Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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<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
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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
 
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/>
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<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, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
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[[File:Darix_Togni_1963.jpg|right|thumb|320px|Darix Togni]]
 +
===THE TOGNI FAMILY===
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The Togni dynasty was founded by Aristide Togni (1853-1924), a university student who, in the 1870s, ran away and joined the Circo Torinese, a circus company  headed by Giovanni De Bianchi. Like many Italian circuses at the time, the Circo Torinese performed on stage, in theaters. De Bianchi had married Maria de la Garenne (a.k.a. de Lagarein), a Sinti gypsy, who was said to be the granddaughter of a French nobleman who had fled to Italy during the French revolution.
  
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===GIUSEPPE CHIARINI===
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Togni married Giovanni's daughter, Teresa De Bianchi. Together, they created a circus company of their own&mdash;which, as legend has it, consisted of a single wagon and a monkey&mdash;and headed for the South of Italy. Circa 1880, they had acquired a small, one-pole big top that could house an audience of forty: the first Circo Togni was born. The couple had eight children, and their circus grew quickly, soon performing under a medium-size big top. It became so popular, apparently, that the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, awarded Circo Togni the title of Circo Nazionale in 1919.
  
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[[File:Chiarini_Utagawa-Masanobu_(4).jpg|right|400px]]Giuseppe Chiarini (1823-1897) was perhaps the most influential circus director of the nineteenth century: During a professional career that spanned fifty-eight years, his extensive and incessant international tours led him from Europe to North and South America, to India and Asia, and down to Australia. In many places that had not yet been exposed to the circus, Chiarini’s was the first circus the locals had ever seen&mdash;and this exposure sometimes triggered there the creation of an indigenous circus inspired by Chiarini’s shows.
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Aristide's succession was assured by three of his sons, Ercole (1894-1958), Ugo (1897-1981), and Ferdinando (1900-1990). The circus alternated summer seasons under the big top with winter engagements in some of the most beautiful theatres of Italy. For several years, they toured Sicily and Greece. In the 1930s, the Dopolavoro Fascista (the entertainment office of the Fascist government) supported the Circo Nazional Togni, which it considered a major artistic propaganda tool.  
  
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Over the years, Chiarini performed for Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, Emperors Maximilian I of Mexico, Dom Pedro of Brazil, Mitsuhito of Japan, King Rama V of Siam, an assortment of Indian Rajahs, and for various government officials and politicians. His ''Royal Italian Circus''&mdash;which could become ''Royal Spanish Circus'' when needed&mdash;was in fact an American enterprise based in California. A true circus man, Chiarini was indubitably a citizen of the world.
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The circus began to travel with a menagerie, which included tigers, lions, bears, elephants, and an important collection of horses. Ferdinando became a fine horse trainer and presented beautiful "liberty" horse acts; Ercole was the house clown and a good tumbler; Ugo was a perch-pole acrobat, aerialist, and animal trainer. There were also about twenty talented performers among their daughters and sons, and the company included members of other famous Italian circus families, such as Miletti, Jarz, and Casartelli.
  
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Giuseppe Chiarini came from a large and ancient Italian family of traveling entertainers, whose first recorded appearance was at the Foire Saint-Laurent, one of France’s oldest fairs, in 1580. Many Chiarinis, more or less directly related to Giuseppe, have since been chronicled in popular entertainment and circus history&mdash;a very diverse crowd of acrobats, ropedancers, puppeteers, ballet dancers, and equestrians.  
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The third Togni generation created the Tognis's three principal signature acts: pyramids on horseback, "jockey," and flying trapeze. By the late 1940s, Darix Togni (Ercole's son, 1922-1976) became, with his lion act, the star of Circo Nazionale Togni. In that act, Darix began to develop his legendary gladiator character. Circo Togni's large, round cupola allowed the presentation of the Tognis's spectacular cross-flying trapeze act, which had no less than two catchers and nine flyers. Among those, Cesare Togni (Ugo's son) accomplished a double "casse-cou" (front somersault) to the catcher, with a return to the bar with a triple pirouette.  
  
