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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.

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In The Spotlight

THE CODONAS

The Codonas (and Alfredo Codona in particular) were conceivably, in terms of international fame, the greatest circus stars of the first half of the twentieth century. They owe their distinctive place in circus history to the exceptional talent of Alfredo Codona, but also to the dramatic ending of his career, and subsequently, the tragic conclusion of his life. Not only was The Codonas’ act recorded on film (in E.A. Dupont’s Varieté in 1925), but they were also the subjects of an Academy Award-nominated documentary, Jack Cummings’s Swing High (1932), a romanticized biopic, A.M. Rabenalt’s Die drei Codonas (1940)—a very rare occurrence for circus artists—and two romanticized biographies.

Alfredo (1893-1937) and Abelardo ("Lalo," 1895-1951) Codona were born into a circus family. Apparently, their grandfather, William, came from a long line of Scottish showmen, the Cardownies, who have been variously known in the business as Cardonas, Cordonas, or Codonas. William married a French woman, Victorine Régnier, with whom he had a son, Eduardo, born in Mexico on September 21, 1859.... (more...)

New Biographies

• Jakob Busch, Circus Owner
• Oliver Groszer, Juggler
• Julius Gleich, Circus Owner
• The Codonas, Aerialists
• Viktor Tikhonov, Animal Trainer

New Videos

• Dmitry Chernov, Juggler (2011)
• Aleksandr & Violetta Kiss, Juggling and Balancing Act (1954)
• Nikolai Olkhovikov, Juggler on Horseback (1965)
• Nikolai Olkhovikov, Juggler on Horseback (1969)
• Anna Volodko, Corde Lisse (2011)

Featured Oral Histories

• Alberto Zoppé, Equestrian - Interview (McCutcheon & Distasio, 2003)
• Olivier Taquin, Mime - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Barry Lubin, Clown (Grandma) - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Fumagalli, Clown - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Kris Kremo, Juggler - Interview (Jando, 2007)

A Message from the Editor

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

Editor/Curator