THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO MY TWIN BROTHER, BILL DYKES (1943-1995). WE WERE NOT ONLY BROTHERS BUT PARTNERS IN BUSINESS AND BEST FRIENDS! AND TO ALL THE "BUTCHERS" THAT HAVE PASSED ON TO THE BIG LOT IN THE SKY!


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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Behind The Scenes: Moscow State Circus 2013
 


Published on Apr 13, 2013
BlingTV takes a peak behind the scenes at the Moscow State Circus.
 
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from:  hamptonbeach.org
The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation is holding the 1st Annual Hampton Beach State Park Olde Tyme Fair June 6-9, 2013. The Fair will kick off the season for Hampton Beach State Park and will be the first fair of the season in New Hampshire.
The Olde Tyme Fair will feature:
 •Carnival Rides
•Games
•Local food vendors and fair concessions
•Arts & crafts
•Entertainment including concerts and local acts
•Petting zoo
•Fireworks
•Traditional old New Hampshire exhibits and demonstrations.
 
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VIRGINIA BEACH--


Acrobatic circus begins shows at Oceanfront


Kimberly Marcotte gets makeup help from Zore Espana before the dress rehearsal of Cirquesa Dreamquest on Friday, May 24, 2013. (Amanda Lucier | The Virginian-Pilot)
from:  hamptonroads.com
The Virginian-Pilot
May 25, 2013
VIRGINIA BEACH
 A voice boomed through the thick black curtains.
 “Five minutes!”
 In the tiny backstage, acrobats sent up clouds as they powdered their faces. Dancers affixed one last fake eyelash. The sour smell of greasepaint filled the sticky air.
 A woman with cascading brown curls groaned as she shimmied herself into tights. “It’s so hard to pull these up when I’m sweaty,” she said.
 A fellow performer, with stripes of green and blue paint illuminating her eyes, nodded knowingly. “It’s going to be so hot up on the wire.”
 “One minute!” the voice called.
 


Bodies dashed to and fro. Performers zipped one another’s costumes. A blond-wigged woman called, “Noemi, I need you to help me with my wings!”
The stage’s curtains rustled, then everything went black. “OK, here we go!” the voice sounded.
 An accordion played from loudspeakers.
 It was showtime.
 
 
 
 
B K SILVERLAKE
from Bill Prickett
B K is in hospital in Hugo, Ok.  Having major serious tests today at  Baylor.B K is in room 309A at Baylor in Dallas, TX.....More later ???
That is all I know....Bill
---FROM MIKE BUTASH---
THE CIRCUS MODEL BUILDERS
 
The Circus Model Builders 2013 Annual Convention will be held at Circus World in Baraboo, WI May 30th thru June 2nd.  70 CMB members will be displaying their circus models.  The public is invited to view the displays during regular museum hours.


CARSON & BARNES CIRCUS--

The circus comes to town

 
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LOGAN ALLEN/Star-Herald
from: starherald.com
May 24, 2013
Scottsbluff,NE--Early Friday morning a crew raised the big top tent at 900 Broadway Ave. in Scottsbluff for the Carson & Barnes Circus, America's largest traveling big top tent circus.

The Scottsbluff Fire Department's Local 1454 is sponsoring the event that will entertain kids at 2 and 5 p.m. today. "This is our way of raising funds, and then giving it back to the community," said Scottsbluff firefighter Parrish Abel.

Before the show, kids can interact with an assortment of exotic animals, including a Sicilian donkey, llamas, zebras, camels, pygmy goats and Katy, the pygmy hippo. But the stars of the show are undoubtedly the circus' two Asian elephants, Isa and Whimpy.

Ticket prices are $16 for an adult and $10 for a child at the door.


