Circus news
from 2006
30
December 2006
In 2006 8 tented circuses toured
Denmark from late March/early April to September: 3 large: Circus Arena, Circus Benneweis and Circus Dannebrog and
5 dog and pony-shows (what Americans calls high grass circuses): Circus Arli, Circus Baldoni, Circus Charlie, Circus
Krone and Circus Mascot. Despite a very
cold spring, extremely hot weather in July and a very rainy August business for most of
them was rather good. Dannebrog tells that the season was their best ever. In Jutland
Luffe Bögh assisted by Bjoern
Schult-Bjoernlys
and Sharon Folco from Aorilk to September presented Circus
No Name in the Team LA park in Solbjerg. Some youth
organisation produced circus-performances with kids as performers, using names as Circus Flik-Flak (the most established of the
youth circuses) and Circus Tvaers.
After close of the Danish summer
season circus owner Benny Berdino took Circus Arena on a two month tour in Holland.
Two German family circuses toured Denmark
for part of the season: the tiny Circus Astoria
was in Denmark in August and September. The somewhat larger (at least the tent was
larger!) Circus Renz Berlin entered as far as I
know Denmark sometime in July and stayed for the rest of the year even presenting
Christmas Circus in Copenhagen from 22 December 2006. Neither Astoria nor Renz Berlin did
big business and had sometimes to cancel performances due to missing audience. But touring
in Germany might have been even worse. Circus
Baldoni presented a Christmas circus in Copenhagen in 2006. Power Events presented a Christmas circus in Roskilde
from 22 to 29 December.
24 December 2006
Roskilde
Christmas Circus. For
several years Luka
Odhiambo Onginjo (better known as the Kenyan acrobat Samson) have had dream about establishing a
Christmas Circus in Roskilde where he lives with his Danish wife and their small child. In
Denmark Samson is known from his performances in Circus Arli and Circus Arena. But he also
run a firm called Power Events which as agent
help other circuses etc. with equipment and artist. Among the circuses he cooperates with
are the Danish Circus Krone, Circus Baldoni, the Swedish Circus Olympia and Circus Bavaria
in Holland. Samson’s dream about creating his very own Christmas circus was fulfilled
this year when he from 21 to 29 December produced and presented a circus performance in Roskilde
in a former party and restaurant tent which he has got approved for use as a circus tent.
Chairs and some ofther equipment were borrowed from Circus Olympia in Sweden. The tent
seated approximately 500 persons with chairs on all seats. The
performance began with at dream: A kid is sleeping in his bed in the middle of the ring
and is dreaming about circus. First act in the performance was Jan Soencksen from Trio Sorrentino with a nice
juggling and slack wire entrée. Then you met the comical acrobats Trixie & Roy with a nice routine. They were followed by an African contortionist
Mr. Reckless. Then the juggler René Albert had s short entrée. After a run in
done by the reprise clown Rudi Rudini Miss Louise (Louise Sorrentino) presented a hula hoop
act. Then came Roy Kaiser (the male partner
from Trixie & Roy) the ring with his 8 liberty ponies. After the intermission there
was at least at the afternoon performance on 23 December a nice surprice: the young female
Danish champion in trampoline Malia Walmod
showed some of the tricks for which she had been awarded the championship. Very
impressive! Malia is from Roskilde. After a short run in by Rudi Rudini Jan entered the ring with the third
member of Trio Sorrentino, Jester the dog. Then we met Trixie & Roy in a funny version
of the traditional plate spinning entrée. Following them Mr. Reckless was back as
”The King of Limbo”. Last act in then performance was the rola bola acrobat Monsieur Chapeaux. Samson has good reason to be
proud of the performance and has already several ideas on how to improve next year’s
Christmas performance. Ringmaster was the singer Steven
Hart.
”The King of Limbo”. Click here to see some more photos from the performance
22
December 2006
Roskilde
Christmas Circus had its
opening night on 21 December. A review of the performance can be seen at this next page
next week. A slideshow with photos from the performance is hopefully ready by 23 December.
Click here to see the slideshow.
14 December
2006
Problems for
German Circus Renz Berlin in Copenhagen. Apparently
Circus Renz Berlin is not familiar with the rules regarding circus posters on lamp posts,
fences etc. on the roads and streets in Copenhagen.
The rules are quite simple: a circus is not aloud to have any posters on lamp posts,
fences etc. Only posters on the official billboard are permitted. And to rent space on
such billboard is much too expensive for a small circus. Despite the rules Renz Berlin had
Tuesday put up poster on several larger roads in Copenhagen. By the mind posters showing
tigers and lions although Renz Berlin has no such acts. Big cage acts have been forbidden
in Denmark since 1962. Thursday evening the posters had been taken down again. 86 year old
Bernhard Renz will now have to figure out how to make the Copenhagen audience aware of his
circus. For economical reasons advertisements in newspapers seems out of question. – Another entity of Circus Renz Berlin is
said to be in Leipzig from 19.december to 7. January 2007. Maybe they will present the
tigers and lions from the posters in Copenhagen?
The tiger
and the lion on this poster used by Renz Berlin during its tour in Denmark is in conflict
with fair marketing practice as Renz Berlin have no such animals.
12 December
2006
The artist Samson has now released the names for the
performers at the Christmas circus he will present in a heated tent in Roskilde from 21 to
29 December. The performers are the clown Rudi
Rudini and the juggler René Albert both of whom could be seen at Danish Circus
Baldoni in the second half of the summer season. Trio Sorrentino will present their comedy dog
act, an act in aerial silks and a hula hoop entrée. Read more about Trio Sorrentino at http://www.triosorrentino.com/frameset.html?http://www.triosorrentino.com/.
Trixi & Roy will present liberty ponies and
a comical plate spinning act. Reckless, (who
might be Samson himself) is a contortionist and call himself The King of Limbo. Last but
not least Roman & co will present a rola
bola act and a karate show. Ringmaster will be the gospel singer Steven Hart.
12 December
2006
Christmas
circus shows in Jutland. Isabella Enoch
is presenting some Christmas show in Jutland in connection with shows in her variety
theatre Dinnershow Trapeze. The show starts by Isabella telling the children that she just
has returned from Greenland where she had invited Father Christmas to visit Denmark and se
how nice the Danish children are. In comes Father Christmas with his family: wife,
children and his lovely elephant Rambo! Father Christmas has just returned from Africa
where the African children became so fond of his reindeer that he exchanged it for an
elephant. And while Christmas music is played the elephant dances, Father Christmas’
children perform acrobat tricks, camels enter the stage with the three holy kings etc. A
performance in Kolding included Freddy Anthony singing Christmas carols and performing
with his well known honk honk entrée.
Isabella Enoch
presents her Christmas show.
11 December
2006
Baldoni's
Christmas Circus which
until30 December can be seen at ’Trianglen' in Copenhagen presents a very family
friendly programme of which the owners Thessa and René Mönster have good reason to be
proud. In the convenient heated tent you are greeted by Father Christmas (Freddi Steckel).
