Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

From Circopedia

 
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<div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατε!</div><div style="font-size:165%; 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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<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:110%;"> Circopedia was originally created with the support of the [http://www.bigapplecircus.com/ Big Apple Circus]<br />and 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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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
[[File:Gia_Eradze_and_Horse.jpeg|right|300px]]
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===THE FALTYNY FAMILY===
===GIA ERADZE===
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[[File:Faltyny_Troupe_-_Monte_Carlo_(2014).jpeg|right|400px]]
 
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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.
In his early youth, Gia Eradze fell in love with the circus and decided he would become an animal trainer. From then on, nothing stopped him. Not only did he become a successful animal trainer, but his rich, extravagant visual imagination led him to create extremely successful shows that helped revive the creative image of the Russian circus at home and abroad, and eventually propelled him to new heights in the Russian circus artistic hierarchy.
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Gia Giulevich Eradze was born October 3, 1979 in Tbilisi, Georgia&mdash;which was then part of the Soviet Union. His father managed a supermarket, and his mother was Rector of Economics at the Tbilisi State University. His was a well-to-do family with no connection whatsoever with the performing arts in general, and the circus in particular.
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Yet, then as now, Tbilisi was a circus town: In 1888, the Nikitin Brothers had built a wooden circus on Golovinsky Prospect (today Rustaveli Prospect), and what was then Tiflis became their home base. From there, they created a touring circuit for which they used circus buildings they erected over the years in several other cities, including Moscow.
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The original Circus Nikitin’s structure was destroyed by a fire in 1911, and Tbilisi’s new circus was housed for a long time in a former factory before being rebuilt in 1939 in its present location, on a hill on the left bank of the Kura river. It is there that a young Gia Eradze fell in love with the circus&mdash;and especially with animal acts. There and then, he decided he would be an animal trainer.
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He enrolled in the local Amateur Circus (Youth Circus) and began training in various circus disciplines, but he quickly discovered that Amateur Circuses (and circus schools for that matter) did not teach animal training. Working with animals is something you learn hands on, working with other animal trainers in a circus.
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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.
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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.
  
Gia was a precocious and strong-willed kid, and his determination eventually led him to truancy: when his father’s car took him to school in the morning, Gia waited until the chauffeur had left and changed trajectory, landing inevitably at the circus. In 1990, at age eleven, he managed to get a job as an assistant (or as a groom) with Nana Milkatze’s ''Horsemen of Georgia'' troupe of Cossack riders... ([[Gia Eradze|more...]])
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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.... ([[Faltiny Family|more...]])
  
==New Biographies==
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==New Essays and Biographies==
  
* [[Gia Eradze]], Circus Director, Animal Trainer
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* [[Émilien Bouglione/fr|Émilien Bouglione]], French version
* [[Rob Torres]], Clown
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* [[Kremo Family]], icarists
* [[Tianjin Acrobatic Troupe]], History
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* [[The Ziratron]], Israel's first Circus
* [[Nino Frediani]], Juggler
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* [[Carlos Guity]], acrobat
* [[Henrik Henricksen]], Animal Trainer
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* [[James Clowney]], acrobat
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Kulakov_Video_(1985)|Vladimir Kulakov]], Juggler (1985)
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* [[Xing_Yunwei_Video_(2019)|Xing Yunwei]], hand balancing (2019)
* [[Gilbert_Houcke_Video_(1949)|Gilbert Houcke]], Tiger Act (1949)
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* [[Rasshivkin_Video_(1983)|Trio Rasshivkin]], hand-to-hand balancing (1983)
* [[Duss_Video_(1995)|Petra & Roland Duss]], Sealion act (1995)
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* [[Acero_Duo_Video_(2025)|Duo Acero]], hand-to-hand balancing (2025)
* [[Ermakov_Video_(1985)|Ermakov Trio]], Rusian Barre (1985)
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* [[Streltsov_Video_(1990)|Aleksandr Streltsov]], ''Angel'', strap act (1990)
* [[Caballeros_Video_(1995)|The Flying Caballeros]], Flying Trapeze (1995)
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* [[Larkina_Video_(1993)|Yelena Larkina]], hula-hoop act (1993)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
  
* [[Pinito_del_Oro_RTE_Video_(1970)|Pinito del Oro's Interview]] on Spanish Television (1970)
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* [[Gneushev_Video_(c.1990)|Valentin Gneushev interview]] on Russian Television (c.1990)
* [[Eradze_Video_(2015)|Gia Eradze]]'s Interview on SSU TV (2015)
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* [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
* [[Rosa_Bouglione_Video_(2012)|Rosa Bouglione]]'s interview on Franch Television (2012)
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* [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
* [[Circo_Price_Video_(2017)|A Short History of Madrid's Old Circo Price]], Documentary (1970)
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* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
* [[Anastasia_Dementieva_Video_(2017)|Anastasia Dementieva-Kornilova]] – Vadim Vernik Interview (2017)
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* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
  
 
==Circopedia Books==
 
==Circopedia Books==
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* [[Circopedia Books|Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus]], by Dominique Jando (2018)
 
* [[Circopedia Books|Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus]], by Dominique Jando (2018)
  
==A Message from the Editor==
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==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&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.''  
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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'''
 
:Founder and Curator
 
:Founder and Curator

Latest revision as of 22:20, 1 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