | 0 comments
November 22, 2012
Lake Arrowhead, California--When he began skating at the Ice Castle at the age of 7, little did Joseph Jacobsen expect he would one day be skating on a world stage.
But that is exactly what has happened to the young man, now 25, who competed internationally as a pairs figure skater and is now part of the Disney on Ice cast.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FELD ENTERTAINMENT
Joseph Jacobsen-Flynn with Rapunzel and Frying Pan
Rapunzel (Kendra Moyle) looks menacing as she threatens Flynn Rider (Joseph Jacobsen) with a frying pan.
“Lake Arrowhead was probably one of the best places to grow up as a competitive figure skater,” Jacobsen said. “I trained alongside some of the greats: Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Jenni Meno and Todd Sand.”
He had praise for the high level of coaching at the Ice Castle, too. But when Meno and Sand stopped competing and began coaching, he followed them.
Jacobsen attended Rim High School until his sophomore year but it became increasingly difficult for him to attend a traditional high school as he was spending so much time on the road, competing. He transferred to an independent high school in Rialto, from which he graduated in 2005.
He competed until 2010 when he made the difficult decision to turn professional. “It was difficult for me to move on from competition,” he said.
The current Disney on Ice show, “Dare to Dream,” is Jacobsen’s second Disney production. The first was “Let’s Celebrate,” billed as “one big colossal party on ice.” Jacobsen called it a Disney variety show.
read more:
http://www.mountain-news.com/mountain_living/article_baac229a-343c-11e2-9a3a-0019bb2963f4.html

Christmas Laser Light Show Back in South Bay
This holiday light display makes most neighborhoods seem small.


Santa Clara's Great America hosts a winter wonderland of lights through New Year's Day.
from:  nbcbayarea.com
By Lori Preuitt
Friday, Nov 23, 2012
Great America theme park isn't just a summer time venue anymore.
It draws thousands of people for Halloween and, for the second year, the park is the backdrop for a holiday laser light show and display.
The park in Santa Clara will be turned into a lighted extravaganza featuring some of the world's greatest architectural wonders. It's taken four dozen engineers from China working for the past month to create the display.
Unlike other holiday light displays in the Bay Area, this one is not a drive through. It is instead, a walk-on-your-own two feet type event.
The Global Winter Wonderland venue picked the Bay Area for its U.S. debut last year. The nightly event is described as a family-friendly festival of lights that lets you travel the world in one night.
Organizers said more than 400,000 people walked through the display last year.

This year they have all the lights, plus a couple dozen of the theme park rides will be available (no roller coasters) and there will be more than 15 carnival style rides.
The gigantic illuminated displays feature things like the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, Chichen Itza, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Some of the structures are more than 50-feet tall.
Global Winter Wonderland calls the structures lighted lanterns. The lanterns are made out of soda cans, bottle caps, CDs, porcelain dishes and metal flatware.
They are eco-friendly and powered with low voltage LEDs and fluorescent lights.
 

 

They were designed by the same engineers who built lanterns for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

The lights are the draw, but it also features fire dancers, fire eaters, and other circus type characters.

And, yes- Santa is expected to be there. 
read more:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Christmas-Laser

Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away Posters Show Off Passion And Flexibility


from:  cinemablend.com
Author: Kelly West
2012-11-23 
December continues to inch closer and with it, the release of a number of anticipated films. For those looking for an especially exciting visual experience, there's Life of Pi (now playing) and Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away, both of which will be offered in 3D and - from the trailers - look like they'll be real feasts for the eyes in addition to potentially great movies. Some new posters for Cirque Du Soleil have made their way online, all of which show off the unique look of the movie along with some of the other selling points.

 

Executive produced by James Cameron and directed by Andrew Adamson, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is an original story that follows a young couple who are separated and attempt to find one another while journeying through dreamlike worlds. Those familiar with Cirque du Soleil know that the act features a mixture of circus arts and street entertainment, including graceful and impressive acrobatics. Based on the trailer, it looks like the film will incorporate all of that, while also adding 3D technology, which could make for a truly stunning visual experience.

 All of the posters use a quote to highlight a key aspect of the show. The first one focuses on the romance, giving us a look at the two leads on the verge of a kiss, beneath the quote, "A fantastical love story." And the second one reminds us of the "vibrant spectacle" in store with a glimpse of four very flexible performers.

