Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

From Circopedia

 
Line 4: Line 4:
 
------------------------------Banner across top of page------------------------------>
 
------------------------------Banner across top of page------------------------------>
 
{| id="mp-topbanner" style="width:100%; background:#fcfcfc; margin-top:1.2em; border:1px solid #ccc;"
 
{| id="mp-topbanner" style="width:100%; background:#fcfcfc; margin-top:1.2em; border:1px solid #ccc;"
|style="width:56%; color:#000"| <!--  
+
|style="width:56%; color:#0000"| <!--  
  
 
-----------"Welcome to Circopedia" and article count---------->
 
-----------"Welcome to Circopedia" and article count---------->
{| style="width:500px; border:solid 0px; background:none;"
+
{| style="width:100%; border:solid 0px; background:none;"
 
|style="width:500px; text-align:center; white-space:nowrap; color:#000;"|
 
|style="width:500px; text-align:center; white-space:nowrap; color:#000;"|
<div style="font-size:162%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;">Welcome to Circopedia,</div>
+
<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>
+
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 is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
  
------------Category list on righthand side---------->
 
|style="width:11%; font-size:95%;"|
 
*[[:Category:Artists and Acts|Artists and Acts]]
 
*[[:Category:Circus Arts|Circus Specialties]]
 
*[[:Category:Circuses|Circuses]]
 
*[[:Category:History|Circus History]]
 
|style="width:11%; font-size:95%;"|
 
*[[:Category:Oral History|Oral History]]
 
*[[:Category:Photo Archive|Photo Archive]]
 
*[[:Category:Video Archive|Video Archive]]
 
*[[Links|Circus Links]]
 
 
|}
 
|}
 
+
|}
  
 
==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
===CIRQUE LEONCE===
+
===THE FALTYNY FAMILY===
[[File:Cirque_Leonce_1930.jpeg|right|300px]]The Cirque Léonce was created in 1907 (and originally called Cirque Printania) by Léonce Chapuis, a circus enthusiast from a well-to-do French provincial family, who left his sedentary life to follow a circus—the well-known and highly reputable Cirque Bureau, one of France’s oldest traveling circuses (active from c.1855 to 1953). There, he worked in the circus office as a jack-of-all-trades: Someone with a high school education was enough of a rarity in the traveling circus world to be useful in a large range of administrative chores.
+
[[File:Faltyny_Troupe_-_Monte_Carlo_(2014).jpeg|right|400px]]
 +
Faltyny is a household name in the Czech circus world. The Faltyny family’s real name is Faltynek (plural: Faltynkovi), and they trace their roots to an old circus family from South Moravia. Its story began in the familiar fashion common to many circus families: In the late nineteenth century, in the small village of Kladky, some one-hundred kilometers north of Brno, the son of the miller Faltynek ran away with a troupe of itinerant acrobats for the love of a beautiful wire dancer.
  
While at Cirque Bureau, Léonce trained as an acrobat on horseback, the dream he had for himself as a circus artist. Unfortunately, he broke a leg in a bad fall, and his dream came to a vanishing point. He left the circus and became a journalist, and then, probably missing show business and touring, he went on to work with the "Tournées Baret," a famous theatrical touring company. But this was not the circus.... ([[Cirque Léonce|more...]])
+
Young Faltynek had fallen in love with the daughter of an acrobat named Flaks, who had visited the village with his family’s acrobatic troupe. The Flakses were traveling entertainers who performed outdoors on village squares and at local fairs. The lovely Miss Flaks had a slack wire act, with which she captured the heart of the miller’s son: Faltynek left his village and his family, and joined the troupe, married Miss Flaks, and eventually developed his own tight wire act.
 +
 +
The Faltynkovi had a son, Vojtěch (1904-1988), who became a foot juggler; in time, Vojtěch married another circus performer, Fanny Kockova. They had their own small traveling outfit with which they performed outdoors, touring Moravia and Slovakia. Vojtěch and Fanny had eight children, four boys and four girls. Their second son, Frantisek (November 15, 1931-November 7, 2003), originated the present Faltynek (Faltyny) circus line.
  