Then the Christmas elfs Nis and Nisseline (Thessa and René) enter the stage in order to
present the performance where all performers are dresses as Christmas elfs. Even the band
is dressed as Christmas elfs. The 4 talented members of the GaoChen troupe have several
fine entrées. Also Freddi Steckel is on the stage several times and it is well deserved
that the final act in the performance is his world class comical casceadeur entrée done
together with his partner Line. Jevgenijs Tomilov has an arial strap entrée and an
entrée combining juggling with ladder balancing. Thessa and René themselves are
presenting their magical entrée The Baldoni’s. René
has also a ventriloquist entrée. The performance is very nice and family friendly.
Thessa and
René Mönster's ambition has not been to create a Christmas Circus with a lot of
international artist but no connection to Christmas as seen several places in Germany.
Their ambition has been to create a circus show
with elfs, Santa Claus, Christmas music etc. And the have managed to do so in a very
charming way.
GaoChen-truppen.
Click here to se a slideshow with more photos from the performance.
11 December
2006
Some hundred
people visited Sunday afternoon a Christmas Circus Show produced by Lene Vittrup for the Circus Museum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen.
Performers were the monobike artist Louise
(Louise Larsen), the juggling Santa Claus Peter
Sidelmann, the clown Daniel Dimitrijevic
and Klaus Bjarke Hegedahl and Rikke Adamsen
with their dogs. Especially Louise got very well deserved a big applause. Click here to see a slideshow with photos from the performance.
8 December
2006
Circus Renz
Berlin arrived today at the Copenhagen circus lot
’Bellahoj’ where the 3 Polish tent workers assisted by member of the Renz family
started to put up the big top. However performances will not be given until 22 December.
Until
yesterday Circus Renz Berlin stayed in Ringsted where performances was given on
25 to 26
November. After 26 no performances were given. The Renz family had probably planned some
more stops before Copenhagen. However most circus lots in Denmark is very wet and soft in
December. That’s why Danish circuses only tour from March to late September. The Renz
family is not willing to tell much about tour plans. They are probably afraid of
competitors. When they were at Funen a month ago they said that they were on their way
back to Germany. Now it looks like they might winter in Denmark.
As at Funen
Circus Renz offers kids free entrance (to the cheapest benches) if accompanied by an
adult. From an artistically point of view their performance is said to be somewhat weaker
than the Danes are used to from Danish circuses, however with several nice animal acts.
4 December
2006
Prize to
Einar Trie. On 3
December Einar Trie of the tiny Danish Circus Charlie received the Stiholt Prize 2006.
Prize-giving took place in Aalborg Congress & Culture Centre in connection with the
variety show Snowtime. Einar Trie was born in 1951. He was trained as an actor and in 1984
he started what was supposed to be a world tour with the one-man performance “The
tiny circus”. He toured a summer in Denmark and Norway and gave a few shows in USA.
In 1985 and 1986 he worked for tiny Danish Circus Krone. During those years his character
Charlie the clown was created. In 1988 Einar Trie started his own Circus Charlie.
The Stiholt
prize is established by the Stiholt group. The prize is awarded to a person who creates
happiness. The prize granted to Einar Trie was on 100,000 DKK (14.000 Euro).
From the
prize-giving. Einar Trie (to the left) and
Leif Stiholt
From
the left the actor Jan Schou, the actress Kirsten Price, Einar Trie, his wife Vibeke
Hördum, CEO Leif Stiholt and the actor
Leif Maibom
2 December
Nick Olander stops as chairman for the
Danish Artist’s Trade Union. Since 1986 Nick
Olander has been chairman of the Danish Artist’s Trade Union. Nick was born 17 June
1944 at Amager. Copenhagen. His father established the acrobat troupe ’The Elvardos’
(sometimes spelled Elwardos) who immediately after the Second World War started touring in
Europe and soon became a top act. Their speciality was hand stand and hand jumping.
Nick’s father Elle jumped up and down a staircase. Nick had his stage debut at Lido
in Paris when he was 17 years old. After that the Elvardos
had a two year engagement at Stardust in Las Vegas. After Las Vegas the troupe which now
consisted of Nick’s father, Nick and two partners choose Paris as their domicile. In
the following years they had engagement with most of the major circuses in Europe,
including in Circus Schumann in the Copenhagen Circus Building in 1966, and at several
variety theatres such as Lido and
Folies Bergéres. In 1975 the family decided to return to Copenhagen. In the 1980’ies
the troupe now consisting of Nick and his father, assisted by his mother, decided to trap
down, and the troupe stopped in 1986. The
Elvardo’s family has always been highly respected by variety and circus owners and by
other artists all over the world.
As
new chairman for the Danish Artist’s Trade Union is appointed the present deputy
chairman Lena Brostrom. A reception is held for Nick Olander at the Artist Trade Unions
premises at Vendersgade 24 in Copenhagen on 13 December from 15 to19. His many friends
from all over the world are most welcome.
4 Elvardos.
Photo from the 1960’ies
29
November 2006
The
Danish magician Kim Kenneth & Partners
(Jessica and Sabine) has great success in Douai in the northern part of France Jorgen
Borsch tells. – After Douai Kim Kenneth & Co. goes to Munich where they from 25
December to 31 January can be seen performing in the first winter performance in Circus
Krone’s building.
29. November
2006
One unit of
the German Circus Renz Berlin has since June
toured Denmark in Jutland and Funen. The unit is headed by Circus Renz Berlin’s owner
Bernhard Renz (he is more than 80 years old) and his wife who is 76 years of age. The
total staff consists of only 9 adults and 3 children. Late November Circus Renz Berlin
went to Zealand where they now are touring. Most likely they will set their tent up at the
Copenhagen circus lot ‘Bellahoj’ from 22 December 2006 to 6 January 2007.
27 November
2006
”Nathalie
and I gave a show during the weekend. It went very well and I am very happy to have my
daughter with me in the show,” Katja Enoch writes. Katja is the youngest daughter of
circus owner Haddy Enoch of Circus Dannebrog. During the winter season she is training the
Dannebrog horses and performing with her own shows with quick-change, comic, step dancing,
balloons, hula hoop etc. And now she is joined by her daughter Nathalie who on 9 January
can celebrate her 9 years birthday. You can find more about Katja’s own shows at http://www.katjaenoch.dk/
Nathalie Enoch.
Photo: Mogens Simonsen
Katja as
Mother Christmas. Photo: Mogens Simonsen
25
November 2006
The international circus festival in Enschede
Holland will take place in Danish Circus Arena’s
brand new tent with a diameter of 48 meter and a seating capacity of 2,300. After Enshede
the tent will be moved to France where it will be used for the Circus Festival in Massy.
25
November 2006
8
December will be private view day for the artist Pia
Ville's new exhibition of paintings at P’s Gallery in Fiolstræde in downtown Copenhagen.
Pia started to paint in 1984. Until then she was for 20 years known as the female partner
in the magician act Lee Pee Ville and Company
which was among the hottest names in Europe at that time. Pia and Lee Pee Ville alias Leif
Hansen parted in 1984 and Pia worked for a while with press and sales for German Circus
Krone until she reverted to her maiden county Denmark and started to paint. Some but not
all of Pia Ville's paintings are from the world of circus and variety artists.
