"The Flying Wallendas The Flying Wallendas is the name of a circus act and daredevil stunt performers, most known for performing highwire acts without a safety net. They were first known as ""The Great Wallendas"", but the current name was coined by the press in the 1940s and has stayed since. Karl Wallenda was born in Magdeburg, Germany, in 1905 to an old circus family, and began performing at the age of six. While still in his teens he answered an ad for a ""hand balancer with courage"". His employer, Louis Weitzman, taught him the trade. In 1922, Karl put"
"together his own act with his brother Herman, Joseph Geiger, and a teenage girl, Helen Kreis, who eventually became his wife. The act toured Europe for several years, performing some amazing stunts. When John Ringling saw them perform in Cuba, he quickly hired them to perform at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. In 1928, they debuted at the Madison Square Garden. The act performed without a net (it had been lost in transit) and the crowd gave them a standing ovation. In 1944, while the Wallendas were performing in Hartford, Connecticut, a circus fire broke out, killing"
"Wallenda had the idea since 1938, but it took until 1946, when he and his brother Hermann developed it and had the right acrobats for it. ""The Great Wallendas"", a 1978 made-for-TV movie starring Karl Wallenda, depicts the act's comeback after a fatal accident involving several family members during a performance. Wallenda was killed in a high wire accident just 38 days after it was first broadcast. On July 18, 1970, a 65-year-old Wallenda performed a high-wire walk, also known as a skywalk, across the Tallulah Gorge, a gorge formed by the Tallulah River in Georgia. An estimated 30,000 people"
"His ancestors were primarily of Austro-Hungarian descent and have been circus performers since the 1700s; they have been doing balancing acts without nets since Karl Wallenda made the family famous for the feat in the 1920s. Nik Wallenda is a direct descendant of Karl, whom he calls his role model and his ""biggest hero in life"". Several members of the family have lost their lives while training or performing. In 1962, the troupe's famous seven-person pyramid collapsed, killing two family members and paralyzing Wallenda's uncle Mario. In 1978, Karl Wallenda died after falling from a tight rope at age 73"
"circus developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in particular by American influences. Buffalo Bill's performances in Europe in 1887 resulted in a wave of popularity for wild west shows and the ""western arts"" they involved, including knife throwing, archery, whip cracking and sharp shooting. In the circus world, the success of large-scale tented touring shows pioneered in America led to the introduction of more acts of skill and daring as well as the inclusion of sideshows, in which impalement acts sometimes featured. Among the most significant events were Barnum & Bailey's tours of Europe from 1897 to"
"Barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks, either individually or in groups called flying circuses. Devised to ""impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes"", it became popular in the United States during the Roaring Twenties. Barnstormers were pilots who flew throughout the country selling airplane rides and performing stunts; Charles Lindbergh first began flying in this capacity. The Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss had early flying exhibition teams, with solo flyers like Lincoln Beachey and Didier Masson also popular before World War I, but barnstorming did not become a"
"parks and similar venues in several countries. The acts often feature him alongside family members, especially his wife Erendira. Wallenda's children are sometimes part of the act. His youngest child, Evita, has been performing balancing feats since she would balance in the palm of her father's hand at six months old. Wallenda's shows have incorporated water and diving feats, the Wheel of Death, incline motorcycles, aerial silk and hoop, the Globe of Death, and of course the high-wire. ""We've performed nearly every circus or daredevil skill there is"", claims Wallenda. ""I like to mix it up"", he says. ""It keeps"
"Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was a circus that traveled across America in the early part of the 20th century. At its peak, it was the second-largest circus in America next to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was based in Peru, Indiana. The circus began as the “Carl Hagenbeck Circus” by Carl Hagenbeck (1844–1913). Hagenbeck was an animal trainer who pioneered the use of rewards-based animal training as opposed to fear-based training. Meanwhile, Benjamin Wallace, a livery stable owner from Peru, Indiana, and his business partner, James Anderson, bought a circus in 1884 and created ""The Great"
