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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
 
<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/>
<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:Adi_Enders_and_Vauta.jpg|300px|right]]
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===ADI ENDERS===
  
===ALEXANDRE PALISSE===
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Adi Enders (1935-2025) was born Adolf Hermann Enders on April 16, 1935 in Köln (Cologne), Germany, to an old family of circus equestrians. His parents were Hugo Enders (1899-1952), a jockey and horse trainer, and Alma von der Gathen (1905-1944). Adi had five siblings: Rudolf, known as Rudi or "Männe" (February 22, 1927 - April 5, 2004, Aachen), who became an animal trainer; Jean, known as "Schengel" (April 9, 1929, Alsdorf - March 3, 2004, Breinig) who became a clown under the name of Pipo; Willi (1932 - December 6, 1988); and Jakob, known as Jacomo or Jacky (May 8, 1938 Neustadt an der Weinstraße - November 24, 1994) who became a jockey, but would also be known for his plate-spinning act, and as a clown; and his sister, Medi (born February 19, 1928).
  
[[File:Palisse_in_costume.png|350px|right]]In the first half of the twentieth century, Alexandre Palisse (1876-1932) managed one of the best circuses touring the French provinces (and some bordering countries); in addition, his traveling equipment, which he conceived, was extremely innovative at the time and would inspire some of his competitors' way of touring. Palisse was also a clown, well known in Europe and South America for his spectacular costumes, his impeccable makeup, and his talent for training small animals. After his death in 1932, Jérôme Medrano bought and continued to exploit his elegant and revolutionary touring circus.  
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Adi and Jakob Enders grew up in the family of their aunt, Maria Althoff, née von der Gathen (1908-1999), who was Alma’s sister and was married to the circus director and animal trainer Adolf Althoff (1913-1998). Adi was trained in acrobatics by Mohamed "Momo" Saharaoui Faroki, who was a member of the [[Ben Mohamed Troupe]], a Morrocan tumbling act, and by his uncle Adolf, who took care of his education in equestrian arts and animal training.
  
Alexandre François Palisse was born in a circus family on November 17, 1876, during the family's stay in Saint-Chamond, an early industrial town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. His father was Louis-Marius Palisse (1856-1891), an acrobat; his mother, Louise (1859-1895), née Bertoletti, was an equestrienne. Alexandre, who had a younger brother, Nicolas (1879-1938, an acrobat), was fifteen when he lost his father, and his mother died four years later: He had to help supporting his family at a young age, which developed in him earnestness and a sense of responsibility that was in no small part the reason of his success in life.
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In the 1950's and 1960's, Adi Enders was considered one of the world’s finest jockeys. He and his brother Jakob performed for many years their jockey act as Gebrüder Enders (The Enders Brothers), or sometimes as Enders Reitertruppe. (When they toured in 1956 with CCircus Scott-Williams, they were billed as ''Williams Reitertruppe''.) They had various partners over the years, among whom Carla Barlay (who married François Bronett, later Director of Cirkus Scott) and GGünther Gebel. For a long time, they also had for partner Claus Lehnert, who would later become Circus Krone’s operations manager.... ([[Adi Enders|more...]])
 
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He was a good acrobat and tumbler, and had a knack for training small domestic animals, notably dogs. This led him to clowning, since small animal training was at the time regarded as the domain of clowns (which was spectacularly demonstrated by many of them, notably Anatoly and Vladimir Durov). Palisse worked either alone or with partners such as Pierre Perié (who will also create his own, successful circus) and Leonardo Ceratto, with whom he worked extensively in Spain and Portugal, and even in Argentina, where he had an enormous success with his trademark trained bulldogs.
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Around 1903-1904, Palisse was performing at the Cirque Plège, a popular French traveling circus of the period, which was showing at the annual fair of Amiens, in the north of France. Also at the fair was the ''Théâtre Grenier'', a well-known traveling theater created by Ernest Grenier (1855-1920), which presented a mixture of short films (a great novelty then) and variety acts. Adrienne Grenier (1882-1959), the owner's daughter, fell in love with Palisse, whom she went and see perform every day after her own performance at the Théâtre Grenier. Palisse reciprocated her feelings, and they were married in Caen, Normandy, on April 9, 1904&mdash;just before the start of this port city's annual fair. Then, in the summer of 1906, Palisse was touring in South America with Adrienne when, on July 4 in Montevideo, Uruguay, she gave him a son whom they named after his maternal grandfather, Ernest.
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Now that he was Enest Grenier's son-in-law, Palisse became a regular fixture of the Théâtre Grenier's programs. Grenier liked Palisse as a clown, but he also appreciated his seriousness; Palisse was helpful, hard-working, and a good addition to the family. The Théâtre Grenier was a successful business and, as an insider, Palisse had the opportunity to learn how to run efficiently a traveling entertainment organization; furthermore, not a simple employee anymore, he enjoyed his new status as member of a performing family that ran its own business, and he began entertaining the possibility of creating his own traveling circus. He eventually shared his aspirations with his father-in-law, who was willing to help finance his project..... ([[Alexandre Palisse|more...]])
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==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
  