Pia
Ville in front of two of her paintings.
25
November 2006
The Danish
youth circus Flik-Flak will present
some acrobat performances at the Hans Christian Andersen Christmas Fair in Odense on 2 -3 December and 9-10
December. There will be jugglers, unicyclists, diabolo players, escape artist etc.
Performances will take place between 10 and 16 in front of the H.C.
Andersen’s Hotel
Young
bike acrobats from Circus Circus Flik-Flak
26 November
2006
Rain Village – a novel about a trapeze star.
“A
few years ago I wrote to you about Lillian Leitzel
and you sent me a very useful article as I recall, “American Carolyn Turgeon writes. Carolyn continues: “I
was writing a novel about a trapeze artist based a bit on Lillian, and was trying to
find out more about her. The novel is just coming out now. It is my first
novel. It took over 10 years to write and this is a very scary moment...!! The girl in it
ends up joining an old-time travelling circus and sideshow, and I tried to make it as
authentic and beautiful as I could. She also becomes famous for inventing the one-armed
swingover, like Lillian.” The famous
arial star Lillian Leitzel fall to her dead when performing in a variety theatre in Copenhagen
in February 1931 when a swivel ring snapped and she fell twenty feet to the ground.
Carolyn’s
novel is called Rain Village. Young Tessa is a diminutive girl, far too small for farm
work and the object of ridicule by both her own family and the other children in their
isolated Midwestern community. Her father seems to believe in nothing beyond his crops,
certainly not education for his misfit daughter. When a mysterious, entrancing librarian
comes to town, full of fabulous stories, earthy wisdom and potions for the lovelorn, she
takes Tessa under her wing, teaching her to read and to believe in herself—and a
whole new magical world of possibilities opens up. But even as she blooms, Tessa’s
father begins sexually abusing her. And her mentor carries a dark secret of her own that
finally causes her to drown herself. Tessa runs off, following Mary’s footsteps, to
join the circus as a trapeze artist, where she marries a loving man and finds a fulfilling
life for herself amidst her new circus family. But she remains haunted by her past. And
when a stranger from one of Mary’s fabulist tales shows up, Tessa risks everything to
follow him to Rain Village, where she might finally discover her mentor’s tragic
secret. A brilliantly evocative debut set in the early part of the 20th century, steeped
in emotional turbulence and down-to-earth wisdom, where a young woman must reconcile the
inner traumas from her past and learn to live in the present in order to avoid becoming
prisoner to her future. Rain Village casts a fabulous spell, pulling us into
a world of mystery and possibility where love, friendship and loyalty might either destroy
or set one free. - Tessa is more inspired by Lillian
Leitzel than based on her, Carolyn tells. They are both tiny women who are spectacular and
breathtaking in the air and incredibly powerful. Lillian was famous for her one-armed
swing-overs, the trick Tessa invents by the river in her hometown, and married a beautiful
Mexican circus star, the way Tessa does. So I based these bits of Tessa on Lillian, and
kept a poster of Lillian on the wall as I was writing. She just looks like a tiny little
ferocious thing, a real demon, and I always wanted Tessa to have that same fierceness to
her. And Lillian was a real bona fide star during the circus’s golden age: much more
of a diva than Tessa ever is, she had her own private train car complete with a baby grand
piano, and was obsessed with collecting diamonds and fur coats and cars. But I just
picture her in the air, this blur of energy and pure will. Clich here to read
more about Rain Village.
23 November 2006
Jimmy and Edward Enoch in French TV. In October
the bike acrobats Jimmy and Edward Enoch of Circus Dannebrog went to Paris to take part in
an episode of the French TV series Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde. The episode they
participated in will be broadcasted in French TV5 on 25 November at 9 p.m. According to
TV5 the performers listed in French is: Jan Rouven : Magie turbine (Pays-Bas) ; Natalia
Shugayéva : Boléadoras (Ukraine) ; Xavier Tapias : Construction du robot (Espagne) ; GM
Team : Troupe de roller-skate (Italie) ; Dmitri Chernov : Jonglage (Russie) ; Hacuna
Matata : Troupe du mat (Tanzanie) ; Duo Enoch :
Acrobaties sur cycles (Danemark) ; Marie & Serjoschka : Corde à noeud / tir à
l'arc (Allemagne / Ukraine) ; Florian Zimmer : Magie bombe de peinture (Allemagne) ; Duo
Mak : Cadre aérien (Ukraine) ; Trio New : Trio contorsion (Ukraine) ; Marquis : Les
Lannières (Russie) ; Shimshi : Magie cartes avec les pieds (Usa / Israël) et Riccardo :
Les Verres en équilibre (Suède).
23 November 2006
High
wire stunt show in Randers. In connection with the official opening and
"streetwarming" of a new central square in Randers you can see a high wire stunt
show performed by Jean Monti. Jean is a member of the circus family Bügler-Althoff which claims to have a more than 300 year long
tradition for working on circuses etc. Jean had his debut when he was only 8 years of age
and has worked as a high wire artist ever since.
22 November
2006
Christmas circuses in Denmark. 1 December is the opening
gala for Circus Baldoni’s Christmas Circus at the
”Trianglen” circus lot in central Copenhagen. It is first time since 1973 Copenhagen
will host a Christmas circus. Circus Baldoni will stay in Copenhagen until 30 December.
Among the performers are the Chinese GaoChentruppen,
the comical casceadeurs Two Steckels, the
strapat artist Jevgenijs Tomilovs and the
magicians Baldoni´s. From 22 to 29 December
there will be another Christmas Circus in Roskilde,
produced by International Agency Power-events.
This firm is owned by Luka Odhiambo Onginjo alias Samson Power. Samson is born in Kenya but
married to a Danish woman. The couple are domiciled in Denmark. In 2004 Samson toured with
Danish Circus Arli. Since then he has worked for Circus Arena. In the summer season and
during Arena’s tour in Holland you met him as fire-eater. The Roskilde Chrismas
Circus has the gospel singer Steven Hart as
ringmaster. Probably the clown Rudi Rudini
and the juggler René Albert are among the
performers.
18 November 2006
”Greetings
from Europa Park where I am until the end of January am performing at the Dinnershow
Cirque d'Europe,” the Danish gentlemanthief Kenny
Quinn writes. Kenny continues:”There are several French visitors so part of my
entrée is done speaking French”.
Kenny Quinn with
his son Jack who was born 1 November, approximately one week before Kenny left for his
engagement in Europa Park in the southern part of Germany. Jack stays in Copenhagen with
his mother Joan Quinn. Kenny will be back in Copenhagen late January. Kenny’s mentor
was the late master pick pocket Gentleman Jack (Tommy Iversen, also known as Tommy
Atkins). Tiny Jack is named after the old world class gentleman thief.
14 November
2006
Circuses seen
from the air. Einar Trie of tiny
Danish Circus Charlie has on the internet found
some photos of Danish circuses seen from the air. All photos taken 1 June 2004:
Click here to see a photo of Circus
Charlie at Greve. You can see the circus wagons etc. But the big top is not up yet.
