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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
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[[File:Lilly_Yokoi_on_Bicycle.jpg|right|300px]]
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===LILLY YOKOI===
  
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===THE FALTYNY FAMILY===
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In the 1960s and 1970s, Lilly Yokoi (1929-1026) was considered the world's greatest acrobat on bicycle. Her act was indeed technically outstanding, and the ease with which she performed it, her grace, and her unmatched elegance have survived the test of time. Even today, her act can be regarded as the greatest solo bicycle act that ever was—and it is universally acknowledged as such by all those who were lucky enough to see her perform.
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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.
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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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Although of Japanese descent, she was born in New York City in 1929, into a family of circus performers. Her parents, Eizo and Rui Yokoi, were acrobats on unicycle and bicycle who went to work in the United States in the 1920s. They had trained their four daughters, Mary, Lilly, Olga (Akimo), and Kimiko (Kimi, 1939-1990), and their son, George, in their craft.
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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.
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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)—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...]])
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The four girls reached a remarkable technical level in bicycle acrobatics, doing tricks rarely or never seen in their time with an uncanny facility. The children worked together with their parents in a bicycle and unicycle act billed as ''The Yokoi Family''. Then, the act was featuring only three of the the four Yokoi Sisters, Mary, Olga, and Lilly. The ''Trio Yokoi'', as they were billed, appeared on CBS Television's ''The Talk of The Town'' (the forerunner of ''The Ed Sullivan Show'') in 1954.
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Mary was the original star of the family, but Lilly quickly caught up with her: Pretty and naturally elegant, she had a remarkable stage presence and charisma. During an engagement, she met the Swedish hand-balancer Rolando, who became her husband. She then left the family act (she was replaced by Kimi) and began working solo in 1956. (In time, Kimi would embark into a successful solo career of her own, and George would complete the trio.) That very year (1956), Lilly made her first television appearance as a soloist on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', which certainly helped boost her budding career.... ([[Lilly Yokoi|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==

Latest revision as of 04:36, 15 May 2026


Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!
Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ ε!
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Circopedia is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

Lilly Yokoi on Bicycle.jpg

LILLY YOKOI

In the 1960s and 1970s, Lilly Yokoi (1929-1026) was considered the world's greatest acrobat on bicycle. Her act was indeed technically outstanding, and the ease with which she performed it, her grace, and her unmatched elegance have survived the test of time. Even today, her act can be regarded as the greatest solo bicycle act that ever was—and it is universally acknowledged as such by all those who were lucky enough to see her perform.

Although of Japanese descent, she was born in New York City in 1929, into a family of circus performers. Her parents, Eizo and Rui Yokoi, were acrobats on unicycle and bicycle who went to work in the United States in the 1920s. They had trained their four daughters, Mary, Lilly, Olga (Akimo), and Kimiko (Kimi, 1939-1990), and their son, George, in their craft.

The four girls reached a remarkable technical level in bicycle acrobatics, doing tricks rarely or never seen in their time with an uncanny facility. The children worked together with their parents in a bicycle and unicycle act billed as The Yokoi Family. Then, the act was featuring only three of the the four Yokoi Sisters, Mary, Olga, and Lilly. The Trio Yokoi, as they were billed, appeared on CBS Television's The Talk of The Town (the forerunner of The Ed Sullivan Show) in 1954.

Mary was the original star of the family, but Lilly quickly caught up with her: Pretty and naturally elegant, she had a remarkable stage presence and charisma. During an engagement, she met the Swedish hand-balancer Rolando, who became her husband. She then left the family act (she was replaced by Kimi) and began working solo in 1956. (In time, Kimi would embark into a successful solo career of her own, and George would complete the trio.) That very year (1956), Lilly made her first television appearance as a soloist on The Ed Sullivan Show, which certainly helped boost her budding career.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • The New Flying Girls, flying actAny aerial act in which an acrobat is propelled in the air from one point to another. (2009)
  • The Zapashny Troupe, 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.-acrobats-aerialists combination (1965)
  • The Flying Caballeros, flying trapezeAerial act in which an acrobat is propelled from a trapeze to a catcher, or to another trapeze. (See also: Short-distance Flying Trapeze) (2025)
  • Scandinavian Boards, Korean teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. (2025)
  • Xing Yunwei, hand balancing (2019)

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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