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In his novel, ''Die Vagabunden'' (1895), the German poet Karl von Holtei immortalized one of them, Francesco Chiarini; in the 1780s, this Chiarini managed a company of acrobats and puppeteers, and ran a very successful ''Théâtre d’Ombres Chinoises'' (shadow puppet theater). His daughter, Angélique, a celebrated equestrienne, had been featured in 1793 at the Amphithéâtre Franconi&mdash;the former Amphithéâtre Astley&mdash;in Paris, and later in the troupe of Jacques Tourniaire.... ([[Giuseppe Chiarini|more...]])
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Although it survived and performed safely during WWII, the Circo Nazionale Togni was devastated by a fire in 1951. Ercole, Ugo, and Ferdinando decided that it was time to split their ever-growing family within three separate circuses.... ([[The Togni Family|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
  
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* [[Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe]], History
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* [[Richiardi Jr.]], magician
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* [[Irina Bugrimova]], Lion Trainer
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* [[Astley's Amphitheatre]], circus
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* [[Mikhail Shuydin]], Clown
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* [[Virginie Kenebel]], equestrienne
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* [[Yury Nikulin]], Clown, Actor, Circus Director
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* [[Chongqing_Acrobatic_Troupe|Chongqing Acrobatic Troupe]], History
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* [[Serge]], Circus Chronicler and Illustrator
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* [[Cirkus_Verdensteater_(Oslo)|Cirkus Verdensteater]], Oslo Circus Building
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
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* [[Molinario_Video_(2022)|Anaëlle Molinario]], comedy contortion (2022)
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* [[The_Brockways_Video_(1971)|The Brockways]], bicycle act (1971)
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* [[Aleksandrov_Video_(2015)|Yuriy & Natalya Aleksandrov]], bear act (2015)
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* [[Giulia_Giona_Video_(2025)|Giulia Giona]], horses at libety (2025)
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* [[Duo_Romance_Video_(2022)|Duo Romance]], strap act (2022)
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* [[Maxim_Voronin_Video_(2025)|Maxim Voronin]], magic/hand-balancing/contortion (2025)
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* [[Oksana_Ackward_Video_(2020)|Oksana Ackward]], clown entrée (2020)
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* [[Fuentes-Gasca_Video_(2024)|The Flying Fuentes-Gasca]], flying trapeze (2024)
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* [[Grushin_Video_(2022)|The Grushin Troupe]], trampoline and Risley act (2022)
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* [[Diables_Blancs_Video_(1974)|Les Diables Blancs]], high wire (1974)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
  
 +
* [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
 +
* [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
 
* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
 
* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
 
* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
 
* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
 
* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
 
* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
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* [[Pinito_del_Oro_RTE_Video_(1970)|Pinito del Oro's Interview]] on Spanish Television (1970)
 
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* [[Eradze_Video_(2015)|Gia Eradze]]'s Interview on SSU TV (2015)
 
  
 
==Circopedia Books==
 
==Circopedia Books==
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==A Message from the Founder==
 
==A Message from the Founder==
  
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''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&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
+
''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
  
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:Founder and Curator
 
:Founder and Curator

Latest revision as of 21:17, 11 December 2025


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, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

Darix Togni

THE TOGNI FAMILY

The Togni dynasty was founded by Aristide Togni (1853-1924), a university student who, in the 1870s, ran away and joined the Circo Torinese, a circus company headed by Giovanni De Bianchi. Like many Italian circuses at the time, the Circo Torinese performed on stage, in theaters. De Bianchi had married Maria de la Garenne (a.k.a. de Lagarein), a Sinti gypsy, who was said to be the granddaughter of a French nobleman who had fled to Italy during the French revolution.

