Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

From Circopedia

 
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-----------"Welcome to Circopedia" and article count---------->
 
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<div style="font-size:162%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;">Welcome to Circopedia,</div>
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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
<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:95%;">the free encyclopedia of the international circus.<br />A project of the [http://www.bigapplecircus.org/ Big Apple Circus],<br />inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation].</div>
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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 is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
  
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*[[:Category:Artists and Acts|Artists and Acts]]
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*[[:Category:Circus Arts|Circus Specialties]]
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*[[:Category:Circuses|Circuses]]
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*[[:Category:History|Circus History]]
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*[[:Category:Oral History|Oral History]]
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*[[:Category:Photo Archive|Photo Archive]]
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*[[:Category:Video Archive|Video Archive]]
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*[[Links|Circus Links]]
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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
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[[File:Lilly_Yokoi_on_Bicycle.jpg|right|300px]]
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===LILLY YOKOI===
  
===SERGEI IGNATOV===
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In the 1960s and 1970s, Lilly Yokoi (1929-1026) was considered the world's greatest acrobat on bicycle. Her act was indeed technically outstanding, and the ease with which she performed it, her grace, and her unmatched elegance have survived the test of time. Even today, her act can be regarded as the greatest solo bicycle act that ever was—and it is universally acknowledged as such by all those who were lucky enough to see her perform.
  
[[File:Sergei_Ignatov_c.1985.jpg|right|150px]]
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Although of Japanese descent, she was born in New York City in 1929, into a family of circus performers. Her parents, Eizo and Rui Yokoi, were acrobats on unicycle and bicycle who went to work in the United States in the 1920s. They had trained their four daughters, Mary, Lilly, Olga (Akimo), and Kimiko (Kimi, 1939-1990), and their son, George, in their craft.
One of the greatest jugglers in circus history, Sergei Mikhailovich Ignatov was born August 23, 1950 in Chemnitz, in Saxony, in the former German Democratic Republic (or East Germany), to a Russian circus family. His grandfather, Ivan Petrovich (1900-?), was an equestrian, and his father, Mikhail Ivanovich (1924-1967), had been a dog and monkey trainer. Sergei grew up in Moscow, in what was then the USSR, along with his younger brother, Leonid Mikhailovich, who also became a remarkable juggler.
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Sergei joined the State College for Circus and Variety Arts (the "Moscow Circus School") at age fifteen in 1965. After only one year, he had to give up acrobatics due to knee problems and he specialized as a juggler. His teacher was the legendary Violetta Kiss, an amazing juggler and hand-balancer who was, with her brother Aleksandr, a major star of the Soviet circus in the 1950's and 1960's.
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The four girls reached a remarkable technical level in bicycle acrobatics, doing tricks rarely or never seen in their time with an uncanny facility. The children worked together with their parents in a bicycle and unicycle act billed as ''The Yokoi Family''. Then, the act was featuring only three of the the four Yokoi Sisters, Mary, Olga, and Lilly. The ''Trio Yokoi'', as they were billed, appeared on CBS Television's ''The Talk of The Town'' (the forerunner of ''The Ed Sullivan Show'') in 1954.
  
In just two years time, training eight hours a day, Sergei became a very proficient juggler with rings, large balls, and clubs. He created new tricks, such as the "pancake throw" with rings, and a special kick-up from four to five clubs. Both tricks are still performed by jugglers today. The juggling technique that Violetta Kiss taught him became the firm foundation of Ignatov’s subsequent twenty years of creative work. At the Moscow circus college's graduation show in 1968, he was an unmitigated success. The audience present was well aware of his exceptional talent, and knew that Sergei’s performance was only the harbinger of things to come.... ([[Sergei Ignatov|more...]])
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Mary was the original star of the family, but Lilly quickly caught up with her: Pretty and naturally elegant, she had a remarkable stage presence and charisma. During an engagement, she met the Swedish hand-balancer Rolando, who became her husband. She then left the family act (she was replaced by Kimi) and began working solo in 1956. (In time, Kimi would embark into a successful solo career of her own, and George would complete the trio.) That very year (1956), Lilly made her first television appearance as a soloist on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', which certainly helped boost her budding career.... ([[Lilly Yokoi|more...]])
  