"ZDF, the television series ""Circus - animals, clowns and acrobats"" (presented by others Freddie Mercury). He was seen as part of the Circus of the Stars. In the 1980s, he began to incorporate involvement by the audience into his act. Still today, this remains one of his trademarks. In 1989, Larible left Germany and started performing in England and Mexico. In 1991, he joined the biggest and most famous circus in the United States - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. From 1993 to 2005, he was under contract and quickly became the main attraction. The time in the"
"countries worldwide. It was a ratings success in the United States, generating Discovery's highest-ever rating for a live broadcast. The show also generated a lot of interest of social media, with Wallenda's public display of his Christian faith being a focal point. Nik Wallenda is American highwire artist and member of the famed Flying Wallendas circus family. He has been walking the wire since age two and now holds seven world records. In 2008, he set the record for highest and longest bicycle ride across a tightrope. In 2012, he became the first person to successfully tightrope walk directly over"
"Barnum's Kaleidoscape Barnum's Kaleidoscape was an American circus staged by Feld Entertainment, the owners of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, at a start-up cost of $10 million. It ran for one season, 1999–2000. Inspired by both European traditions and the contemporary circus movement, it was the first Ringling show to be held under a tent since 1956 and also its first one-ring presentation in more than a century. The tent was carpeted with wood flooring and amenities to create an intimate setting with seating for 1,800 on cushioned seats and sofas and no one further than 50 feet"
"of Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth at the turn of the century (1897-1903). He took up the conducting baton from an ailing Carl Clair in 1907. In 1909 he played for Norris & Rowe (Smith). English spent three years with the Sells-Floto Circus. In 1913, he played tuba for The Girl of Eagle Ranch production, thereafter rejoining Sells Floto (under the baton of his friend Karl L. King). King and English subsequently co-authored a march, ""Howdy Pap."" In contrast to the tall, thin King, Walter English was rather stout, and he wore a walrus mustache. King later recalled"
"days a week preparation, the family successfully walked across a tightrope in six minutes, setting a Guinness World Record. Nik Wallenda cited Karl Wallenda as the primary inspiration for the feat, and stated that ""it was a landmark experience for our profession, as well as our family and me personally"". From 2002 to 2005, Wallenda performed alongside his wife, children, and other family members at Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro, North Carolina. They also toured the United States as part of various circuses. One early act featured Wallenda riding a motorcycle across the high-wire in the air. In"
"at the Chicago Park District's Theater on the Lake. In 2013, a production of the play was presented by Concordia University Chicago. This was followed in 2016 by a production at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, directed by theatre faculty member Arthur Grothe. Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was a circus that traveled across America in the early part of the 20th century. At its peak, it was the second-largest circus in America next to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was based in Peru, Indiana. The circus began as the “Carl Hagenbeck Circus” by Carl Hagenbeck (1844–1913)."
"The Kiralfy Brothers Imre Kirafly and Bolossy Kiralfy were highly influential burlesque and spectacle producers in Europe and the United States toward the end of the 19th century. The brothers paved the way for many of our modern day spectacles. With backgrounds in music and dance, these performers turned producers dazzled New York City with theatrical wonders. The brothers had a long and successful partnership and even continued to have success in their individual careers. From folk dancing in Europe to directing and producing in the United States, the Kiralfys spent their lives astounding audiences with unseen visual phenomenon and"
"died in 1983 at the age of 92. In 2014, the U.S. Postal Service created a stamp of her as part of an eight stamp collection paying tribute to circus legends of the past. Victoria Cordona Adolph Victoria Cordona Adolph (1891-1983) was a fourth generation circus performer from the Codonas family. Agents of the Barnum & Bailey Circus came to Mexico in 1909 to recruit her and her younger brothers, Alfredo Codona and Abelardo Cordona to perform with them. She worked for Barnum & Bailey until 1918 and also performed in Australia with the Brothers Circus. She was known as"
"The earliest stunt performers were travelling entertainers and circus performers, particularly trained gymnasts and acrobats. The origin of the original name, the French language word ""cascadeur"", may have been derived from the requirement to fall in a sequence of movements during a scene or stunt involving water (""Cascade"" is the French language term for waterfall) Later, in the German and Dutch circus use of the word ""Kaskadeur"", it meant performing a sequential series of daring leaps and jumps without injury to the performer. This acrobatic discipline required long training in the ring and perfect body control to present a sensational"