* [[Alessandro Guerra]], Equestrian, Circus Director
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* [[Virginie Kenebel]], equestrienne
* [[Jimmy Scott]], Clown
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* [[Chongqing_Acrobatic_Troupe|Chongqing Acrobatic Troupe]], History
* [[Alexis Gruss, Jr.]], Equestrian, Circus Owner
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* [[Cirkus_Verdensteater_(Oslo)|Cirkus Verdensteater]], Oslo Circus Building
* [[Alona Zhuravel]], Hand-Balancer
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* [[Eddie Murillo]], Circus Agent and Producer
* [[George Carl]], Clown
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* [[The Biasini Family]], Circus Owners, Artists
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Toropova_Video_(2023)|Darina Toropova]], Aerial Hoop (2023)
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* [[Lan_Shi_Xiang_Video_(2024)|Lan Shi Xiang]], slack wire (2024)
* [[Toropova_Video_(2024)|Darina Toropova]], Aerial Hoop (2024) &mdash; '''''2024 Circopedia Award'''''
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* [[Alcaraz_Video_(1973)|Los Alcaraz]], comedy teeterboard/trampoline act (1973)
* [[Sandro_Montez_Video_(2023)|Sandro Montez]], dog act (2023)
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* [[Bennett_Video_(1979)|Archie & Diana Bennett]], contortion act (1979)
* [[Caitlin_%26_Spencer_Video_(2022)|Caitlin & Spencer]], Aerial Hoop (2022)
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* [[Azizov_Video_(2025)|Azizov Troupe]], Russian barre (2025)
* [[Gimenez_Sisters_Video_(2023)|Brihanna & Miranda Giménez]], Washington Trapeze (2023)
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* [[Coudoux_Video_(1973)|Les Coudoux]], contortionists/hand-to-hand balancing (1973)
  
 
==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)
* [[Pinito_del_Oro_RTE_Video_(1970)|Pinito del Oro's Interview]] on Spanish Television (1970)
 
* [[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==
  
''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 00:15, 6 October 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

Adi Enders and Vauta.jpg

ADI ENDERS

Adi Enders (1935-2025) was born Adolf Hermann Enders on April 16, 1935 in Köln (Cologne), Germany, to an old family of circus equestrians. His parents were Hugo Enders (1899-1952), a 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 horse trainer, and Alma von der Gathen (1905-1944). Adi had five siblings: Rudolf, known as Rudi or "Männe" (February 22, 1927 - April 5, 2004, Aachen), who became an animal trainer; Jean, known as "Schengel" (April 9, 1929, Alsdorf - March 3, 2004, Breinig) who became a clown under the name of Pipo; Willi (1932 - December 6, 1988); and Jakob, known as Jacomo or Jacky (May 8, 1938 Neustadt an der Weinstraße - November 24, 1994) who became a 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., but would also be known for his plate-spinning act, and as a clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team.; and his sister, Medi (born February 19, 1928).

Adi and Jakob Enders grew up in the family of their aunt, Maria Althoff, née von der Gathen (1908-1999), who was Alma’s sister and was married to the circus director and animal trainer Adolf Althoff (1913-1998). Adi was trained in acrobatics by Mohamed "Momo" Saharaoui Faroki, who was a member of the Ben Mohamed Troupe, a Morrocan tumbling act, and by his uncle Adolf, who took care of his education in equestrian arts and animal training.

In the 1950's and 1960's, Adi Enders was considered one of the world’s finest jockeys. He and his brother Jakob performed for many years their 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. act as Gebrüder Enders (The Enders Brothers), or sometimes as Enders Reitertruppe. (When they toured in 1956 with CCircus Scott-Williams, they were billed as Williams Reitertruppe.) They had various partners over the years, among whom Carla Barlay (who married François Bronett, later Director of Cirkus Scott) and GGünther Gebel. For a long time, they also had for partner Claus Lehnert, who would later become Circus Krone’s operations manager.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • Lan Shi Xiang, slack wireA Tight Wire, or Low Wire, kept slack, and generally used for juggling or balancing tricks. (2024)
  • Los Alcaraz, comedy teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air./trampoline act (1973)
  • Archie & Diana Bennett, contortion act (1979)
  • Azizov Troupe, Russian barreFlexible pole, held horizontally by two catchers, or under-standers, with which they propelled a flyer in acrobatic figures from and to the pole. (2025)
  • Les Coudoux, contortionists/hand-to-handAn acrobatic act in which one or more acrobats do hand-balancing in the hands of an under-stander. balancing (1973)

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