HINDU CIRCUS

The circus is in town

 
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Gemini Circus at VOC Park in Coimbatore.
Photo: R. Rathish
from:  thehindu.com
K. JESHI
May 26, 2013
Colourful costumes, risky stunts and loads of enthusiasm make Gemini Circus worth a visit
They glide like birds in the air, and gracefully move their bodies to the beats of a popular Hindi number. They smile all along and make it look effortless, but it is an act, which demands total control and balance of mind and body. They do their stunts from a white cloth that hangs from the ceiling. Loud cheers greet them when they take a bow. We are at VOC Park grounds and Gemini Circus is in progress. As the artists pull off risky stunts, the packed audience, especially the kids, are thrilled. ‘Ayyo jokeraa’ mutters a kid in the audience and runs to her mother seated a few chairs away. The clowns get tossed around and the kids can’t stop giggling to their silly jokes. Smart vendors know how to do business and they appear with their pink candy floss, popcorn, and aerated drinks, to tempt the children.
Suddenly, there is silence as a man appears with a pole with five swords on the top. He does stunts that involve him trying to ensure his neck is safe from the sharp blades! There is a burst of sunshine yellow, greens and blues on stage as a bunch of women appear on their cycles and twist, twirl, jump and dance, all the while cycling. A dog show brings on the laughs.
Another beautiful woman hops on to a galloping horse for a joy ride, and entertains the audience with her crazy jumps and dance movements. When the most-awaited jumbo appears on the stage, children gasp in awe. He holds a cricket bat and hits every ball to a six much to the joy of the kids. Next, he appears as a patient who faints on the stage. A ‘doctor’ elephant armed with a stethoscope, pulls his ear and treats him! When a biker vrooms and performs a death-defying jump on the stage, parents hold their kids tightly, even as they keep their eyes glued to the stage. The flying show is an exemplary act. The trapeze artists hold on to a wooden plank and swing in the air, with a protective net below. As we exit the big top, there’s already a buzz at the entrance as families with children in tow await their turn to enter the circus tent for a heady dose of entertainment.
The circus is on till June 16. The shows are at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 150, and Rs. 200 (for advanced booking). For tickets, call: 72992-33849.
PICCADILLY CIRCUS 2013
 


Published on Apr 23, 2013
Sneak peak of different Piccadilly Circus acts from our 2013 editions "BLAMMO!" and "Z"!