"Juliar (1833–1907) of Ostheim, in Alsace. They merged their Ringling Brothers Circus with America's other leading circus troupes, ultimately creating the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Ringling brothers The Ringling brothers (originally Rüngling) were seven American siblings of German and French descent who transformed their small touring company of performers into one of America's largest circuses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Four brothers were born in McGregor, Iowa: Alf T., Charles, John and Henry, and the family lived in McGregor for twelve years, from 1860 until 1872. The Ringling family then moved to Prairie du"
"Zacchini brothers Edmondo Zacchini (1894–1981) and Hugo Zacchini (1898–1975) were circus entertainers. They were the sons of Ildebrando Zacchini (1868–1948) and came from a large Italian family residing primarily in Tampa, Florida. Although they were not the first men to perform the human cannonball act, nor the only, they quickly became well known for their doings. As well as being human cannonballs, the brothers were also wire walkers, tumblers, trapeze artists and riders. Throughout the years, the Zacchini Brothers worked with various traveling circus companies including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Their show was often referred to as"
"The Flying Caceres The Flying Caceres was created by Miguel Caceres in 1982 for the 112th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Both Miguel and his wife, Luz Caceres, were flying trapeze artists from Colombia, South America. They came to the United States on a contract for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the 1970s. Miguel worked with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for many years before forming The Flying Caceres in 1982. Miguel's son, George Caceres, now carries The Flying Caceres name and toured with ""The Greatest Show on Earth"" with his"
"Felix Adler (clown) Frank Bartlet Adler (better known by his stage name Felix Adler) (June 17, 1895 – February 1, 1960), born in Clinton, Iowa, was a circus performer and entertainer known as ""The King of Clowns"" who performed for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey for 20 years. He was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1989. Adler and his wife, Amelia, were the first American husband and wife independent circus, and he was the second clown to appear on television after Sombris Aremelo, an Italian clown. Amelia Adler appeared, in costume and makeup, as a guest"
"of the circus, Wallenda's wife, Erendira, played the love interest of Nock. After intermission, Wallenda and Nock ""battled"" it out on the Wheel, competing for her heart. To enhance the entertainment value, they mixed jumping rope, somersaults, and leaps into the routine. In all, the Wheel performance lasted seven minutes. Also part of the same show was a sway pole performance by Nock and Wallenda's wife. Using poles that swayed as much as in all directions, the couple did a series of tricks that included climbing up and sliding down the poles, swinging all around, and jumping from pole to"
"Bird Millman Bird Millman O’Day (October 20, 1890 – August 5, 1940) was one of the most celebrated high-wire performers of all time. During the “Golden Age of the American Circus,” she was a premiere attraction with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Born Jennadean Engleman in Cañon City, Colorado, as a child, Bird traveled in mud shows (small circuses) with her parents, Dyke F. Engleman and Genevieve Patton Engleman. In 1904, the Millman Trio entered big-time vaudeville, playing such destinations as Keith's Union Square and Hammerstein’s Paradise Roof Garden. At one point Bird was dubbed, perhaps ironically,"
"choose from. Circuses, street fairs, world’s fairs, carnivals, and urban amusement parks, all of which exhibited freaks, began to take business away from the dime museums. In the circus world, freak shows, also called sideshows, were an essential part of the circus. The largest sideshow was attached to the most prestigious circus, Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey, known as the “big one”. It was a symbol of the peak of the practice and its acceptance in American society. It was at this time that single human oddities started joining traveling circuses during the early 1800s, but these shows weren’t organized"
"comedies and vaudeville appeared in the North, backed by master promoters like P. T. Barnum who wooed audiences away. Blackface troupes responded by traveling farther and farther afield, with their primary base now in the South and Midwest. Those minstrels who stayed in New York and similar cities followed Barnum's lead by advertising relentlessly and emphasizing the spectacle of minstrelsy. Troupes ballooned; as many as 19 performers could be on stage at once, and J. H. Haverly's United Mastodon Minstrels had over 100 members. Scenery grew lavish and expensive, and specialty acts like Japanese acrobats or circus freaks sometimes appeared."
