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==In The Spotlight== | ==In The Spotlight== | ||
| − | === | + | ===WALTER NONES=== |
| − | [[File: | + | [[File:Walter_Nones.jpeg|right|400px]] |
| − | + | Even though he was not born in the circus, Walter Nones (1934-2016) was, in Italy, a reformer of the classic circus form, one of the few circus visionaries who have marked the second half of the 20th century (from Arturo Castilla to Jean Richard and Gerry Cottle) and built true circus empires in their own countries equating in strength the circus empires of yore. | |
| − | + | Walter Nones was also a remarkable acrobat and a superb animal trainer; he had an engaging personality—as much when ha addressed his audience as when, away from the spotlight, he acted as the "general" of his enterprises, or in his dealing with the media and the Italian administration. Endowed with a solid intuition and a rare ability for taking calculated risks, he was able to change directions and diversify his company many times; his constant imperative was novelty, for which he was faithful to the style and methods of the great Italian variety entrepreneurs. | |
| − | + | Walter Nones was able to build with his wife, Moira Orfei, a legend that went well beyond their circus—a circus that was certainly unique in the fact that it traveled constantly for fifty-five years without ever taking a true break! Nones was among the Italian pioneers of the internationalization of show business and, as such, he even became instrumental in the establishment of new relations between the former USSR and the Vatican. | |
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| + | Walter Nones was born in Trent, capital of the Trentino province in northern Italy, on June 18, 1934, the oldest of the four children of Giuseppe Nones and his wife, Adele, née Medini, a circus artist. Giuseppe was a cabinet maker; he spent his life between his workshop and the gym, following in that an old Trent tradition: A great number of its citizen had developed over the years a passion for gymnastics. With three of his gymnast friends, he had gone to perform as an acrobat in Bernardo Medini’s circus, where he met Adele, the seventh of the fourteen children that Medini had with his wife, Adalgisa Caroli. They fell in love and got married… | ||
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| + | At the outbreak of World War II, however, Giuseppe Nones stopped his circus escapades and returned to his workshop and a stable and more secure occupation. Walter, his brother Guglielmo, and his sister Loredana, were sent to study in a Salesian college. Sharing their father's passion for acrobatics, the siblings began to perform in school shows and took lessons from a well-known acrobat, Bruno Marcantoni, who had performed in the United States with the Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1910.... ([[Walter Nones|more...]]) | ||
==New Essays and Biographies== | ==New Essays and Biographies== | ||
| + | * [[Cirkus_Verdensteater_(Oslo)|Cirkus Verdensteater]], Oslo Circus Building | ||
| + | * [[Eddie Murillo]], Circus Agent and Producer | ||
| + | * [[The Biasini Family]], Circus Owners, Artists | ||
| + | * [[Paul Jerome]], Clown | ||
* [[Evelyn and André]], Aerialists, Acrobats | * [[Evelyn and André]], Aerialists, Acrobats | ||
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==New Videos== | ==New Videos== | ||
| − | * [[ | + | * [[Rudi-Llata_Video_(1956)|The Rudi-Llatas]], clown entrée (1956) |
| − | * [[ | + | * [[Steve_Bor_Video_(1985)|Steve Bor]], juggler (1985) |
| − | * [[ | + | * [[Casartelli_Elephants_Video_(1997)|Eros Casartelli]], elephant act (1997) |
| − | * [[ | + | * [[Hng_Thean_Leong_Video_(2024)|Hng Thean Leong]], diabolo act (2024) |
| − | * [[ | + | * [[Trixie_Zavatta_Video_(2024)|Trixie Zavatta]], hand balancer/contortionist on hoverboard (2024) |
==New Oral Histories== | ==New Oral Histories== | ||
Latest revision as of 05:55, 1 July 2025
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In The Spotlight
WALTER NONES
Even though he was not born in the circus, Walter Nones (1934-2016) was, in Italy, a reformer of the classic circus form, one of the few circus visionaries who have marked the second half of the 20th century (from Arturo Castilla to Jean Richard and Gerry Cottle) and built true circus empires in their own countries equating in strength the circus empires of yore.
Walter Nones was also a remarkable acrobat and a superb animal trainer; he had an engaging personality—as much when ha addressed his audience as when, away from the spotlight, he acted as the "general" of his enterprises, or in his dealing with the media and the Italian administration. Endowed with a solid intuition and a rare ability for taking calculated risks, he was able to change directions and diversify his company many times; his constant imperative was novelty, for which he was faithful to the style and methods of the great Italian variety entrepreneurs.
Walter Nones was able to build with his wife, Moira Orfei, a legend that went well beyond their circus—a circus that was certainly unique in the fact that it traveled constantly for fifty-five years without ever taking a true break! Nones was among the Italian pioneers of the internationalization of show business and, as such, he even became instrumental in the establishment of new relations between the former USSR and the Vatican.
Walter Nones was born in Trent, capital of the Trentino province in northern Italy, on June 18, 1934, the oldest of the four children of Giuseppe Nones and his wife, Adele, née Medini, a circus artist. Giuseppe was a cabinet maker; he spent his life between his workshop and the gym, following in that an old Trent tradition: A great number of its citizen had developed over the years a passion for gymnastics. With three of his gymnast friends, he had gone to perform as an acrobat in Bernardo Medini’s circus, where he met Adele, the seventh of the fourteen children that Medini had with his wife, Adalgisa Caroli. They fell in love and got married…
At the outbreak of World War II, however, Giuseppe Nones stopped his circus escapades and returned to his workshop and a stable and more secure occupation. Walter, his brother Guglielmo, and his sister Loredana, were sent to study in a Salesian college. Sharing their father's passion for acrobatics, the siblings began to perform in school shows and took lessons from a well-known acrobat, Bruno Marcantoni, who had performed in the United States with the Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1910.... (more...)
New Essays and Biographies
- Cirkus Verdensteater, Oslo Circus Building
- Eddie Murillo, Circus Agent and Producer
- The Biasini Family, Circus Owners, Artists
- Paul Jerome, Clown
- Evelyn and André, Aerialists, Acrobats
New Videos
- The Rudi-Llatas, clown entrée(French) Clown piece with a dramatic structure, generally in the form of a short story or scene. (1956)
- Steve Bor, juggler (1985)
- Eros Casartelli, elephant act (1997)
- Hng Thean Leong, diabolo act (2024)
- Trixie Zavatta, hand balancer/contortionist on hoverboard (2024)
New Oral Histories
- Dominique Jando interview by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
- Evelyn & André Interview on Blikk TV (2015)
- For A Moment You Fly, The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
- Vladimir Durov Documentary on Russian Television (c.2000)
- Dolly Jacobs Interview at The Ringling (2018)
Circopedia Books
- Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus, by Dominique Jando (2018)
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