==New Biographies==  
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==New Essays and Biographies==
  
* [[Uuve Jansson]], Aerialist
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* [[Émilien Bouglione/fr|Émilien Bouglione]], French version
* [[Pieric]], Clown, Equestrian
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* [[Kremo Family]], icarists
* [[Lola Dobritch]], Tight Wire dancer
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* [[The Ziratron]], Israel's first Circus
* [[Sergei Ignatov]], Juggler
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* [[Carlos Guity]], acrobat
* [[Tini Berman]], Animal Trainer
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* [[James Clowney]], acrobat
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Dany_Renz_Video_(1973)|Dany Renz]], Liberty Act (1973)
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* [[Flying_Girls_Video_(2009)|The New Flying Girls]], flying act (2009)
* [[Valentin_Dikul_Video_(c.1985)|Valentin Dikul]], Strongman (c.1985)
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* [[Zapashny_Video_(1965)|The Zapashny Troupe]], jockey-acrobats-aerialists combination (1965)
* [[Markus_Video_(1973)|Markus]], Strongman (1973)
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* [[Caballeros_Video_(2025)|The Flying Caballeros]], flying trapeze (2025)
* [[Grechushkin_Troupe_Video_(2013)|Grechushkin Troupe]], Russian Barre (2013)
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* [[Scandinavian_Boards_Video_(2025)|Scandinavian Boards]], Korean teeterboard (2025)
* [[Chernevsky_Troupe_Video_(1988)|Chernevsky Troupe]], Teeterboard (1988)
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* [[Xing_Yunwei_Video_(2019)|Xing Yunwei]], hand balancing (2019)
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 +
==New Oral Histories==
 +
 
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* [[Gneushev_Video_(c.1990)|Valentin Gneushev interview]] on Russian Television (c.1990)
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* [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
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* [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
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* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
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* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
  
==Featured Oral Histories==
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==Circopedia Books==
  
* [[Pavlenko_Interview_Video|Nikolai Pavlenko]], tiger trainer - Interview (RIA Novosti, 2012)
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* [[Circopedia Books|Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus]], by Dominique Jando (2018)
* [[Alberto_Zoppé_Interview_2003|Alberto Zoppé]], Equestrian - Interview (McCutcheon & Distasio, 2003)
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* [[Olivier Taquin Interview 2008|Olivier Taquin]], Mime - Interview (Jando, 2008)
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* [[Barry Lubin Interview 2008|Barry Lubin]], Clown (Grandma) - Interview (Jando, 2008)
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* [[Fumagalli Interview 2008|Fumagalli]], Clown - Interview (Jando, 2008)
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==A Message from the Editor==
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==A Message from the Founder==
  
''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&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;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 [[Special:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
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''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'''
:Editor/Curator
+
:Founder and Curator

Latest revision as of 04:36, 15 May 2026


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

Lilly Yokoi on Bicycle.jpg

LILLY YOKOI

In the 1960s and 1970s, Lilly Yokoi (1929-1026) was considered the world's greatest acrobat on bicycle. Her act was indeed technically outstanding, and the ease with which she performed it, her grace, and her unmatched elegance have survived the test of time. Even today, her act can be regarded as the greatest solo bicycle act that ever was—and it is universally acknowledged as such by all those who were lucky enough to see her perform.

Although of Japanese descent, she was born in New York City in 1929, into a family of circus performers. Her parents, Eizo and Rui Yokoi, were acrobats on unicycle and bicycle who went to work in the United States in the 1920s. They had trained their four daughters, Mary, Lilly, Olga (Akimo), and Kimiko (Kimi, 1939-1990), and their son, George, in their craft.

The four girls reached a remarkable technical level in bicycle acrobatics, doing tricks rarely or never seen in their time with an uncanny facility. The children worked together with their parents in a bicycle and unicycle act billed as The Yokoi Family. Then, the act was featuring only three of the the four Yokoi Sisters, Mary, Olga, and Lilly. The Trio Yokoi, as they were billed, appeared on CBS Television's The Talk of The Town (the forerunner of The Ed Sullivan Show) in 1954.

Mary was the original star of the family, but Lilly quickly caught up with her: Pretty and naturally elegant, she had a remarkable stage presence and charisma. During an engagement, she met the Swedish hand-balancer Rolando, who became her husband. She then left the family act (she was replaced by Kimi) and began working solo in 1956. (In time, Kimi would embark into a successful solo career of her own, and George would complete the trio.) That very year (1956), Lilly made her first television appearance as a soloist on The Ed Sullivan Show, which certainly helped boost her budding career.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • The New Flying Girls, flying actAny aerial act in which an acrobat is propelled in the air from one point to another. (2009)
  • The Zapashny Troupe, 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.-acrobats-aerialists combination (1965)
  • The Flying Caballeros, 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) (2025)
  • Scandinavian Boards, Korean teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. (2025)
  • Xing Yunwei, hand balancing (2019)

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