"formal instruction with the U.S. Army Air Service"". Cadet Squadron 23 at the United States Air Force Academy is known as the ""Barnstormers"". In 2004 Murware produced a Barnstorming (video game) Barnstormers for Android Barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks, either individually or in groups called flying circuses. Devised to ""impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes"", it became popular in the United States during the Roaring Twenties. Barnstormers were pilots who flew throughout the country selling airplane rides and performing stunts; Charles Lindbergh first began flying in"
"objects such as bottles, plates, glasses and umbrellas. Cinquevalli was born Paul Kestner in Lissa in the Prussian Province of Posen (now Poland). His parents moved to Berlin when he was two years old. His began his career in the circus when he was 12 having been spotted in a school gymnastics display. Cinquevalli publicized himself widely, leading to differing accounts on what of his life is fact, and what is fiction. At the age of fourteen he ran away from home to join an acrobatic troupe led by an Italian, Giuseppe Chiese-Cinquevalli. Initially he performed on high wire and"
"The Invisible Circus (circus troupe) The Invisible Circus is a group of circus performers from Bristol and London in the United Kingdom. The Invisible Circus is a collective of multi-skilled artists formed during a decade and a half of world travel and adventure as street performers. They have appeared in over 20 countries around the world since forming in 1992. Specializing in site-specific performance and made-to-order spectacles, they have performed at events such as the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, Burning Man in the USA, and Womad in New Zealand. The Invisible Circus supports and is supported by Artspace"
"""Pullman Brothers Side Show"", and after three years – ""Cooper, Bailey & Co."" In 1897 he performed for ""Barnum & Bailey Circus"" in England. He was billed as ""The Legless Acrobat"", and became famous for his acrobatic work on top of a thirteen foot pole. Sometimes, he collaborated with Armless Wonder Charles Tripp, and they both were pedaling and steering a tandem bicycle quipping at each other: ""Watch your steps"" and ""Keep your hands off me"". Bowen's artistic life with small carnival sideshows and big circuses run by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum spanned half a century. At"
"travel with their equipment, set up in town and perform ""repertories extensive enough to provide a week's worth of entertainment."" Although a week's stay was typical, a ""stay could be lengthened to as long as two months in occasional larger cities."" Such companies would often have a star performer with them to help attract audiences. The more popular type of performance that would take place in the tent shows was the circus. The owner typically associated with the circus is P.T. Barnum of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which is still in operation today. An excerpt form the book ""Traveling"
"bid a temporary farewell to the workaday world of publishing and run away to the circus. He “joined out” as a clown with the biggest of all big tops, Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus. It was his great fortune to become a member of the Ringling clown alley with the august of the augustes—Felix Adler, Paul Jerome, Paul Jung, Emmett Kelly, and Harry Dann—as his working colleagues. While working as a clown, he met his wife, Roberta Ballantine, a graduate of Pomona College who left California immediately after receiving her BA to go to NY where she worked as"
"Kindar-Martin and Molly Saudek. Rudy Omankowski Jr. Rudy Omankowski Jr. is a France-based highwire walker born in 1937 in Czechoslovakia into a long line of circus and highwire performers. Among his most notable performances is his 1.25 km skywalk between two mountain tops in Gérardmer, les Vosges, France. It is the longest skywalk known to have been achieved. Omankowski also traversed the Cheddar Gorge, Cheddar in Somerset England in 1959 and again in 1961. He did not use a net. Omankowski is now a highwire teacher at the in Châlons-en-Champagne, France, and has mentored many prominent highwire and circus artists,"
"Victoria Cordona Adolph Victoria Cordona Adolph (1891-1983) was a fourth generation circus performer from the Codonas family. Agents of the Barnum & Bailey Circus came to Mexico in 1909 to recruit her and her younger brothers, Alfredo Codona and Abelardo Cordona to perform with them. She worked for Barnum & Bailey until 1918 and also performed in Australia with the Brothers Circus. She was known as Princess Victoria and was a wire-walker. She retired from performing when she was pregnant with her first child with William K. Adolph, a race car driver, and they retired to Palm Springs where she"