Click here to see a photo of Circus
Arena at Silkeborg
Click here to see a photo of Circus
Baldoni at Alleröd. You can see the circus wagons etc. But the big top is not up yet.
Click here to see a photo of Circus
Dannebrog at Ulstrup.
Click here to see a photo of tiny Danish Circus Krone at Hjortshöj.
14 November
2006
INVITATION
for the ECA MEETING IN PARIS ON 11 DECEMBER 2006. In December many circus directors will visit Paris because many
performances are planned. It is already certain that the circuses Bouglione, Alexis Gruss,
Arlette Gruss, Moscou-Phénix, Christiane Bouglione, and Pinder are scheduled during the
weekend. On Monday no shows are planned, so this is an excellent chance to meet ECA
members and other circus directors. In cooperation with the management of circus Pinder,
we have arranged the following program:
13:00 Welcome
13:30 Overview of
European ECA activities over the last years
Arie
Oudenes –
managing director from the ECA gives information about recent results and activities
14:00 Questions and
possible answers
14:15 Circus animals
in France – Activities and vision from the French Ministry of Environment. A
representative of the ministry informs us.
15:00 Break
15:30 How to Comply
with new European Requirements for the Movement of Circus Animals within Europe and the
new EU transport regulation for animals. Laura van der Meer – ECA representative in Brussels
informs us, gives answers and looks with us for possible solutions
16:30 Finish
Location :
Cirque Pinder, Pelouse de Reuilly – 12e
arrondisement. For all the
participants, free entrance for Circus PINDER shows.
12 November
2006
Katja
Schumann to Herning,
Denmark. When I met
Katja Schumann in Lund, Sweden, on 28 October she told me that she in the spring would
visit Denmark a couple of days in connection with The National Stallion Show 2007 in
Herning in March 2007. And now it is official: on Friday 9 March Katja will assisted by
Morten Thomsen show the audience how a modern horseman can train his horse using some of
the methods used in circuses. Link to ticket ordering: http://vbb.www2.dk/
12.
November 2006
Hans
Christian Andersen
Christmas Fair. In the old
precinct near the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense a historical Christmas market
is to be held that has the writer's own age and - not least - his well-known fairytale
figures as its point of departure. Those visiting the market will be able to feel
themselves transported back through time to the period when Hans Christian Andersen was
made an honorary citizen of Odense (1867). The Hans Christian Andersen Christmas Fair is
to cover the entire city precinct around the museum. The streets and lanes will be a
memorable backdrop, with decorations, candles, market stalls and entertainment in the garden
at the museum, the Hans Christian Andersen Parade will be appearing in a winterlike
fairytale castle with their special winter performance. You can also meet the well-known
figures from the author's work, such as 'The Little Match Girl' or 'The Snow Queen' in the
streets and lanes of the old precinct. There will be exhibitions and activities at the
local museums and attractions. For a number of years the Danish
comedian Soren Ostergaard has collected old amusement park rides. On Sortebrodre Torv
several items from his collection will be erected. Try, for instance, the carousel, the
swing boat, spinning wheel or the trial of strength.
On the market
square there is a large Spiegeltent with an old-fashioned interior where refreshments will
be served and there will be entertainment - with everything from readings to comic theatre and the internationally
well-known Danish Magician Heinz Saxburger.
All sorts of wares will be on sale at the stalls, with shopkeepers in 19th century dress.
Everywhere in the precinct you will come across performers, from the hurdy-gurdy man to
choirs singing Christmas carols. Child heralds with drummers will announce the day's
programme. Go for a ride round the precinct with the hackney coachman and perhaps meet up
with a platoon of soldiers in old uniforms marching past and firing a salute of black
powder. The Hans Christian Andersen Christmas Fair will take
place near the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense on Saturday and Sunday, 2-3 and 9-10 December 2006, from
10.00 to 18.00.
The magician Heinz Saxburger
3 November 2006
Baldoni’s
Christmas Circus will have
its opening night at the ’Triangle’ circus lot in Copenhagen 1 December at
18:30. Member of the Danish Parliament Naser Khader will hold the welcoming speech and 16
years old Malene Flindt Rosenham (well-known by Danes from the Danish version of the TV
program StarSearch)
will sing a Christmas carol while a 12 meter high Santa Claus figure is raised. The
performance which runs for 2 hours will start at 19. The entire income from ticket sale
from the opening night is by circus owners Thessa and Rene Mönster donated to the Danish
Christmas Seal association, which run Christmas Seal Houses, where children can recover
from the stresses and strains that often result from troubles at home and school. You can
find more about Baldoni’s Christmas Circus at www.julecirkus.dk
2
November 2006
Quinn’s
first child. On Wednesday 1
November at 1:14 p.m. Joan Quinn wife and
partner of the Danish world class gentleman thief Kenny
Quinn (Kim Thygesen) gave birth to at son: 50 centimetre long and weight 2.650 gram.
The birth took place at the Copenhagen University Hospital. It was Joan and Kenny’s
first child. Both the mother and the baby is doing well a proud Kenny Quinn tells. The
baby will be named Jack. Congratulations to Joan and Kenny.
Joan
and Kenny Quinn. Photo taken in July 2006.
1 November
2006
Circus!
Circus! Since 12
September the Danes have every Tuesday evening on the TV channel TV2 could follow some
well known Danes’ attempt to become circus acrobats. The TV-host Erik Peitersen, the
actress Therese Glahn, then singer Maria Lucia, the interial decorator John Zoffmann,
Sören Ejlersen from a firm called Aarstiderne, the entertainer Sonny Fredie-Pedersen, ice
skater Mikkeline Kierkegaard and the film producer Emilie Brandt. Circus! Circus! was shot
in Circus Benneweis during its summer tour. First part of the gala performance in which
they shall show what the have learned teached by Fumagalli, Benny Schumann and other
artists will be transmitted in Danish TV on 7 November and second part on 14 November. As
far as I have heard it should be a very entertaining performance.
31 October
2006
By
tradition there is one artist on the stage in the winter show in Aalborg Congres &
Culture Centre. This year the artist is the Italian acrobat and contortionist Annelisa Catena. With her on the stage will be
the Danish comedians Leif Maibom, Kirsten Price and Jan Schou. The winter show can be seen
on 17/18 November, 24/25 November, 1/2 December and 8/9 December.
31 October
2006
Circus Arena has
as the first of the Danish circuses announced their opening day in 2007: it will Tuesday
20 March at the ‘Bellahoej’ circus lot in Copenhagen. Circus Arena will stay in Copenhagen
until 15 April. The name of the performers could be seen at this page on 1 October.