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away arrives in theaters December 21. More information, photos and video can be found in our Blend Film Database.
read more:
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Cirque-Du-Soleil-Worlds-Away-Posters-Show-Off-Passion-Flexibility-34246.html

 

 

NeSmith: "World's Smallest Airport" made aviation history

 

by Dink NeSmith
from: onlineathens.com
Friday, November 23, 2012
The year 1917 was good for aeronautics. The British were first to land a plane on a ship. Ben Epps Field was “born” in Athens. And Grady Thrasher Jr. was born in Athens, too. I didn’t know any of these facts until I met Grady Thrasher III, a retired attorney, who told me about the “World’s Smallest Airport.”

Grady III’s father and uncles were World War II veterans. But if they were anything, Grady, Bud and Tunis were daredevil entrepreneurs. Grady, a war pilot, taught his Navy seamen brothers how to fly.

And after I watched the documentary produced by Grady III and his wife, Kathy Prescott, I thought of Tim McGraw’s country song, “Live Like You Are Dying.” The Thrasher Brothers lived on the edge — as if they were dying — wowing spectators with their aerial circus from 1945 to 1950.

The three flirted with danger, but they had only one injury. Bud broke his back in a parachute jump. Undeterred, his brother, Grady, placed an ad in The Elberton Star: “Wanted — Male or female who is tired of living, despondent and has no specific object in life, to stand on top of wing of airplane as it does aerobatics at air show.”
Besides being an aeronautical genius, Grady Jr. was a prankster. Humor spiced the air shows. But 27 people didn’t think his ad was a joke. From that group, a wing-walker was selected, while Bud recuperated in St. Mary’s Hospital.
read more:
http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2012-11-23/nesmith-worlds-smallest-airport-made-aviation-history

Bobby Roberts, Circus Owner, Found Guilty Of Elephant Abuse
from:  huffingtonpost.com
AP  |  Posted: 11/23/2012
LONDON (AP) — A British court has found a circus owner guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a performing elephant.

A judge at Northampton Crown Court convicted Bobby Roberts after the court was shown secretly-filmed footage of a groom hitting 58-year-old elephant Anne with a pitchfork.

The video, which was recorded by the group Animal Defenders International in 2011, showed the groom kicking and hitting the Asian elephant, which was seen chained by a foot and a hind leg in a barn.

The 69-year-old Roberts told the court during a five-day trial that he would never have condoned the behavior of the groom, who is believed to have returned to his home in Romania.

He was given a three-year conditional discharge Friday.
read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/23/uk-circus-owner-found-guilty-bobby-roberts_n_2178909.html

CIRCUS MODELS FROM
~~BROOKE EVANS~~


#250 with stabilizers added  --     made scale one foot square foot pads for under each one    
brooke

 

"YULETIDE AT STORROWTON,"

DEC. 1 and 2, 2012
Eastern States Exposition's Gift to the Community

Eastern States Exposition’s Storrowton Village Museum will present “Yuletide at Storrowton,” Saturday and Sunday, December 1 & 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This free winter holiday festival is a chance for the community to come together to enjoy Yuletide activities and celebrations for the entire family as well as musical presentations, entertainment and shopping, all in the historic Village in West Springfield, Mass.

Decorated through the generosity of area garden clubs, florists and designers, the Village is brimming with wreaths, swags, garlands, fresh evergreens and all natural materials dripping from every imaginable nook and cranny. Holiday ideas abound in the Village’s distinctive buildings and visitors are welcome to bring notepads to record ideas. Materials found in a backyard or nearby wooded area may be used to recreate some of the arrangements displayed for your own holiday decor. New this year, each participating club and florist will receive a supply of Yankee Candle products to enhance their display.

Hot beverages as well as baked goods will be available in the Holiday Sweet Shoppe in Potter Mansion. Goodies will be baked and served by Storrowton volunteers and staff and include gingerbread people, cookies, brownies, holiday and specialty breads, muffins and hearty home-baked beans. Proceeds will benefit the educational programs at Storrowton Village Museum.

Holiday gifts, decorations and Yankee Candles will be sold at the Storrowton Village Gift Shop in the Phillips House, and the Christmas Shop in Potter Mansion features ornaments and collectibles during the event. All shops are open during all Yuletide events. Additional hours for the Storrowton Village Gift Shop are: Mon.–Fri., 9am - 5pm; Saturdays (through Fri., Dec. 28), 11am to 4pm

Tours also take place during Yuletide week and admission is $5 per person, children under 6 free:

Yuletide Open House Tours – Tuesday, Dec. 4 – Saturday, Dec. 8, 11am – 3pm

Yuletide Lantern Light Tours – Wednesday, Dec. 5, 6 to 8pm

read more:

http://www.thebige.com/ese/aboutus/yuletide.asp

Cirque du Soleil celebrates women with Amaluna (with video)

Show opens in Vancouver Nov. 23

By Denise Ryan, Vancouver Sun

November 23, 2012

Gymnast Summer Hubbard, 24 from Florida talks about what it's like to be part of Cirque du Soleil Amaluna.