Piccadilly Circus has been in business for more than 25 years and tours the entire country every year. Be sure to check out our website for dates, lcoations, discount tickets, photos and more!
~~~BACK IN THE DAY~~~
From: retronaut.com


1930 : Hiking across Europe with a model cathedral 

c. 1900 : Woman with a decorated bicycle
 
 
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c. 1896:
Ransom E. Olds in the Olds “Pirate” racing car, Florida
Raw: Tightrope Walk Between Cathedral Spires
 


Published on May 24, 2013
AssociatedPress
An Austrian daredevil on Friday became the first man to walk a tightrope strung between the two towers of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna's most famous landmark. (May 24)

KELLY-MILLER CIRCUS (PA)

Kelly Miller Circus returning to Greene County

 
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The Kelly Miller Circus will return to the Greene County Fairgrounds on May 28 with shows at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. The circus, which will feature a wide array of entertainment including elephants, lions, clowns, trapeze artists and much more, will serve as a fundraiser for the Greene County Historical Society.
from:  heraldstandard.com
By Dave Zuchowski, for the Greene County Messenger
May 24, 2013
WAYNESBURG – Lions, elephants, camels, clowns, aerial acrobats, trapeze artists, jugglers and more will caravan into Waynesburg next week for a one-day show under the big top on May 28 at the Greene County Fairgrounds.
They are part of the Kelly Miller Circus, now making their fifth consecutive annual Greene County visit that serves as a fundraiser for the Greene County Historical Society.
“It’s very rare for the Kelly Miller Circus to return to the same venue multiple times, but they like coming to Waynesburg because there’s usually a good turnout for their show here,” said Eben Williams, historical society administrator. “One of our board members, Reverend Donald Wilson, knows some of the people in the circus and encourages them to come to town once a year.”
Rev. Donald Wilson has been a life-long circus fan. So much so, his family gave him a lifetime membership to the Circus Fans of America as a gift a few years ago.
I was introduced to the circus many years ago while I was pastor of a church in West Middlesex, Mercer County,” he said. “I brought them in to raise money for scholarships awarded to students through the local Kiwanis Club.”
When Rev. Wilson moved to Greene County ten years ago, he booked the circus for a youth program at the First Baptist Church of Waynesburg. After their successful performance, he suggested they return on a larger scale at the fairgrounds as a fundraiser for the historical society.
“The fairgrounds have been an ideal venue, and I can’t thank the county commissioners enough for their help and support,” he said.
read more:
http://www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/news/local_news/kelly-miller-circus-returning-to-greene-county/article_592fcd9f-bd83-5308-9a6e-fdb61bd20102.html?mode=story

Friday, May 24, 2013

TONS OF FUN SHOWS #1

TONS OF FUN SHOWS
Eastern Pennslyvania
From and Shot by Fred Hoffman

Tons of Fun Shows, 40 miler, pictured at a Church Date in PA.
Show is owned by David & Sue Imes Pefeffer and son Ben.

This is a great looking show and makes a very good appearence on the lot.

All food & games concessions are owned by the show.

This is a sampling of about 16 rides that the show can
field at larger dates.
 
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Once again--This is a very nice clean show than any
organization should be proud to sponsor!
~~Fred~~

TONS OF FUN SHOWS #2

TONS OF FUN SHOWS
PART II

 
 
 
 
 
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Circus wins backing of council committee

 
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Tom Duffy's Circus.
By Duncan Elder
24/05/2013
Duffy’s Circus could be granted permission to set up its big top at Loughshore Park next month, just weeks after the council voted not to allow circuses which use animals on its land.
On Monday evening the council’s Policy and Governance Committee voted in favour of a renewed application by Duffy’s - just three weeks after the original request to use council land in Jordanstown and Ballyclare was turned down.
The vote was taken in controversial circumstances after the DUP’s Thomas Hogg, an outspoken opponent of circuses which use animals, took ill during the debate, collapsed and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
Proceedings had to be suspended for a time, and when chairman Billy Ball reconvened the meeting some members suggested that the issue be deferred given councillor Hogg’s enforced absence, and the fact that he had been accompanied to the hospital by councillors Lynn Frazer and Pamela Barr.
However, Mayor Victor Robinson proposed that a decision be taken on the Duffy’s application and the debate continued.
A number of councillors, some of whom had taken up Duffy’s invite to visit the circus and see for themselves the way its animals are kept and treated, had changed their mind since last month’s meeting.
Among those who said they were impressed by the condition of the animals at Duffy’s were alderman Robinson and Alliance councillor Pat McCudden. They also pointed to the thousands of people who went to see the circus the last time it was in the borough.
Mr McCudden said that since last month’s council meeting he had been “inundated with calls from people wishing to retain the circus.”
Councillor John Scott said it was preferable that the circus should set up on council land, rather than on private property.
“It could go to a farmer’s field somewhere and then whatever happens happens,” he said. “But at least if it’s on council land we can keep an eye on it.” The UUP man added that the USPCA could be invited to inspect the animals if necessary.
Councillor Billy Webb hit back, branding circuses which use animals “cruel”, regardless of whether or not the animals have been born into captivity, while his party colleague, John Blair again called for a permanent ban on circuses which exploit animals from using council land.
Sinn Fein representative Gerry O’Reilly added that the council shouldn’t be seen to be endorsing the actions of those who “exploit animals for profit”.
