Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

From Circopedia

 
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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 ήρθατε!</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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<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
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<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia was originally created with the support of the Big Apple Circus Ltd. and inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation]''.</div><br/>
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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==
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[[File:Gerry_Cottle_and_Girls.png|right|400px]]
 
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===GERRY COTTLE===
 
  
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When Gerry Cottle (1945-2021) opened his first circus in 1970, two of Britain’s three major circuses, Bertram Mills and Billy Smart, had folded their tents, and the third, Chipperfield, had become but a pale shadow of its former self. The great British circus impresarios of the post-WWII era, Cyril and Bernard Mills, Billy Smart, Jimmy Chipperfield, and Tom Arnold had left the stage and there was indeed a huge void to fill. The ambitious and gifted Gerry Cottle seized the opportunity, and his name soon became synonymous with "circus" in the United Kingdom and would remain so until Cottle’s untimely death in 2021.
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===THE FARRELL BROTHERS===
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[[File:Farrell_Brothers.jpeg|right|300px]]
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The Farrell Brothers were, from 1971 to 1983, a very successful American high wire duo that followed in the footsteps of the 1960s' Mendez and Seitz (Gene Mendez and Joe Seitz), former members of the legendary the Wallenda troupe. The Farrell Brothers quickly became circus headliners in the United States and in Europe and enjoyed a brilliant, albeit relatively short, international career.  
  
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He was born Gerald Ward Cottle on April 7, 1945 in Carshalton, in the London borough of Sutton, to a family that had no relation with the circus or, for that matter, with show business: His father, Reg, worked as a stockbroker in the City, and his mother, Joan, née Ward, was a former flight attendant. His was a good middle class, white collar family, and little Gerry was expected to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Unfortunately—or fortunately&mdash;they took him when he was eight-year-old to Jack Hylton’s Circus at Earls Court, in London. He caught the circus bug and, then and there, decided that he would become not a clown, an animal trainer, a juggler or an acrobat, but simply a circus director—and this idea would never leave him.
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Farrell Hettig didn't come from a circus family. Born in St Petersburg, Florida, on September 25,1955 to Nila and Farrell Hettig Sr., he joined a blended family of three siblings: Beth and Woodie, his older sister and brother from Nila’s previous marriage, and Mary, who was roughly one year older than Farrell. Farrell senior was working in radio advertising and Nila was a homemaker.
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Nila and Farrell divorced in 1961, when Farrell was six years old. Then, Nila and the children moved to Sarasota, Florida, known as America’s "Circus City:" John Ringling had made Sarasota his winter home in 1926, and then brought his large circus operation to the city in 1927. Over the years, many circus artists and families settled in Sarasota, establishing a circus community that has remained an important part of the city's fabric up to this day (2026).
  
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Gerry Cottle grew up at a time when the British circus was in its most glorious period: Billy Smart’s and the Chipperfields’ circuses were among the largest in Europe, and the Mills brothers had successfully maintained the highest standards of excellence that their father, Bertram Mills, had set for his circus long before the war. For the Christmas season, Londoners had a choice between three circus spectaculars: Jack Hylton’s at the Earls Court arena; a massive circus show produced by Tom Arnold at the Harringay arena; and, since 1920, the highly respected Bertram Mills Circus, which presented one of Europe’s most acclaimed shows at London’s Olympia&mdash;the quality and perfection of which fascinated the young Gerry Cottle.... ([[Gerry Cottle|more...]])
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Farrell got his introduction to the circus arts in his teen years, when he joined Sarasota’s famous youth circus, Sailor Circus (today part of the Circus Arts Conservatory). Over the years he performed many acts in Sailor Circus's shows, but high wire soon became his focus: He was coached by no less than Gunther Wallenda.  (Gunther was the one performer of the Wallenda troupe who remained standing on the wire during their tragic fall of 1969.)
  
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==New Essays and Biographies==
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At the time, Gunther was a teacher in Sarasota County Schools. A gifted circus student, Farrell eventually went on the road with the Wallendas as a rigger during the summer of 1971. He was sixteen years old. Later in the early 1970’s, he began traveling with them as a performing member of the troupe. During that time Farrell and the legendary head of the troupe, Karl Wallenda, formed a strong bond that would bolster Farrell throughout his life.
  