Cirque du Soleil is turning the circus concept on its head, again. The traditional big top was historically a male-dominated arena, filled with lion-tamers and strongmen.

But Cirque, the creative outlier that revolutionized circus arts, is taking their revolution even further with Amaluna.

Cirque’s new show, an homage to women, features a cast that is 75-per-cent female, (along with a 100 per cent female band) and celebrates both sexes by finding stunning new ways to demonstrate feats of skill, daring and strength.

The Shakespearean-inspired narrative has hints of the Tempest, and takes place on a goddess-inhabited island where the tranquillity is disrupted when a group of young men wash up on the island after a storm. Amaluna features a dynamic combination of live music, enchanted creatures, strong narrative storytelling, acts of heart-stopping skill and unique staging that includes an act performed in a glowing, 5,500 lb. water bowl.

In order to find female performers tough enough to handle the rigours of the show, Cirque’s famed casting department scouted among the ranks of elite athletes that regularly capture the world’s attention with their feats: gymnasts.

Cirque had something to offer, beyond the lure of running away to join the circus: A chance to leave behind the rigid rules of competition for something completely different. A chance to ditch the stereotype of the female gymnast as an eternal girl-pixie, and explode on a stage that would showcase both their athleticism and love of performance.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Cirque+Soleil+celebrates+women+with+Amaluna+with+video/7590329/story.html#ixzz2D3NdarhU

Evansville families create holiday tradition at Hadi Shrine circus


Photo by Sam Owens
 One of the Hadi Shrine Circus show girls looks out to the crowd during the opening announcements made by the ring master before the acts start at the 79th annual Hadi Shrine Circus in the Ford CenterThursday.
By Thomas B. Langhorne
from:  courierpress.com
November 22, 2012
EVANSVILLE — They were everywhere at the 79th Hadi Shrine Circus on Thursday — families enjoying a Thanksgiving tradition just as time-honored as gobbling turkey and watching football games in a tryptophan-induced stupor.
Nathan Vaughan has been coming to the circus with his mother, Lisa, for his entire life. Nathan is just 3, so that would be since 2009.
Lisa Vaughan, a stay-at-home mother in Evansville, said the annual event has already become a happy expectation for Nathan.
"My husband is an emergency room physician and he works all holidays, so this is a family tradition for Nathan and me," Vaughan said as the pair watched the circus at the Ford Center. "That way my son has a tradition on Thanksgiving that we always do."
Nathan "likes the motorcycles,"
his mom disclosed as the youngster bounced on her knee.
"He likes watching them rev up and go around in a circle and doing all their tricks," she said.
The four-day, eight-show circus kicked off Thursday with organizers touting plenty of new acts and new lighting to keep event veterans like Nathan interested.
 

 

Photo by Sam Owens
The Juggling Jitterbugs perform for the audience at the 79th annual Hadi Shrine Circus in the Ford Center, Thursday. The circus will have shows through Sunday.
Brian Ball, public relations manager for the circus, talked of new acrobats, an acrobatic horse act, dog acts and plenty of dangerous-looking motorcycle stunts.
read more:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/nov/22/after-turkey-comes-the-circus/

 

Dust begins to settle on annual Pushkar Fair: A gorgeous photo-essay from world’s largest camel market

More than 300,000 people and up to 20,000 camels, cattle and horses attend the fair in the Indian Desert every year

The Pushkar Fair is held on the banks of Pushkar Lake every November at the time of the Kartik Purnima full moon

Smokey: Camel herders sit around a bonfire to warm themselves as they wait for customers at Pushkar Fair in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan

from: dailymail.co.uk

By Suzannah Hills and Mark Duell

November 23, 2012

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2237003/Pushkar-Fair-Thousands-travel-India-globe-annual-camel-livestock-market.html#ixzz2D3PrPIR8

Circus animal ban 'not ruled out'
from: The Irish Times
by Alison Healy
Friday, November 23, 2012
Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has said he would not rule out banning the use of animals in circuses.

