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<br><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ
 
<br><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ
 
ε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
 
ε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia was originally inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation]''.</div><br/>
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<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia is an independent educational website, originally created as a project of the non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
  
 
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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
[[File:Alessandro_Guerra_(1838).jpg|right|350px]]
 
===ALESSANDRO GUERRA===
 
  
The Italian equestrian Alessandro Guerra is one of the most important figures of the 19th century equestrian circus. A remarkable horseman whose vigorous, aggressive style (as well as his fiery temper) won him the nickname of "Il Furioso," he was also a versatile performer, a gifted circus director, a pioneer who managed a very talented company and traveled with it far and wide all over Europe with enough success to catch attention and leave his mark wherever he went.
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===FRANCIS BRUNN===
  
He was born in 1782 in the historic town of Rimini, on the Adriatic coast, in what was then the Papal States, at the southern end of the Emilia-Romagna region. His parents were Mauro Guerra and Clementina, née Bordini. His family’s origins are not known, but beside his striking equestrian talents, Alessandro was a multi-talented artist: acrobat, juggler, musician, and actor in pantomimes&mdash;which leads us to believe that he came from a stock of traveling entertainers, although this is just an assumption; his brother, Rodolfo Guerra, a talented equestrian in his own right, would hold a significant part in his future company.
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[[File:Francis_Brunn_in_Paris.jpeg|right|350px]]Francis Brunn (1922-2004) is justly considered one of the greatest jugglers of the twentieth century. In 1950, the legendary ''New York Times'' theater critic Brooks Atkinson said that he was "the greatest juggler of the ages," adding with his usual humor: "Not many people in the world are as perfectly adjusted as Mr. Brunn is. He will never have to visit a psychiatrist." What characterized Francis Brunn was not so much the tricks he performed (although they were spectacular) as the speed, precision and balletic quality of his act.
  
Guerra had been a pupil of the celebrated Italian equestrian and circus pioneer Luigi Guillaume, in whose company (the ''Gran Circo Olympico'') he performed, touring the rich Italian "circuits" of theaters, open-air arenas, and ''politeamas''&mdash;these polyvalent theaters that served as circuses as well as theaters. Then he joined Christoph de Bach's company, at Vienna's Circus Gymnasticus in 1815, where the local press first singled out Alessandro Guerra as an exceptional trick-rider: By 1817, he was a major star of de Bach’s company. On May 17, 1818, at age thirty-six, Alessandro married nineteen years old Adelheid Elisa de Bach (Adelaïde, 1798-1832), Christoph de Bach’s daughter from his first wife, Rosalia, née Masson (1755-1820).  
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He was born Franz Josef Brunn on November 15, 1922, in Aschaffenburg, southwest of Frankfurt, in Bavaria (Germany). His parents were not in show business: his father, Michael Aloysius Brunn (1898-1980) was a restaurant owner, but he was also a three-time champion diver; his mother Pauline, née Schobert, was a homemaker. Franz had three sisters, Lotti (1925-2008), Jutta, and Anni. He also had a half-brother, Ernst Kuhn, later known as Ernest Montego (1936-2016), who would also become a great juggler. (All siblings and their parents would eventually resettle in the U.S.)
  
Besides Vienna, de Bach’s company had a great reputation in the German and Italian states, which they visited regularly. The circus season in Vienna began traditionally on Easter Monday and lasted generally six months. The company traveled extensively the rest of the year: In 1826, for instance, they appeared in Naples, Rome, Florence, Genes, Turin, Milan, Venice, Innsbruck, Munich, Augsburg, Nuremberg, Frankfurt-am-Main, Darmstadt, Stuttgart, and Prague.  
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Juggling entered the family during WWI, when Michael Brunn was interned in a prisoner camp in France. Through the barbed wires, he observed a man who was juggling three balls. Out of boredom, Michael decided to teach himself to do the same with three stones. Later, he taught his children the basics of juggling using three oranges: Under his guidance, Franz and Lotti acquired the basics of the craft, but didn't yet seriously consider developing their skills.
  
That same year, during the 1826 season at the Circus Gymnasticus, a Viennese newspaper wrote about Alessandro Guerra: "He stands quite freely on one foot on an unsaddled horse, not running at a canter as usual, but at full gallop, in various positions, playing the guitar with as much ease as if he were sitting leisurely in an armchair." The breakneck speed at which he presented his exercises, notably his remarkable juggling on horseback, was one of his characteristics&mdash;one which helped him earn his now-famous nickname, ''Il Furioso'' ("The furious").... ([[Alessandro Guerra|more...]])
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Like his champion-diver father, Franz was very physical. Michael trained him in gymnastics, diving, and acrobatics, which gave his son a strong base. Franz then attended Berlin's University of the Arts, which had an important performing arts section. It is in 1937, in the brand-new ''Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen'' show at Berlin's Deutschlandhalle, that Franz saw an artist who truly inspired him, the Italian juggler Angelo Picinelli (1921-2004). Picinelli worked mainly in variety theaters, which were numerous and very popular then in Germany, and this charismatic and gifted juggler was a major variety star.
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Franz was hooked: he already knew the basics, and then, a friend took him to watch a juggler rehearsing; he saw what could be done with training, and he liked it. He heard of the legendary Enrico Rastelli (1896-1931), the greatest juggler of all times who died untimely at age thirty-five, and he watched the films that had recorded his work. He also read ''Das Wunder der tanzenden Bälle'' ("The Miracle of the Dancing Balls", 1938) by the great circus chronicler and novelist A.H. Kober, which became another source of inspiration.
 +
 