Togni married Giovanni's daughter, Teresa De Bianchi. Together, they created a circus company of their own—which, as legend has it, consisted of a single wagon and a monkey—and headed for the South of Italy. Circa 1880, they had acquired a small, one-pole big topThe circus tent. America: The main tent of a traveling circus, where the show is performed, as opposed to the other tops. (French, Russian: Chapiteau) that could house an audience of forty: the first Circo Togni was born. The couple had eight children, and their circus grew quickly, soon performing under a medium-size big topThe circus tent. America: The main tent of a traveling circus, where the show is performed, as opposed to the other tops. (French, Russian: Chapiteau). It became so popular, apparently, that the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, awarded Circo Togni the title of Circo Nazionale in 1919.

Aristide's succession was assured by three of his sons, Ercole (1894-1958), Ugo (1897-1981), and Ferdinando (1900-1990). The circus alternated summer seasons under the big topThe circus tent. America: The main tent of a traveling circus, where the show is performed, as opposed to the other tops. (French, Russian: Chapiteau) with winter engagements in some of the most beautiful theatres of Italy. For several years, they toured Sicily and Greece. In the 1930s, the Dopolavoro Fascista (the entertainment office of the Fascist government) supported the Circo Nazional Togni, which it considered a major artistic propaganda tool.

The circus began to travel with a menagerie, which included tigers, lions, bears, elephants, and an important collection of horses. Ferdinando became a fine horse trainer and presented beautiful "liberty"Liberty act", "Horses at liberty": Unmounted horses presented from the center of the ring by an equestrian directing his charges with his voice, body movements, and signals from a ''chambrière'' (French), or long whip." horse acts; Ercole was the house clown and a good tumbler; Ugo was a perch-poleLong perch held vertically on a performer's shoulder or forehead, on the top of which an acrobat executes various balancing figures. acrobat, aerialistAny acrobat working above the ring on an aerial equipment such as trapeze, Roman Rings, Spanish web, etc., and animal trainer. There were also about twenty talented performers among their daughters and sons, and the company included members of other famous Italian circus families, such as Miletti, Jarz, and Casartelli.

The third Togni generation created the Tognis's three principal signature acts: pyramids on horseback, "jockeyClassic equestrian act in which the participants ride standing in various attitudes on a galoping horse, perform various jumps while on the horse, and from the ground to the horse, and perform classic horse-vaulting exercises.," and flying trapezeAerial act in which an acrobat is propelled from a trapeze to a catcher, or to another trapeze. (See also: Short-distance Flying Trapeze). By the late 1940s, Darix Togni (Ercole's son, 1922-1976) became, with his lion act, the star of Circo Nazionale Togni. In that act, Darix began to develop his legendary gladiator character. Circo Togni's large, round cupola allowed the presentation of the Tognis's spectacular cross-flying trapezeAerial act in which an acrobat is propelled from a trapeze to a catcher, or to another trapeze. (See also: Short-distance Flying Trapeze) act, which had no less than two catchers and nine flyers. Among those, Cesare Togni (Ugo's son) accomplished a double "casse-cou(French) A front, or forward, somersault." (front somersault) to the catcherIn an acrobatic or a flying act, the person whose role is to catch acrobats that have been propelled in the air., with a return to the bar with a triple pirouette(French) A full rotation of the body in the vertical axle. Double pirouette: two rotations, etc..

Although it survived and performed safely during WWII, the Circo Nazionale Togni was devastated by a fire in 1951. Ercole, Ugo, and Ferdinando decided that it was time to split their ever-growing family within three separate circuses.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • The Brockways, bicycle act (1971)
  • Giulia Giona, horses at libety (2025)
  • Maxim Voronin, magic/hand-balancing/contortion (2025)
  • The Flying Fuentes-Gasca, flying trapezeAerial act in which an acrobat is propelled from a trapeze to a catcher, or to another trapeze. (See also: Short-distance Flying Trapeze) (2024)
  • Les Diables Blancs, 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. (1974)

New Oral Histories

Circopedia Books

A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. 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
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