He told the Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine that he would like to give the matter more thought after Socialist Party TD Clare Daly raised concerns. They were discussing amendments to the Animal Health and Welfare Bill. “My sense is that we should be probably trying to deal with it through regulation . . . but I don’t want to entirely rule that out,” Mr Coveney said.

Ms Daly said she had no problem with circuses that didn’t use animals, “but exploiting animals is certainly a different thing”.

She also described hare coursing as “appalling” and rejected the claim that it was a rural tradition. “It was a tradition to throw people to the lions in the Colosseum on a Friday night in downtown Rome. It didn’t mean it was a worthy activity.”

But Tipperary Independent TD Mattie McGrath said he was “sick and tired” of listening to people from Dublin 4 telling rural Ireland how to live. He had invited Ms Daly and Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan to come to Clonmel to see hare coursing “but they refused”.

Ms O’Sullivan said there were “huge issues” about fur farms. “In a so-called developed world, that we are killing animals for their fur, it’s just appalling.”
read more:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1123/1224327011514.html


Circus boss condemns elephant groom

 

 

from:  northamptonchron.co.uk
Friday 23 November 2012
The owner of a circus elephant accused of allowing his staff to beat the animal said he was disgusted when he saw the footage of a groom striking her with a pitchfork.

Bobby Roberts, 69, who owns Bobby Roberts Super Circus, said the behaviour of the groom was “disgraceful and disgusting” and that he would never have condoned such actions.

Roberts, wearing a black jacket and purple waistcoat, told District Judge David Chinnery at Northampton Crown Court he had no knowledge of the behaviour towards the 58-year-old Asian elephant.

He said: “It’s disgraceful, disgusting. I can’t tell you what I would have done.

“The police would have been involved. Still now when I think about it, it goes through me, I just can’t believe it.”

Roberts and his wife Moira, 75, from Oundle, deny causing unnecessary suffering and failing to prevent an employee from repeatedly beating Anne.

The court has been shown footage filmed secretly by animal welfare group Animal Defenders International (ADI) of the animal being kicked and struck with a pitchfork several times by the groom at the circus’s winter quarters in Polebrook, Cambridgeshire, last year.
read more:
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/circus-boss-condemns-elephant-groom-1-4516667

Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars

FROM: news-press.com

Scenes from the Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars Tuesday, November 20 in Cape Coral. The circus is @ JetBlue Park through Saturday, November 24.

OPENS TODAY!

 

 

Ozzy Tightrope walking in the woods

Published on Nov 18, 2012

here is ozzy dog, walking along the tightrope, in a really fluent manner, even better than 2 weeks ago, and further....i have to be very careful so that ozzy does not get bored with this game we are playing/trick, so i always keep the work part of the session as small as possible, say 3 minutes, and i then give him loads of play afterwards. also i only work on this kind of intensity when he is feeling really good and offers the behaviour.

you will see this, as he is waiting patiently with one paw on the rope, that means he is eager to have a go and get that lovely blue frisby in his mouth as quick as poss, but along side that he also know that the frisby only gets a game if he touches it with his mouth, while standing on the rope..i beleive it is a really good low impact, physical and mental work out for oz..

at the begining i am looking at the camera in quite an intese way this is because i am looking to see if it is switched on and recording, cos i wont do endles retakes if i mess up. (it happens lot)

Universoul Circus Begins Today

By: Lindsey Hawkins

from: WSAV-TV

November 21, 2012

Universoul Circus Preview

The circus is in town, and this is a grat time to get ready to get tickets to see a terrific show. And something else ; this is a short but sweet preview of the big show. Enjoy!

Cirque Italia Promises to Dazzle Audiences Through Dec. 2
The traveling, European-style circus has shows at MOSI five nights a week.

 