30 October
2006
Circus
Animals. The film
producing company Poulin has released a DVD called Circus
Animals. Martin Keller, well-known Danish TV-host from children programmes, tells
about a number of circus animals: camels, goats, sealions, horses, elephant and ponies and
how they are trained. The DVD is edited by Agnete Louise and Katja Enoch of Circus
Dannebrog. The trainers you can meet in at the DVD is Josephine Casselly with camels, Josefine Igen
with goats and dogs, Steven Pedersen with
sealions, Katja Enoch with horses, Bernhard Casselly with the elephant Rambo and Victoria Enoch with ponies. The sealion sequences
were shot in February 2006 at Circus Kenny in Odense. The remaining sequences were shot
either before or during Circus Dannebrog’s 2006 season.
29 October
2006
On Saturday
28 October among others Nelly Jane Benneweis
and Benny Schumann was the guest of Robert Bronett when his magnificent horse show Levade Noble Horse Gala visited Lund in the
southern part of Sweden. Among the performers was Benny’s cousin Katja Schumann who since her fathers Circus M. Schumann stopped
touring after season 1982 has lived in USA. The first many years Katja was with New York’s
Big Apple Circus. The last couple of years she has been with Circus Flora of St. Louis,
Missouri, which like Big Apple Circus is a one ring high quality circus. Click here to read more about Circus
Flora.
Robert
Bronett had persuaded Katja to join Levade during its tour in Sweden in September and
October. With her from USA Katja had brought one horse: the beautiful American Saddlebred Ushastik, on which she rode high school using today
unusual ladies’ saddle. She was also presenting another Schumann speciality: riding
high school without reigns and with huge champagne bottles as props. You can read a lot
more about this years Levada show in Planet Circus no 3/2006.
Katja
Schumann at Ushastik.
Photo: Roy Himsel
Katja
Schumann, Benny
Schumann and Nelly Jane Benneweis. Photo: Ole Simonsen. Click here to see some other photos from the performance.
25 October
2006
New search engine on circuses. Simply Circus has
put up another internet resource for the circus community in the form of a specialized
search service that only deals with web sites related to the circus community. You can try
the new service at http://search.simplycircus.com/
23 October
2006
It’s
magic – Vegas has to wait
was the name of a show presented in Odense 21 and 22 October by the Danish magician Henrik Christensen. The audience was well
entertained by Henrik and his guests the gentleman thief Kenny Quinn and the singer Merete Laursen.
Henrik
Christensen. Photo: Lise Kokholm
Kenny Quinn
with a client. Photo: Lise Kokholm
23 October
2006
The Danish
born sealion trainer Steven Pedersen who during
the Danish school children’s autumn holiday in week 42 was seen by more that 10,000
persons when he performed together with Benny
Schumann at an shopping mall in Elsinore is for season 2007 engaged by Circus Herman
Renz (the largest circus in Holland). Steven toured Denmark with Circus Benneweis in 2003
and again in 2005.
22 October
2006
German Circus Renz-Berlin is still touring Denmark. For
the time being the show is in Odense. Ticket prices for adults are from 18 to 28 Euro.
Kids for free if accompanied by an adult. The entire performance is produced by three
acrobats, 2 horse trainers and two kids. Lots of animals: dogs, horses, ponies, camels and
elephants. The animals are well cared for. At the performance Sunday afternoon there was
3-400 people in the audience, 100 of those being adults. The income from the ticket office
seems high enough to keep the about 10 persons involved in the circus and their animals
alive. The quality of the performance is a bit discount-like compared with the Danish
circuses.
Circus
Renz-Berlin at Odense 22 October
Despite
pictures of lions on the poster Circus Renz-Berlin has no big cat acts
20 October
2006
As earlier
mentioned several shopping malls etc has during the Danish school children’s autumn
holiday in week 42 presented short circus performances as free attraction. By far the
largest of those productions is Circus Kenny at Odense’s Rosengaard Shopping Mall.
Circus Kenny was established many years ago by Kenn Anker Petersen, but for the last many
years is has been owned and produced by Haddy Enoch of Circus Dannebrog. The programme
this autumn began with the excellent Swedish bike acrobat Malte Knapp. He was followed by a combined diabolo
and juggling entrée with Steve and Jones Caveagna,
assisted by Victoria and David Enoch. Then came
English Peter Freeman with one of my favourite acts: the trunk Old Regnas (many years ago invented by
Peter’s father for English Circus Sanger – try to spell Sanger backwards!). Last
act was the Caveagna-clowns - Steve and Jones
together with their father. He is a skilled musician but does not have the same charm as
his two kids. Due to my professional job (I am a banking lawyer) I did only have time to
see one of the other autumn circus productions: Circus Mascot in the West Zealand Shopping
Centre I Slagelse. But also here the audience and the shops in the shopping mall got full
value for their money in a very fine show starring Daniel
at slack wire and rola bola, Marianne and her dogs, Tatyana wit hula hoop and the clown Gulio skilfully assisted by the youngest
professional clown in Denmark, 9 year old Andreas.
Click here to se some photos from Circus Kenny and Circus Mascot.
Denmark’s
youngest professional clown, 9 year old Andres Deleuran
12 October
2006
Monte Carlo Circus
Festival 2007. As earlier
mentioned the Danish clown Bonbon (Lasse
Norager) and his wife Tiina will be among the performers. Other clowns at the festival
will be Francesco (well-known to Danes from Circus
Benneweis 1995, 1996, 2004 ad 2005), les Martinis
and Mikos. The Casartelli’s (Circus
Medrano) will present horses, exotics and elephants. Ilona and Ruslan Sadeov will present a riding act.
23-yar old Tommy Dieck Jr will present a wild
animal act. From China come Changhai Flying Act
and a Risley Act. From Rumanian circus Globus comes an aerial ballet. Vitali and Oxana Bobrov presents an arial act. Duo Milany (Plamen Milanov and Kristen White)
perform in arial cradle. Elisabeth
Axt presents an
act in Washington trapeze. Some like it Hot is
banquine acrobats from Ukraine. 22 year old Pierre
Marchand performs with diabolos. He was awarded a gold medal at European
Youth Circus Festival in 2004. White Crows is a Russian bar act. Freres Taquins are well known for their mechanical
man. The Dumchine troupe and Troupe Dimitri
Dosov are balancing acts. The handstand
acrobat Encho Kozarov
is well-known to the Danish audience from his performance this summer in Circus Arena
– his act was by far the best in the performance. Circus Arena is for the time being
touring Holland still with Echo among the performers. The Wolodas is a bar act.
There might be some changes in the final programme.
Encho
Kozarov. Photo taken in Circus Arena. A few seconds after being in the position showed at
the photo Encho pushes away the 8 white blocks under each of his hands. He lands in a
perfect handstand at the tiny white platform on the top of each of the black bars. An
outstanding trick for which he might be awarded a clown of gold, silver or bronze in Monte
Carlo.
10 October
2006
Dinnershow
Trapeze.
The Danish trapeze star Isabella Enoch who in
the later years has staged the performance in her father's Circus Dannebrog as well as
performed in trapeze started a dinnershow last autumn. It was not in order to start
competing with her father Haddy Enoch but to establish her own dinnershow selling
performances to closed parties, staff parties, companies etc. during the winter season.