 +
Ball manipulation, which was one of Rastelli's many talents and became a Francis Brunn trademark, was not completely unknown to him thanks to his practice of football (soccer). Then, to pure juggling, Francis added his acrobatic and dancing abilities. (He developed in time a passion for Flamenco, which eventually defined his style.) His sister Lotti also entered the game, and became his partner&mdash;although she developed impressive skills of her own, sometimes comparable to her brother's.... ([[Francis Brunn|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
  
 +
* [[Francis Brunn]], Juggler
 +
* [[Tereza Durova]], Animal Trainer
 
* [[Alessandro Guerra]], Equestrian, Circus Director
 
* [[Alessandro Guerra]], Equestrian, Circus Director
 
* [[Jimmy Scott]], Clown
 
* [[Jimmy Scott]], Clown
 
* [[Alexis Gruss, Jr.]], Equestrian, Circus Owner
 
* [[Alexis Gruss, Jr.]], Equestrian, Circus Owner
* [[Alona Zhuravel]], Hand-Balancer
 
* [[George Carl]], Clown
 
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Devlikamov_Video_(2023)|Olga & Marat Devlikamov]], Chinese Pole (2023)
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* [[Cyclopes_Video_(2024)|Trio Cyclopes]], jugglers (2024)
* [[WWilliams_Video_(2020)|Wesley Williams]], unicycle (2020)
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* [[Triple_Breath_Video_(2023)|Triple Breath]], high wire act (2023)
* [[Khlystov_Video_(2023)|Aleksandr Khlystov & Anna Fedchenko]], sea-lion act (2023)
+
* [[Evsukevich Video (2010)|Pavel Evsukevich]], juggler (2010)  
* [[Gemini_Twins_Video_(2023)|Gemini Twins]], aerial pole (2023)
+
* [[Acroart_Video_(2024)|Duo AcroArt]], Cyr wheel (2024)
* [[Alexis_Gruss_Tribute_Video_(2024)|TV Tribute to Alexis Gruss]], Equestrian (2024)
+
* [[Koechlin_Video_(2024)|Stephanie & Valerie Koechlin]], aerial hoop (2024)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==

Revision as of 03:31, 1 November 2024


Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!
Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ ε!
Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!
Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!

Circopedia is an independent educational website, originally created as a project of the non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

FRANCIS BRUNN

Francis Brunn in Paris.jpeg
Francis Brunn (1922-2004) is justly considered one of the greatest jugglers of the twentieth century. In 1950, the legendary New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson said that he was "the greatest juggler of the ages," adding with his usual humor: "Not many people in the world are as perfectly adjusted as Mr. Brunn is. He will never have to visit a psychiatrist." What characterized Francis Brunn was not so much the tricks he performed (although they were spectacular) as the speed, precision and balletic quality of his act.

He was born Franz Josef Brunn on November 15, 1922, in Aschaffenburg, southwest of Frankfurt, in Bavaria (Germany). His parents were not in show business: his father, Michael Aloysius Brunn (1898-1980) was a restaurant owner, but he was also a three-time champion diver; his mother Pauline, née Schobert, was a homemaker. Franz had three sisters, Lotti (1925-2008), Jutta, and Anni. He also had a half-brother, Ernst Kuhn, later known as Ernest Montego (1936-2016), who would also become a great juggler. (All siblings and their parents would eventually resettle in the U.S.)

Juggling entered the family during WWI, when Michael Brunn was interned in a prisoner camp in France. Through the barbed wires, he observed a man who was juggling three balls. Out of boredom, Michael decided to teach himself to do the same with three stones. Later, he taught his children the basics of juggling using three oranges: Under his guidance, Franz and Lotti acquired the basics of the craft, but didn't yet seriously consider developing their skills.

Like his champion-diver father, Franz was very physical. Michael trained him in gymnastics, diving, and acrobatics, which gave his son a strong base. Franz then attended Berlin's University of the Arts, which had an important performing arts section. It is in 1937, in the brand-new Menschen, Tiere, Sensationen show at Berlin's Deutschlandhalle, that Franz saw an artist who truly inspired him, the Italian juggler Angelo Picinelli (1921-2004). Picinelli worked mainly in variety theaters, which were numerous and very popular then in Germany, and this charismatic and gifted juggler was a major variety star.

Franz was hooked: he already knew the basics, and then, a friend took him to watch a juggler rehearsing; he saw what could be done with training, and he liked it. He heard of the legendary Enrico Rastelli (1896-1931), the greatest juggler of all times who died untimely at age thirty-five, and he watched the films that had recorded his work. He also read Das Wunder der tanzenden Bälle ("The Miracle of the Dancing Balls", 1938) by the great circus chronicler and novelist A.H. Kober, which became another source of inspiration.

Ball manipulation, which was one of Rastelli's many talents and became a Francis Brunn trademark, was not completely unknown to him thanks to his practice of football (soccer). Then, to pure juggling, Francis added his acrobatic and dancing abilities. (He developed in time a passion for Flamenco, which eventually defined his style.) His sister Lotti also entered the game, and became his partner—although she developed impressive skills of her own, sometimes comparable to her brother's.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • Trio Cyclopes, jugglers (2024)
  • Triple Breath, high wireA tight, heavy metallic cable placed high above the ground, on which wire walkers do crossings and various acrobatic exercises. Not to be confused with a tight wire. act (2023)
  • Pavel Evsukevich, juggler (2010)
  • Duo AcroArt, Cyr wheel (2024)
  • Stephanie & Valerie Koechlin, aerial hoopA heavy metallic hoop used as a variance of trapeze, usually with contortion moves. (Also called Cerceau.) (2024)

New Oral Histories

Circopedia Books

A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. 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
Founder and Curator