==New Biographies==
+
Frantisek’s parents retired from performing and put an end to their travels when their son was a teenager. Thence Frantisek went to school like any other kid of his age, and eventually joined the Army. Yet one day, he visited Cirkus Rozkvet, owned by Jan Novotny and Marie Dvorakova, and he fell in love with their beautiful daughter, Marie Novotna (born May 1st, 1934)&mdash;a contortionist and a wire dancer. Young Frantisek left the Army and returned to the circus. At Cirkus Rozkvet, he worked as a clown and put together a comedy unicycle act with Marie.... ([[Faltyny Family|more...]])
  
* [[Pancracio]], Clown
+
==New Essays and Biographies==
* [[Circus Sarrasani]], History
+
 
* [[Tom Dougherty]], Clown
+
* [[Émilien Bouglione/fr|Émilien Bouglione]], French version
* [[Alfred Beautour]], Cat Trainer
+
* [[Kremo Family]], icarists
* [[Ali Hassani]], Acrobat and Circus Owner
+
* [[The Ziratron]], Israel's first Circus
 +
* [[Carlos Guity]], acrobat
 +
* [[James Clowney]], acrobat
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
''The new videos listed below show acts that have participated in the ''Idol'' Circus Festival in Moscow in September 2014.''
 
  
* [[Du_Quan_Ho_Video_(2014)|Du Quan Ho]], Aerial Loop (2014)
+
* [[Xing_Yunwei_Video_(2019)|Xing Yunwei]], hand balancing (2019)
* [[Aleksandrov_Bears_Video_(2014)|Yuriy & Natalya Aleksandrov]], Bear Act (2014)
+
* [[Rasshivkin_Video_(1983)|Trio Rasshivkin]], hand-to-hand balancing (1983)
* [[Sharkovich_Video_(2014)|Duo Sharkovich]], Slack Wire (2014)
+
* [[Acero_Duo_Video_(2025)|Duo Acero]], hand-to-hand balancing (2025)
* [[Bayramukov_Troupe_Video_(2014)|Bayramukov Troupe]], Fast-Track Tumbling (2014)
+
* [[Streltsov_Video_(1990)|Aleksandr Streltsov]], ''Angel'', strap act (1990)
* [[Pyongyang_Flying_Troupe_Video_(2014)|Pyongyang Flying Troupe]], Flying Trapeze (2014)
+
* [[Larkina_Video_(1993)|Yelena Larkina]], hula-hoop act (1993)
* [[Nikulina_and_Zaets_Video_(2014)|Margarita Nikulina & Vitaliy Zaets]], Acrobatic Adagio (2014)
+
 
* [[Kanakhin_Duo_Video_(2014)|Aliya & Andrey Kanakhin]], Chinese Pole (2014)
+
==New Oral Histories==
* [[Nergui_Duo_Video_(2014)|Nergui Duo]], Contortion Act (2014)
+
 
* [[Vik_and_Fabrini_Video_(2014)|Vik & Fabrini]], Comedy Magic (2014)
+
* [[Gneushev_Video_(c.1990)|Valentin Gneushev interview]] on Russian Television (c.1990)
* [[Francois_Borie_Video_(2014)|François Borie]], Juggler (2014)
+
* [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
* [[Israfilovi_Video_(2014)|Erik Israfilov]], Camel Act (2014)
+
* [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
* [[Aleksandrov_Dogs_Video_(2014)|Viktoria & Oleg Aleksandrov]], Dog Act (2014)
+
* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
* [[Fujian_Troupe_Lasso_Video_(2014)|The Fujian Acrobatic Troupe]], Tumbling and Lasso (2014)
+
* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
* [[Anastasia_Evkhimenko_Video_(2014)|Anastasia Evkhimenko]], Hula-Hoop on Horseback (2014)
+
* [[Mikheev_Trio_Video_(2014)|Mikheev Trio]], Ring Balancing (2014)
+
* [[Yulia_Denisenko_and_Yuriy_Khokhlov_Video_(2014)|Yulia Denisenko & Yuriy Khokhlov]] Polar Bears (2014)
+
* [[Shatirov_Troupe_Video_(2014)|The Shatirov Troupe]], Russian Barre (2014)
+
* [[Skokov_Troupe_Video_(2014)|The Skokov Troupe]], Russian Swing (2014)
+
* [[Khamada_Kuta_Video_(2014)|Khamada Kuta]], Lion and Tiger Act (2014)
+
* [[Veronika_Teslenko_Video_(2014)|Veronika Teslenko]], Aerial Straps (2014)
+
* [[Baranenko_%26_Petrikova_Video_(2014)|Elena Baranenko & Elena Patrikova]], Tissu Act (2014)
+
* [[Shagunin_Troupe_Video_(2014)|Shagunin Troupe]], Perch-Pole Balancing (2014)
+
  