Assisted by among others Bernhard Kaselowsky Isabella has made a floor to her tent and
tables and chairs making it possible to seat 320 guest for dinner. Of cause the tent is
heated. The audience will in addition to a four-course dinner be entertained by Danish or
international acrobats, singers and dancers. “I have just started my dinnershow
again,” Isabella Enoch writes, now being fully recovered after her severe traffic
accident in February. “Our first show was on 30 September and everything went very
well. Since then I have had a performance for kindergartens. In near future we will have
another performance for kindergartens and an afternoon performance for senior citizens.
And another evening dinnershow at Sölund in the southern part of Jutland on 27 October.
If you are interesting in booking Isabella Enoch's dinnershow, give her at call at + 45
40103939. Click here
to see a few photos from one of Isabella’s shows.
10 October
2006
FUSK!
”Here is a press release about our new company ROYAL BONES’ first performance
FUSK!” the Danish new wave trapeze acrobat Josephine
Wulff Randrup writes. ‘Fusk’ is the Danish word for ‘bungling’ or
‘moonlighting’. The performance can until 22 October be seen at the Orion
Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden. ROYAL BONE is planning to take FUSK on an international
tour.
The first
step toward creating FUSK was taken in the summer 2005 with the establishment of the Royal
Bones Company. Without beating around the bush, or perhaps precisely by doing this, ten
people invite you into a universe that might be found on the back side of the coin.
Humankind and its battle with itself, its dreams and world is the focal point in FUSK.
Scene by scene, the audience is transported to places that challenge gravity and spout
poetry as the contrabass’ raspy voice transforms the space into an inferno where
everything momentarily fall inexplicably into piece.
FUSK is
directed by well-known Swedish theatre and new wave circus director Lars Rudolfsson. The
performers are Rasmus Aitouganov, Lars Gregersen, Mille Lundt, Josephine Wulff Randrup,
Camila Sarrazin, Scott Ackerman, Hanne Raffnsøe, Maja Romm, Henriette Groth and Johan
Segerberg. You can find further information on FUSK and Royal
Bones at www.royalbones.com
Photos
from FUSK. Photographer: Martin Skoog
7 October 2006
I have
earlier mentioned that Danish gentleman thief Kenny Quinn from 18 November to 28 January
will perform at a show in the largest German amusement park Europapark, situated at Rust
in the southern part of Germany, close to the borders of Switzerland and France. The show
is called Dinnershow Cirque d’Europe.
Apart from Kenny you can meet the arial act Duo
Valeri from Kiev, Duet Transformation with
a quick change act, Duo Lodoi with contortion,
the comedian Stéphane Bulcourt, the Brazilian
hand stand acrobats Up-Leon and the Europa-Park ballet. Compére is the entertainer Ulrich Grawunder. You can find further information
at http://dinnershow.europapark.de/index.php?id=1&lang=de
5 October
2006
Several
shopping malls present circus performances as free attractions during the Danish school
children’s autumn holiday in week 42. In Rosengaardscentret in Odense you can from 13
to 21 October meet Circus Kenny produced by
Haddy Enoch from Circus Dannebrog. RIngmistress Agnete
Louise Enoch can introduce
the audience to Peter Freeman with his comical entrée as Old
Regnas
with a donkey and some dogs. An excellent act which during the summer season toured with
Circus Maximum in Sweden. Furthermore Agnete can present the Swedish bike acrobat Malte Knapp who during the summer season
performed at Sören Östergaard's Tivoli Variety I Copenhagen. She can also present the
musical Italian clowns Caveagna. In season 2006
they worked first with Danish Circus Baldoni and then with Circus Dannebrog. Least, but
not last the youngest member of the Caveagne family, 15 year old Steve, will present a diabolo entrée.
In
Kolding Shopping Mall Circus Arena is producing
performances from 16 to 19 October. Among the
performers are Bettina, Martin and Alexander Arli.
In the northern part of Jutland Circus Krone is playing a number of indoor performances
from 16 to 20 October. They are even visiting the tiny island of Läsö. In the West
Zealand Centre in Slagelse you can meet Circus
Mascot. In Elsinore City Centre you can meet the clown and multiacrobat Benny Schumann and Steven Pedersen and his sealions and penguins. The
Circus Theatre owned by Thessa and René
Mönster is from 14 to 22 October touring Zealand with their version of the well-known
history about Aladdin. At
the amusement park BonBonland in Holme Olstrup you can see performing sealions owned by
Benny Berdino and presented by Addie Jepsen. You can find further information on all those
shows in What's
On.
3 October 2006
New webpage
for Circus Mascot. The Danish
dog and pony show Circus Mascot has given their website a facelift. Click at http://www.cirkus-mascot.dk/ to
visit the new page with many photos. The text is in Danish only.
1 October
2006
Circus Arena
has released
their program for season 2007. As in 2005 and 2006 Alexia
and René Casselly will present their elephants. But in 2007 in a new entrée riding
the Currier. In 2001 the couple presented a beautiful pas des deux on elephant back at
German Circus Busch-Roland. The Currier might be a further development of this entrée. Ingo Stiebner will present his sealions Cecil
and Ruby. His act with sealions is one of the very best in Europe. Ingo is son of Claire
who for many years presented Clarrisons sealions together with her husband Peter Harrison.
Ingo was also with Circus Arena in 2000, 2002 and 2004. A short while ago Ingo and his
Swedish fiancé Jenny Mikaelsson bought a house for themselves, their daughter Mary and
the sealions Ruby, Lola and Cecil at Hässleholm in the southern part of Sweden. The
Chinese trapeze troupe Spider’s will
present a double trapeze act. An act called The 4
men might turn out to be a trick riding act performed by the youngest members of the
Berdino and Casselly families. America’s Robin
Valencia is called the world’s only female human cannonball. This summer she was
with Mooky’s Angels at Blackpoll Rower Circus in England whet she catapulted from her
canon stanched at one ring door, over the waters and onto an inflatable mattress in the
other ringdoors. However, Robin it not the world’s first female human cannonball.
Amongst several others Danish trapeze star Hanne Waever years ago presented a cannonball
act. Suzanne
Berdino (daughter of circus owner Benny Berdino) will present Circus Arena’s
horses. The Danish clown Bonbon will do a
number of run-ins. Another clown Mister Chap
will present his boxing ring entrée, assisted by 6 ‘voluntaries’ from the
audience. A third clown entrée “Painters Klat
& Co.” is as far as I am informed a comedy act where the Rivelinos clowns
will try to put up some wall-paper. Dancers
from The
National Dance Company of Ireland are also part of the program. They are best known from
their Rhythm of the Dance-show (a bit similar to the Riverdance).
Robin Valencia on the first page on this
years programme for Blackpool Tower Circus
Danish arial artist Hanne Waever. Photo
by courtesy of Hanne Waever
29
September 2006
Acrobats at Rode Kro Variety Theatre. As usual
some skilled circus performers have been engaged for an autumn show at the variety theatre
Rode Kro (The Red Inn Theatre) in Copenhagen. The owner of the theatre Charley Kaye and his wife Belita are former comical casceadeurs. For their
2006 autumn performance they have engaged Russian Duo
Malinkovich with their quick-change act and the food juggler (antipodist) Jan Navratil from Czech. Opening night will be on
9 October.
27
September 2006
Circus
Arena
states on their website that their 2007 program will be released on 1 October. Further
information on the program will be given on this page with next update, which will take
place Saturday 7 October. (This page is updated once a week: every Saturday). However you
can also yourself visit Circus Arenas
website and read the news from 1 October.