Cirque Italia runs through Dec. 2 at MOSI. Credit Cirque Italia
from:  templeterrace.patch.com
By Ashley Reams
November 22, 2012
Outgoing Temple Terrace Mayor Joe Affronti said he was astonished when he and his wife, Liz, took their grandson to Cirque Italia’s Act XII last week.
“It truly is a magical, modern, breathtaking and unforgettable performance as they say in their brochure,” he said.
Cirque Italia is a European traveling circus that is performing under a giant tent adjacent to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
through Dec. 2.
The show brings together artists from across the world, including aerial acts, hand balancing acts, contortionists and hula-hoop acts. There are also other surprise performances that Chanté DeMoustes, Cirque Italia’s chief operating officer and producer, calls breathtaking.
“I wanted to bring a new element to this industry—the art of circus mixed with all forms of arts,” she said. “Most would say it was crazy, but I (envisioned) that each act would have their own uniqueness about them. This way it appeals to all ages.”
Perhaps the most exciting element of the show is that the traveling stage is surrounded by 35,000 gallons of water with dancing fountains, which make the dangerous performances more thrilling, DeMoustes said.
Cirque Italia is focused on having its audience drawn into the performance, she added.
“We want kids and adults to feel the passion that we have for the arts,” DeMoustes said.
DeMoustes’ heritage is French and Greek, and she said she grew up around the arts. She was responsible for putting the production together—from the lighting and technical design to audio and visual design, to show development, costuming, and interior and exterior design. Manuel Rebecchi, the owner of the show, is from Italy and spent his childhood traveling across Europe with his aunt and her circus.
Cirque Italia formed in 2012—that’s why it’s called Act XII, DeMoustes said—and visited two locations under the name Cirque Aquatic before coming to Tampa. Rebecchi was approached by Venice Circus Arts Foundation to host the show to help save the old Ringling Circus Arena in Venice, FL, DeMoustes said. His team put the show together in less than a month.
“It turned out to be a huge success, especially in the amount of time they put it all together to help a foundation out,” DeMoustes said. “Cirque Italia is currently mapping out the touring schedule. We are looking to travel across Florida, then make our way across the U.S.”
The show runs Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays, 1 and 5 p.m. through Dec. 2. Doors open one hour prior to the show.
One of Rebecchi’s and DeMoustes’ goals was to put on an affordable performance, DeMoustes explained. Tickets range in price from $10 to $40.
Organizers also want to give back to the community by partnering with Metropolitan Ministries. Those who bring non-perishable food items will receive $5 off their ticket prices, and Cirque Italia will give 10 percent of this week’s ticket sales to Metropolitan Ministries.
“I would encourage everyone to go and take the kids,” Affronti said. “It’s a fun holiday thing to do.”
For more information, visit the Cirque Italia page on MOSI’s website.
read more:
http://templeterrace.patch.com/articles/cirque-italia-promises-to-dazzle-audiences-through-dec-2#photo-12271383

FROM CASEY GIBBS

(BOBBY'S LIL' BROTHER)

In 1962 my Bobby and me trained 2 horses too do the diving. We had a elevator to take them up and they drove from a platform. The lady you see at the end of the film is Loriane Caviar and she used to do the dive until she hit the water wrong and it blinded her. Her husband did the oraiganial training. The movie "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken" was made by Disney back in the 90's is her story. Casey

 

Circus Vargas offers Thanksgiving tickets for unemployed residents
By Brenda Gazzar
from:  sgvtribune.com
November 22, 2012
ARCADIA - Circus Vargas is offering free tickets to unemployed San Gabriel Valley residents for the 7:30 p.m. performance on Thanksgiving Day at Santa Anita Park.

Unemployed patrons need to bring a layoff notice from their job or a recent stub from their unemployment check to demonstrate eligibility to the box office about one hour before show time.

In addition, two for one arena tickets for San Gabriel Valley residents can be purchased at the box office the day of the show with proof of residency.

Circus Vargas will be performing at Santa Anita Park from Thanksgiving Day through Dec. 3. For more information, go to www.circusvargas.com or call 877-468-3861. 

 

L.A. City Council moves toward vote to ban circus elephants
By Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer
from:  contracostatimes.com
November 22, 2012
Los Angeles took a step this week to potentially ban elephants at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and other traveling circus shows.

The city's Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee on Tuesday recommended a full vote by the City Council on the proposed prohibition of traveling circus elephants and the sharp implements used to control them.

The measure, drafted by Los Angeles Animal Services, allows the council to choose between a full ban of pachyderms, a prohibition of so-called bullhooks, or both.

The 2-0 vote followed expert testimony and a video documenting brutal treatment of circus elephants.

"Frankly, it made my blood boil," said Councilman Paul Koretz, who heads the committee, in a statement. "The video was shot undercover and it showed traveling circus elephants being struck viciously with a bullhook, over and over again, for no apparent reason."

Animal welfare activists celebrated the decision they said could lead to the banishment of cruel elephant practices in Los Angeles. A state judge this year banned the use of bullhooks at the Los Angeles Zoo.