Following the break in proceedings after councillor Hogg’s collapse, members voted 11 - 7 against deferring the issue until next week’s full council meeting - a move which sparked alderman Blair to point the finger at the young DUP man’s colleagues, and claim: “Some animals I have met over the years have shown more commitment, decency and loyalty than some humans have shown here tonight.”
read and more:
http://www.newtownabbeytoday.co.uk/news/local/circus-wins-backing-of-council-committee-1-5122954
BIG APPLE CIRCUS

 
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From the Big Top to the Big Leagues – we couldn’t leave Boston without stopping by a Boston Red Sox game!\
Our own John Kennedy Kane and Elayne Kramer clown around Fenway Park with Wally the Green Monster.
BIG APPLE CIRCUS PROGRAM


Did you know that the cover of the Big Apple Circus' very first souvenir program (July 1977) was a reproduction of its first poster design by Tony Apilado?
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Circus Marriage Proposal: Performer Uses Giant Balloon To 'Pop' The Question (PHOTOS)


Jonathan Evans
from:  The Huffington Post
By Erin Migdol
05/23/2013
Most men get ready to propose to their girlfriends by putting on a nice outfit and making sure the ring is tucked into their pocket. Vancouver circus performer Nigel Wakita got ready by by stuffing himself inside a giant balloon!
Wakita is the director of recreational education and a performer at the Vancouver Circus School, and his girlfriend, Fiona Walsh, also works at the school as a performer and office administrator. He told HuffPost Weddings that, since he knew she wanted a big, public proposal, he decided to organize a show at the school and pop the question during his balloon act, in which he puts himself inside a giant balloon.
Wakita and his fellow performers told Walsh that they would be putting on a free show on May 18. Walsh agreed to not only participate in the show, but also help promote it (which allowed their friends and family to attend without making Walsh suspicious).

The show, held at the school's performance space, attracted about 250 spectators and included acts like trapeze artists, jugglers and contortionists. Towards the end of the hour-long show, Walsh took the stage to perform her silk aerial routine. Then, Wakita joined her onstage to perform his crowd-pleasing balloon act.
 
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Using a leaf-blower, Wakita filled a giant balloon with air and fit himself inside it. After entertaining the crowd for a few minutes, he bounced over to the wings for the "quick change" portion of the act. Wakita said normally, his castmembers feed him a silly outfit through the opening in the balloon, and he changes inside the ballon and reveals his new outfit after escaping from the balloon. This time, however, they gave him a nice pair of black pants and a shirt -- and the ring.
read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/23/circus-marriage-proposal_n_3322178.html
"FOLLOW ME!"
from: retronaut.com

 
 
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HANS KLOK - Grande Illusion "CRISTAL BOX" - LE PLUS GRAND CABARET
 


Published on May 23, 2013
HANS KLOK offers a number of great incredible illusion when the more Grand Cabaret of world of Patrick Sebastien
Finalists revealed for first UK circus competition
from thestage.co,uk
By: Nicola Merrifield
May 23, 2013
The UK’s first circus competition, Circus Maximus, has announced its finalists, which will include hula hoop dancer Sylvia Pavone, aerial contortionist Ben Brown, and ‘cloud swing’ double act Francesca Hyde and Lucie N’Duhirahe.

Also competing for the prize is trapeze artist Tom Ball and duo Louis Gift and Beren D’Amico, who perform a hand to hand balancing act.

Run by Underbelly Productions and training centre Circus Space, the competition will see its winner awarded a cash prize of £5,000 and the chance to develop a new show with the two organisations.

Competition finals will take place as a show, directed by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s head of movement Struan Leslie, from May 28 to June 1 at Underbelly’s purple cow tent in London as part of this year’s Udderbelly Festival at Southbank.

The audience and a panel of judges, which includes The Stage’s circus writer Liz Arratoon, will decide upon the winner, which will be revealed on June 1.

Stephen Makin, producer for Underbelly Productions, said: “We are staggered by the sheer quality of the acts who have taken part in Circus Maximus. The line up of finalists is very much the creme de la creme of what the audiences of the heats were given to choose from. There is some very, very stiff competition there and we have what promises to be a breathtaking show and a tense and thrilling final.”

National Circus School productions tap into performers’ acting abilities
 
MONTREAL, QUE.: MAY 22, 2013--Graduating students from the The National Circus School rehearse their year-end show, La Vie en Swing, at La Tohu in Montreal on Wednesday May 22, 2013.
Photograph by: Allen McInnis , The Gazette
By Kathryn Greenaway, THE GAZETTE
May 23, 2013
MONTREAL - Very different types of celebrations act as dramatic catalysts for the National Circus School’s two-part annual run at Tohu.
Two productions alternate nights, beginning with Alain Francoeur’s wedding tale Pour le meilleur et pour le pire, on May 28.
Sharon Moore’s Second World War dance-hall drama La vie en swing debuts May 29.
The creations feature the graduates of the internationally renowned school.
These are students at the top of their game, who have spent years distilling their particular circus skills into a sensational act that will then be used to audition on the international circus circuit.
These acts are woven into each creator’s narrative.
Francoeur has been working with circus artists for 15 years, but began his career in dance (Brouhaha Danse) and dance-theatre (Carbone 14) before adding circus to his body of work (Cirque Éloize, Cirque Alphonse). And so he brings a particular dance-circus esthetic to his story about a wedding party.
“The relationships you witness at a wedding offer all sorts of opportunities to tell stories,” Francoeur said. “There are a multitude of personalities. People break up, fall in love. But it’s not a linear story. It’s more a series of tableaus with all the artists onstage all the time.”