27
September 2006
Faustos
Scorpion to Circus Benneweis in 2007. Circus
owner Diana
Benneweis tells me that
she for Circus Benneweis season no 120 in 2007 has engaged the excellent Risley act
Faustos Scorpion. Scorpion’s was one of the top acts this summer in Swedish Circus
Maximum. They are old friends of Dianna: the performed in a Benneweis produced performance
in the Copenhagen Circus Building in 1988. Before that they had been street performers in
their hometown Manila
at the Philippine Islands. In 1989 the toured with Circus Scott in Sweden. During this
season Ember and Abelardo was married in Stockholm. In 1990 they went to Circus Knie i Switzerland.
After that they have worked in Las Vegas and with Ringling in the US. Today Ember and
Abelardo’s daughter Stephanie has taken over the part in the act which originally was
done by a third partner of Ember and Abelardo. The Danish audience can look forward to see
a charming and entertaining entrée in which the artist invites three persons from the
audience to assist them.
Fausto
Scorpions with a female assistant from the audience. Photo taken during this year’s
performance in Circus Maximum.
27
September 2006
Circus
Arena in Holland. Originally
then intention was that the audience in Holland during Danish Circus Arena’s autumn
tour to Holland should meet the same artist as the Danes has seen during the summer
season. However circus owner Benny Berdino has had to make one change in the program. The
spectacular Risley act presented with motorbikes as ’trinkas’ by the Kuskos troupe has left Arena. The Dutch
authorities were not willing to give working permission to the two kids used as
‘juggling balls’. And without the kids no Risley act. As replacement Bonbon & Tiina’s popular comedy
badminton act has been included in the programme. It is the same act which Bonbon and
Tiina will present to the audience at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival in January 2007
– maybe together with some other of Bonbon’s entrées.
24
September 2006
The Circus Museum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen has
opened a new special exhibition about Danish circus clowns. The major part of the new
exhibition is created by two of the
museum’s good friends: Erik Mertz and Arne Norager. The result is a beautiful and
very interesting exhibition. In the centre of the room you will se a costume used by the
clown Brasso. In each corner you will find a
small exhibition: about famous old clown Lavater
Lee, about Charlie Rivel and his grandson Benny Schumann, about the Arli family and about Bonbon alias Lasse Norager (by the mind a son of
Arne Norager).
The
costume used by the clown Brasso
The
Arli corner
Benny
Schumann
and Charlie Rivel
23
September 2006
Circus
Baldoni
closed their summer season on 24 September. New on the programme compared with season
opening in April was the American reprise clown Rudi
Rudini. Especially his entrée where he is directing a ‘Hollywood movie’
with three persons from the audience as actors was a show stopper. There will not be much
time to relax for circus owners Thessa and René Mönster after the summer tour. They are
very soon starting a tour with their winter unit The Circus Theatre which presents the
performance Aladdin. At Christmas time Thessa and René will present a Christmas circus.
Partly as a 50 minutes performance for schools, kindegartens etc, and partly in form of a
traditional Christmas circus at the Triangle circus lot in central Copenhagen. For this
performance they has among others engaged Danish world class comical casceadeurs Steckel’s, the outstanding Chinese
acrobats from the GaoChen-troupe (main
attraction in Circus Baldoni in 2005, has this summer toured with Swedish Circus Wictoria),
The Barbi Family, Jevgenijs Tomilov from Latvia with strapates and
ladder balancing and the magicians The Baldonis (Thesse and René themselves). The
performance will be accompanied by a live band. Opening night will be 30 November and the
last performance will be on 30 December.
Rudi Rudini makes a film.
It is Rudi behind the camera
22 September
2006
Circus Arena at Greenland. It is a tradition for
Circus Arena to visit Greenland with a non-animal performance after the Danish summer
tour. This year the entire Arena-performance is touring Holland until 8 November. But
circus Arena will not let down their many friends at Greenland. Thus, a second unit will
visit Greenland from 1 to 10 October. Head of Arena’s communication department Christian
Warrer has told me that the performers at Greenland this year will be the clowns Martino and co. (Martin, Bettina and Alexander
Arli), the foot juggler Miss Ina (Circus Arli
2006), the juggler Kristaps (Circus Arli 2006),
a wild west entrée with Ina Sopova and Kristaps
Pavlovs (Circus Arli 2006), Bola Percussion with Stephan Masur, Santos with a limbo act and the contortionist Uwe K (Uwe Müller). Uwe is almost 2 metre high
and is able to crawl into a tiny glass chest, cf. the photo below. Circus owner Benny Berdino will himself act as ringmaster.
Uwe K in the
glass box. Photo by courtesy of Circus Arena
22 September
2006
Dubsky`s
football dog to Taiwan. After
the summer tour with Circus Benneweis Danish Janos
Dubsky with
his wife and dogs are now at Taiwan. ”We arrived yesterday and are engaged for 6
month at the Great Moscow Circus,” Janos writes. However the dogs will have to be
kept in quarantine for 21 days before the Taiwan authorities will allow them to perform.
Janos and his soccer-playing dogs have several times before toured in Asia and South
Africa with the Australian-owned Great Moscow Circus.
21 September 2006
Danish
artist to Monte Carlo 2007. Some of
the names of the performers at the Circus Festival in Monte Carlo in January 2007 are now
known. And in 2007 there will be a Dane competing for one of the clowns in gold, silver
and bronze: The clown Bonbon (Lasse Norager)
who together with his Finnish-born wife will present their famous comedy Badminton-Act.
Click here to get further
information about Bonbon.
From
Hungary comes Elisabeth Axt with her Trapeze
Washington Act. Also the Casartelli-horses go
to Monaco. Members of the Casartelli family were awarded a silver clown in 1996 for their
horse act.
As
in January this year a number of Danish circus fans (including the editor of this page and
his webmaster) will headed by Danish Brian Behrendt visit the Monte Carlo Festival in
2007.
17 September
2006
Judy Glosted
will join Circus Benneweis again in 2007. In connection with the season’s last performance in Circus
Benneweis ringmistress Judy Glosted got cheek-kisses and hugs from the performing acrobats
who has enjoyed having her as ringmistress during the season. Also the audience has been
delighted again to have a ringmaster in Circus Benneweis which for some years have had no
oral presentation of the program. Jydy told me that she will be back again at Circus
Benneweis for season 2007 which will be season number 120 for Benneweis. This does not
make Benneweis the oldest circus in the world. But no circus has been owned by the same
family for that many years.” Great that Judy will join us again in 2007!” circus
owner Diana Benneweis says.
