Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
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===UNUS===
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===IVOR DAVID BALDING===
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[[File:Unus_Poster_(1948).jpg||right|180px]]Unus (1907-1994) was perhaps, in the mid-twentieth century, the most famous hand balancer in the circus business, thanks notably to John Ringling North, who made him a true circus star in the United States and, consequently, all over Europe. Unus was known as "The man who stands on his forefinger," a feat he performed with outstanding and—to this day—unmatched showmanship.
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Ivor David Balding (1939-2014) was born March 3, 1939 in Manhattan, and grew up in a horse farm in Camden, South Carolina. His father was the famous British polo player Ivor G. Balding (1909-2005), who, along with his brothers Barney and Gerald, played polo in the United States throughout the 1930's at the Meadow Brook Club on Long Island, then the national center of the sport. Ivor G. Balding subsequently went on to work at the C.V. Whitney Farm in Old Westbury, New York, before becoming manager of the Whitney Farm in Lexington, where he raised and trained racing-horses.
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In Britain, Ivor David Balding’s grandfather had sold horses to various circuses in his time, and David himself was introduced to the circus and theater worlds through his father’s connections. He began his show business career as stage manager at the Westport Country Playhouse for legendary Broadway actress Eva Le Gallienne (1899-1991). Le Gallienne, who had performed in her youth as an equestrienne at the illustrious Cirque Medrano in Paris, gave David an introduction to the Fratellini family, who helped him land a job as spotlight operator at the famous Parisian circus. There, David had a invaluable initiation to the circus world.
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He was born Franz Furtner on October 19, 1907 in Eichgraben, a small town in the northeast of Austria. Franz didn’t belong to a circus family: He began his professional life as a carpenter. Yet over the years, he had developed a taste for acrobatics, and notably hand balancing, and he had a natural flair for performing. Soon, he realized that he could make a living just doing that.
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Back to the U.S., David Balding worked for Joe Papp at the New York Shakespeare Festival, and then founded the New Theatre in New York. During his tenure there, he produced 21 plays, including The Knack, The Ginger Man, Scuba Duba, Steambath, The Man in the Glass Booth, and Lenny. His productions were nominated for two Tony Awards and won five Obie Awards.... ([[Ivor David Balding|more...]])
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So Franz built a hand balancing act, and under the stage name Unus (a Latin word that means "one" or "single"—and by extension, "the first" or "the only one") made his professional debut in 1933, at age twenty-six. From the outset, he worked mostly in variete theaters, then extremely popular in Germany and Austria; this theatrical environment helped define the look of his act—a characteristic of which was an emphasis on urbanity and elegance.... ([[Unus|more...]])
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==New Biographies==  
 
==New Biographies==  

Revision as of 22:59, 26 May 2014

Welcome to Circopedia,
the free encyclopedia of the international circus.
A project of the Big Apple Circus,
inspired and funded by the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.

In The Spotlight

IVOR DAVID BALDING

Ivor David Balding (1939-2014) was born March 3, 1939 in Manhattan, and grew up in a horse farm in Camden, South Carolina. His father was the famous British polo player Ivor G. Balding (1909-2005), who, along with his brothers Barney and Gerald, played polo in the United States throughout the 1930's at the Meadow Brook Club on Long Island, then the national center of the sport. Ivor G. Balding subsequently went on to work at the C.V. Whitney Farm in Old Westbury, New York, before becoming manager of the Whitney Farm in Lexington, where he raised and trained racing-horses. In Britain, Ivor David Balding’s grandfather had sold horses to various circuses in his time, and David himself was introduced to the circus and theater worlds through his father’s connections. He began his show business career as stage manager at the Westport Country Playhouse for legendary Broadway actress Eva Le Gallienne (1899-1991). Le Gallienne, who had performed in her youth as an equestrienneA female equestrian, or horse trainer, horse presenter, or acrobat on horseback. at the illustrious Cirque Medrano in Paris, gave David an introduction to the Fratellini family, who helped him land a job as spotlight operator at the famous Parisian circus. There, David had a invaluable initiation to the circus world. Back to the U.S., David Balding worked for Joe Papp at the New York Shakespeare Festival, and then founded the New Theatre in New York. During his tenure there, he produced 21 plays, including The Knack, The Ginger Man, Scuba Duba, Steambath, The Man in the Glass Booth, and Lenny. His productions were nominated for two Tony Awards and won five Obie Awards.... (more...)

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CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding encyclopedia of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. So keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to contact us: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.

Dominique Jando
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