==Featured Oral Histories==
+
==Circopedia Books==
  
* [[Pavlenko_Interview_Video|Nikolai Pavlenko]], tiger trainer - Interview (RIA Novosti, 2012)
+
* [[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)
+
* [[Olivier Taquin Interview 2008|Olivier Taquin]], Mime - Interview (Jando, 2008)
+
* [[Barry Lubin Interview 2008|Barry Lubin]], Clown (Grandma) - Interview (Jando, 2008)
+
* [[Fumagalli Interview 2008|Fumagalli]], Clown - Interview (Jando, 2008)
+
  
==A Message from the Editor==
+
==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.''  
+
''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 22:41, 6 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

THE FALTYNY FAMILY

Faltyny Troupe - Monte Carlo (2014).jpeg

Faltyny is a household name in the Czech circus world. The Faltyny family’s real name is Faltynek (plural: Faltynkovi), and they trace their roots to an old circus family from South Moravia. Its story began in the familiar fashion common to many circus families: In the late nineteenth century, in the small village of Kladky, some one-hundred kilometers north of Brno, the son of the miller Faltynek ran away with a troupe of itinerant acrobats for the love of a beautiful wire dancer.

Young Faltynek had fallen in love with the daughter of an acrobat named Flaks, who had visited the village with his family’s acrobatic troupe. The Flakses were traveling entertainers who performed outdoors on village squares and at local fairs. The lovely Miss Flaks had a slack wireA Tight Wire, or Low Wire, kept slack, and generally used for juggling or balancing tricks. act, with which she captured the heart of the miller’s son: Faltynek left his village and his family, and joined the troupe, married Miss Flaks, and eventually developed his own tight wireA tight, light metallic cable, placed between two platforms not very far from the ground, on which a wire dancer perform dance steps, and acrobatic exercises such as somersaults. (Also: Low Wire) act.

The Faltynkovi had a son, Vojtěch (1904-1988), who became a foot juggler; in time, Vojtěch married another circus performer, Fanny Kockova. They had their own small traveling outfit with which they performed outdoors, touring Moravia and Slovakia. Vojtěch and Fanny had eight children, four boys and four girls. Their second son, Frantisek (November 15, 1931-November 7, 2003), originated the present Faltynek (Faltyny) circus line.

Frantisek’s parents retired from performing and put an end to their travels when their son was a teenager. Thence Frantisek went to school like any other kid of his age, and eventually joined the Army. Yet one day, he visited Cirkus Rozkvet, owned by Jan Novotny and Marie Dvorakova, and he fell in love with their beautiful daughter, Marie Novotna (born May 1st, 1934)—a contortionist and a wire dancer. Young Frantisek left the Army and returned to the circus. At Cirkus Rozkvet, he worked as a clown and put together a comedy unicycle act with Marie.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • Xing Yunwei, hand balancing (2019)
  • Trio Rasshivkin, hand-to-handAn acrobatic act in which one or more acrobats do hand-balancing in the hands of an under-stander. balancing (1983)
  • Duo Acero, hand-to-handAn acrobatic act in which one or more acrobats do hand-balancing in the hands of an under-stander. balancing (2025)
  • Aleksandr Streltsov, Angel, strap actAerial act performed hanging from a pair of fabric or leather straps. (See Aerial Straps.) (1990)
  • Yelena Larkina, hula-hoop act (1993)

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