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* [[Gerry Cottle]], Circus Owner
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In the 1978 television movie The Great Wallendas, Farrell’s skills were prominently featured. Although none of the original Wallendas performed in the movie, they had been impersonated by talented high-wire walkers: Terry Troffer and his wife Delilah Wallenda, Luis Murrillo, David Klukow, Tino and Ricky Wallenda, and a 22-year-old Farrell Hettig. In the re-creation of the dangerous seven-person pyramid, Farrell stood in the crucial position of second tier of the three-tiered pyramid. Less than a year after the completion of the movie, on March 22, 1978, Farrell was present in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the great Karl Wallenda tragically performed his last walk on the high wire and fell to his death.... ([[Farrell Brothers|more...]])
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* [[Sarah Chapman]], Aerialist
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* [[The 3 Bragazzi]], Comedy Acrobats
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==New Essays and Biographies==
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* [[Jefferson Freire]], Juggler
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* [[The Charlivels]], acrobats
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* [[The Schumann Dynasty]], History
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* [[Guangxi_Acrobatic_Troupe|The Guangxi Acrobatic Troupe]], Chinese acrobatics
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* [[Farrell_Brothers|The Farrell Brothers]], high wire
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* [[The Blumenfeld Family]], circus owners, artists
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* [[Émilien Bouglione/fr|Émilien Bouglione]], equestrian, circus owner (French version)
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
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* [[Tony_Alexis_Video_(2003)|Tony Alexis Family]], Clowns (2003)
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* [[Fredy_Knie_Sr_Video_(1961)|Frédy Knie, Sr.]], liberty act (1961)
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* [[Koperskiy_Video_(2011)|Roman Koperskiy]], Hand Balancer (2011)
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* [[Podlyatsky_Video_(2026)|Roman Podlyatsky & Kristina Kisileva]], monkey act (2026)
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* [[Rivelino_Video_(2013)|Los Rivelino]], Clowns (2013)
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* [[Charlivels_Video_(1951)|The Charlivels]], flying and floor acts (1951)
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* [[Safargalin_Video_(2011)|The Safargalin Troupe]], Group Juggling (2011)
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* [[Charlivels_Video_(1955)|The Charlivels]], novelty acrobatics (1955)
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* [[Traisi_Video_(2012)|Alessandro Traisi]], Hoop Juggler (2012)
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* [[Twin_Lotus_Video_(2026)|Twin Lotus Silhouettes]], hand balancing/contortion act (2026)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
  
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* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
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* [[Evelyn_and_André_Interview_(2025)|Evelyn & André]] Interview by the Fővárosi Nagycirkusz (2025)
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* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
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* [[Bouglione_Video_(2013)|The Bouglione Family]] France 3 TV documentary (2013)
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* [[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)
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* [[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)
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* [[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)
  
 
==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)
  
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==A Message from the Editor==
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==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 18:59, 4 November 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 FARRELL BROTHERS

Farrell Brothers.jpeg

The Farrell Brothers were, from 1971 to 1983, a very successful American 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. duo that followed in the footsteps of the 1960s' Mendez and Seitz (Gene Mendez and Joe Seitz), former members of the legendary the Wallenda troupe. The Farrell Brothers quickly became circus headliners in the United States and in Europe and enjoyed a brilliant, albeit relatively short, international career.

Farrell Hettig didn't come from a circus family. Born in St Petersburg, Florida, on September 25,1955 to Nila and Farrell Hettig Sr., he joined a blended family of three siblings: Beth and Woodie, his older sister and brother from Nila’s previous marriage, and Mary, who was roughly one year older than Farrell. Farrell senior was working in radio advertising and Nila was a homemaker.

Nila and Farrell divorced in 1961, when Farrell was six years old. Then, Nila and the children moved to Sarasota, Florida, known as America’s "Circus City:" John Ringling had made Sarasota his winter home in 1926, and then brought his large circus operation to the city in 1927. Over the years, many circus artists and families settled in Sarasota, establishing a circus community that has remained an important part of the city's fabric(See: Tissu) up to this day (2026).

Farrell got his introduction to the circus arts in his teen years, when he joined Sarasota’s famous youth circus, Sailor Circus (today part of the Circus Arts Conservatory). Over the years he performed many acts in Sailor Circus's shows, but 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. soon became his focus: He was coached by no less than Gunther Wallenda. (Gunther was the one performer of the Wallenda troupe who remained standing on the wire during their tragic fall of 1969.)

At the time, Gunther was a teacher in Sarasota County Schools. A gifted circus student, Farrell eventually went on the road with the Wallendas as a rigger during the summer of 1971. He was sixteen years old. Later in the early 1970’s, he began traveling with them as a performing member of the troupe. During that time Farrell and the legendary head of the troupe, Karl Wallenda, formed a strong bond that would bolster Farrell throughout his life.

In the 1978 television movie The Great Wallendas, Farrell’s skills were prominently featured. Although none of the original Wallendas performed in the movie, they had been impersonated by talented high-wire walkers: Terry Troffer and his wife Delilah Wallenda, Luis Murrillo, David Klukow, Tino and Ricky Wallenda, and a 22-year-old Farrell Hettig. In the re-creation of the dangerous seven-person pyramid, Farrell stood in the crucial position of second tier of the three-tiered pyramid. Less than a year after the completion of the movie, on March 22, 1978, Farrell was present in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the great Karl Wallenda tragically performed his last walk on the 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. and fell to his death.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

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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