"This is great news for elephants who are forced to perform in traveling circuses," said Catherine Doyle, the Los Angeles-based director of science, research and advocacy for the Performing Animal Welfare Society, which has a sanctuary for former circus elephants in Northern California. "Los Angeles considers itself a progressive city, and this will take us to the next level."
read more:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_22045776/l-city-council-moves-toward-vote-ban-circus


 

Kelly & Michael: Big Apple Circus Contortionist Elayne Kramer

by Loren DiBlasi
from:  recapo.com
Nov 20, 2012
Elayne Kramer: Contortion Performance

To celebrate the brand new Big Apple Circus show at New York’s Lincoln Center, Kelly and Michael welcomed talented cast member Elayne Kramer. Elayne is a contortionist who will truly blow your mind. She performed a short routine for the audience, using only her body and a raised platform. Elayne can balance and bend herself into a full, 360 degree human circle. It truly appears as if she has no bones in her body. I hope she has a good chiropractor!

Elayne Kramer: Sixth Generation Circus Performer

Elayne finished her performance, but didn’t abandon her positions for her interview with Kelly and Michael. Before she spoke, she asked, “can I get into position for the interview?” and then rested on her forearms with her legs bent over her head (surprisingly, she looked very comfortable).

Kelly asked Elayne, “were you born without bones?” Elayne revealed that she is actually a sixth generation circus performer. She isn’t double jointed, but has been been a practicing contortionist since she was four years old. Her first big performance was at the age of seven

Big Apple Circus: Legendarium at Lincoln Center
 The Big Apple Circus, a New York tradition since 1977, is now in its 35th season. This year’s new show at Lincoln Center is called Legendarium. Elayne said that there are many amazing new acts, and she highly recommends every go see it. This year’s theme is very special to the Big Apple Circus; Legendarium is all about the history of how the circus first began.
 Kelly asked if Elayne could teach the hosts a few of her tricks. And while they couldn’t do much– at least, not without a doctor standing by– they could help Elayne get into one of her finishing poses.
 You can see Elayne Kramer and more talented performers in Legendarium, running until January 13 2013.

CIRCUS NEWS FROM SARASOTA---

Circus News Items

1- Sad News, Johnny Marcinovich passed away on Nov. 10, 2012. His sister Bobbi Adams was with him to comfort him on his journey. He was a top notch acrobat with the Staneks teeter-board act also the Alexanders. He was a great performer and will be missed by everyone who was privileged to know him.

2- Correct Date for Circus Celebrity Night at the Ringling Museum is January 19th.

3- Circus Producers Association Meeting Friday December 7th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bijou Café on First Street in Sarasota, Fl. First hour is open floor-remainder of time are closed except to members. Contact Jim Hamid, Jr. with questions at 609-646-3340.

*************************************************
from: Pete Adams

 

Sar e Aam 2 November 2012 On ARY News ( 02-11-2012 ) Circus Performers

Pakistani TV

ApnaTV 2012

(This video is not in english--however I thought it

was noteworthy for us to see the condition of the actual circus, Dick)

 

Published on Nov 2, 2012

Watch Sar e Aam 2 November 2012 ( 02-11-2012 ) On ARY News Circus Performers Life & Their Problems Pro 4,

Hope for elephants: Retired circus elephants find new home

 

Published on Nov 20, 2012

Hope, Maine recently became the home of Rosie and Opal, two retired circus elephants. Dr. Jim Laurita spoke with GlobalPost on how he hopes the girls will raise awareness for other elephants and what makes these two so special.

 

Shrine Circus to begin 79th run Thursday
from:  courierpress.com
By Sean McDevitt
November 21, 2012
Joe Vezzoso remembers the thrill of being a kid and attending the Hadi Shrine Circus when it was at the Evansville Coliseum, back in the days before Roberts Stadium was built.

Generations have changed hands since then, but for Vezzoso and his fellow Shriners, the commitment to one of Evansville's most enduring events remains as strong as ever.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, that commitment will be renewed when the 79th annual circus kicks off a run of eight performances over a four-day period at the Ford Center.

"It's a labor of love for all of us," said Vezzoso, the executive director of the Hadi Shrine Circus. "It's a great value when you think about all the entertainment that we provide at a very reasonable cost."

The performances will kick off at 3 p.m. Thursday, with shows scheduled for 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The finale will be 3 p.m. Sunday. Ticket prices range from $21 to $36.

This is the event's second year at the Ford Center following more than 50 years at Roberts Stadium. While the Downtown venue is new, much of the entertainment that will be on hand — including the tigers and elephants — is deeply rooted in the event's grand tradition.
read more:
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/nov/21/shrine-circus-to-begin-79th-run-first-of-eight/