The music is plucked from the playbooks of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Seat boogies are a real possibility.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/National+Circus+School+productions+into+performers+acting+abilities/8425373/story.html#ixzz2UCoEtdYF


Thursday, May 23, 2013

TROUPE HEBEI - BALANCE ON BIKES - LE PLUS GRAND CABARET OF THE WORLD



Published on May 23, 2013
THE HEBEI TROUPE offers a number of incredible balance during the more Grand Cabaret of world of Patrick Sebastien

RBBB-LAS VEGAS

Circus coming to UNLV's Thomas & Mack June 13-16

 
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 A circus will come together as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey demonstrates what it takes to build the Greatest Show on Earth at Thomas & Mack Center.
from:  reviewjournal.com
May 22, 2013
SPECIAL TO GUIDE TO LAS VEGAS SUMMER FUN
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Built to Amaze! is an extraordinarily engineered circus experience where children of all ages find out what it takes to build the Greatest Show on Earth. The foundation is set and the rising anticipation of high-energy, high-jinx and hilarity is ready to be transported by colorful circus machinery and unleashed from shipping crates right before the audience’s eyes June 13-16 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Built to Amaze! opens with the all-access preshow where everyone is invited to join the fun and meet the international cast of performers as they prepare for the show. The Ringling Bros. Ringling Girls and Barnum B-Boys encourage kids to participate in a tug-of-war and kick off what will soon become an insane battle of girl power versus boy power .

Audiences also can pick up some hip dance moves during the dance party, try on custom-designed costumes, learn circus skills such as juggling from the famous Ringling Bros. Clown Alley and even have the opportunity to witness and win a one-of-a-kind masterpiece created by Asia, Ringling Bros. painting pachyderm.

Ringmaster Andre McClain takes the Ringling Bros. reins and, accompanied by his horse, Comanche, leads his super circus supervisors to construct the show. A fantastic design with more than 110 of the world’s best performers representing 17 countries along with 95 exotic and domestic animals will be assembled, creating never-before-seen performances.

Ringling Bros. is thrilled to introduce nine-time international award-winning comedic animal presenting duo Alex and Irina Emelin of Russia. Also new is the Tower Tumblers, a troupe of competitive aerial athletes from the Ukraine who launch themselves from trampolines to scale, repel and pass through a three-story-high translucent tower. Ringling Bros. brings a spirited and fiery competition of basketball with the next generation of whirling unicyclists, the legendary King Charles Troupe hailing from New York City.

Tickets are available through UNLVtickets.com, the Thomas & Mack Center box office, 739-FANS or the UNLVtickets outlet at Town Square Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.Ringling.com.
LEOSVEL & DIOSMANI



Published on May 23, 2013Find Patrick Sébastien on http://www.patricksebastien.frLEOSVEL & DIOSMANI offer an incredible number in the more Grand Cabaret of world of Patrick Sebastien
’Circus Terrificus’ coming to Bellows Falls Opera House
from:  reformer.com
May 23, 2013
BELLOWS FALLS,VT -- The "Circus Terrificus" will be presented at the Bellows Falls Opera House on Saturday, sponsored by the Women’s Community Club of Grafton.
Performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m. will feature circus acts that have performed around the world. A trapeze duo that starred with Cirque du Soleil, a clown from Ringling Bros., an award-winning gymnastic duo, a gold medalist in aerial hoop and four renown jugglers headline the show.
The evening’s entertainment is organized by the professional company, Troy Wunderle’s Big Top Adventures of Rockingham. Balloons, food, concessions and circus memorabilia also will fill the theater and lobby.
Tickets for the 2 p.m. matinee are $15 for children under 12 (children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult), $25 for adults $25 in advance, $30 at the door. The 7:30 p.m. evening performance is $25 in advance, $30 at the door. VIP tickets with preferred seating are $50. VIPs will have a cocktail party before the evening performance and meet the artists after the show.
The Women’s Community Club of Grafton is the sponsor of this fundraising event for its scholarship fund, and other sponsors from area towns are joining the effort. They include R.K. Miles of Manchester, Sylvan Hill Antiques of Walpole, N.H., Chester Hardware, Lisai Market of Chester, Pleasant Valley Brewery of Saxtons River, Misty Valley Books in Chester and Durand Toyota Ford of Westminster.
In Bellows Falls supporters include Cota & Cota Co., Windham Antiques Center, Lisai Market and Popolo restaurant. Grafton supporters include the Windham Foundation: Grafton Fund, Mack’s Place Eatery, Grafton Village Bakery and Barrett Valley Associates, Grafton Auto Service, and Hunter Gallery of Fine Art.
Advance tickets are available from www.brattleborotix.com, wcctickets @aol.com, 802-843-1180, or can be purchased at Misty Valley Books in Chester, Village Square Books in Bellows Falls, Ruggles & Hunt in Walpole and Gallery North Star in Grafton. 

PICADILLY CIRCUS---

Piccadilly Circus

 
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Piccadilly Circus (May 22, 2013)
from:  chicagotribune.com
May 25, 2013
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus may be the "Greatest Show on Earth," but Piccadilly Circus is one of the best at bringing audiences a show of odd and awesome acts like motorcycle-stunt riders (in a steel globe), a "white tiger spectacular" and exotic animal acts.

Why go: It's fun to see what's new and exciting, but clowns and elephants never disappoint.

Reconsider: You like your circus outing like you like your professional basketball outing: at the United Center.

Details: Saturday through Monday at DuPage Expo Center, 4050 E. Main St., St. Charles; and May 31 through June 2 at The Odeum Expo Center, 1033 N. Villa Ave., Villa Park; $8-$38; 877-373-0477, showclix.com
 

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