Judy
Glosted
10 September
2006
Gala
performance in Circus Benneweis. As earlier
mentioned on this page the Danish crown princess Mary attended a gala performance 9
September. The income from the ticket box was donated to the national
association SIND. SIND’s purpose is to improve the conditions for psychiatric
patients. The Danish crown princess Mary is patroness of the association. Circus Benneweis
has kindly permitted me to bring the photos below at my website.
The crown
princess is amused by the clown Fumagalli. Photo: Arne Magnussen
Judy Glosted
and Bubber sings for crown princess Photo: Arne Magnussen
After the
performance. From the left SIND’s chairman Frede Budolfsen, SIND’s CEO Palle
Heilesen, Diana Benneweis, crown princess Mary, Marek Benneweis and Freddy Kolding. Photo:
Arne Magnussen
9 September
2006
Diana
Benneweis ambassador
for SIND. In
connection with the gala performance in favour of the national association SIND in Circus
Benneweis 9 September circus owner Diana Benneweis was appointed ambassador of SIND. On
the photo below you can see Diana together SIND’s chairman Frede Budolfsen and the
diploma he presented her with.
Diana
Benneweis has in her
two books Alting har sin pris (There is a price on everything) and Livet bliver ikke
genudsendt (Life is not repeated), openly told about her own mental problems.
Diana
Benneweis and Frede
Budolfsen. Photo by courtesy of Circus Benneweis. Photographer: Arne Magnussen
8
September 2006
One
of the leading Danish TV channels TV 2 will from 12 September and the next 10 Tuesdays
broadcast a new entertainment series for the entire family: Circus! Circus! In this program the
viewers can follow eight well-known Danes' adventures when they are trained as circus
acrobats by professional artists. The well-known Danes are the TV-host Erik Peitersen, the actress Therese Glahn, the
singer Maria Lucia, the interior designer John Zoffmann, the ecologist Soren Ejlersen, the
entertainer Sonny Fredie-Pedersen, the skating star Mikkeline Kierkegaard and the film
producer Emilie Brandt. Circus! Circus! is based on an Australian concept. The
program was taken at Circus Benneweis. A number of the trainers, including star clown
Fumagalli, will also come from Circus Benneweis. Also the Danish clown and multi-acrobat Benny
Schumann is among the trainers.
7
September 2006
31
August I wrote that Circus Baldoni would close its season in the southern part of Jutland.
It was a mistake. Circus owners Thessa and René Mönster ended their 2004 and 2005
seasons in the southern part of Funen. But this year they will close the summer season in
the Copenhagen suburb Virum (10 miles north of Copenhagen). It will not be close of season
2006 as Circus Baldoni from 30 November will present a Christmas Circus in Copenhagen.
6
September 2006
Circus
in Copenhagen.
Until 17 September you can in Copenhagen meet two of the largest and best circuses in Denmark:
Circus Dannebrog and Circus Benneweis. Both circuses has quality performances and live
music. In Benneweis clown Fumagalli and his
brother are the big stars. In Dannebrog the juggler Eddy Carello is a sure show-stopper. He will be
a hit in any show.
Italian
Caveagnas clowns joined Circus Dannebrog a few weeks ago
5 September
2006
The Golden
Clown. The
Danish Film Institute has releases ad dvd version of the Danish silent movie The Golden
Clown from 1926. Danish and
English intertitles. A.W. Sandberg was the leading director at the Nordisk Films Kompagni
from 1916 until 1926. He broke with the company due to their lack of support of his
financial dispositions in connection with the production of 'The Golden Clown'. He
finished the film on his own funds. 'The Golden Clown' is one of the best international
quality films in Danish silent cinema. It develops the love triangle between the lovable
clown, the circus princess and the Parisian bon vivant. Like so many films of the silent
era, it is a tale of the old rural world and the glamour and danger in the big city. 'The
Golden Clown' is a remake of Sandberg’s own highly successful film from 1917, which
starred Valdemar Psilander. The presented version is a new digital restoration tinted in
HD. On the same DVD you will also find 'The Hill Park Mystery' which is an entertaining
detective story, where our hero, the tabloid journalist, tries to save the woman he has
fallen in love with. It is a speedy comedy with many one-liners, very much in the style of
Hollywood productions at the time. Look out for A.W. Sandberg’s cameo appearance as
the film director. 'The Hill Park Mystery' is a digital restoration from the original
camera negative, tinted according to the markings in the negative itself. Price: DKK
159,00 approx eq. to: € 21,23. Click here
if you want to order the dvd.
5 September
2006
CIKAROS back in
Copenhagen.
The new wave circus company Cikaros was in the spring supported with 750,000 DKK by then
public artist fund. After a long and good tour with their new performance which had is
opening night in Copenhagen on 30 June the company is back in Copenhagen where their
performance can be seen at ‘Christiana’ from 8 to 10 September.
Cikaros-acrobats
Anders Adams and Tuvali Talso
3 September 2006
Swedish circus friends in Copenhagen. It’s a
tradition that a group of Swedish circus friends headed by Roy Himsel is visiting Copenhagen in September to
see the 3 large Danish circuses. This year the visit took place 2-3 September. Saturday
afternoon the Swedes visited Circus Arena in Ballerup. The evening was spent in Tivoli
together with former Benneweis ring mistress and press agent Nelly Jane Benneweis, the author and filmmaker
Jorgen Lorenzen and the editor of this website Ole Simonsen. Sunday morning some of the
Swedes visited the Circus Museum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen, where Nelly Jane met them and
told about her life and why she after retirement started to make drawings of the white
faced clown. As you might know Nelly Jane created the beautiful 2006 poster for the Circus
Museum. The Swedes wondered which circus which will be the first to ask Nelly to create a
poster or a programme cover for them. After visiting the museum the Swedes went to Circus
Dannebrog in central Copenhagen. After Dannebrog they hurried to Greve south of Copenhagen
and arrived just in time for the performance in Circus Benneweis. ”A
perfect week-end – looking forward to next year”, Roy Himsel writes.
Nelly Jane Benneweis with some of her drawings
31
August 2006
Denmark
is
a kingdom in northern part Europe, the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries. The
tented circus season in Denmark, Norway and Sweden runs from March to September. It is in
general too cold to continue performances in tents in October and November. Among the
Danish circuses Circus Arli
had its final stand for this season on 30 August. This year they visited 105 cities on Zealand
and gave more than 150 performances. Circus Arena
will close its Danish season in Aabenraa (Apenrade) in the southern part of Jutland on 10
September. However, the tour will continue in Holland until 8 November. Another unit from
Circus Arena will in October visit Greenland. Circus
Benneweis will close its season 17 September in Copenhagen. Circus Charlie will close its season 2006
somewhere in Jutland on 23 September. Circus Krone
will close its season on 23 September in Aale. Circus
Baldoni will close their season on 24 September in the southern part of Jutland. Circus Dannebrog will have their final stand late
September in the southern part of Jutland. Circus
Mascot will as the last of the Danish circuses close its season on 4 October. Several
of the circuses will be active during the winter season with performance at shopping malls
etc. Circus Baldoni is planning a winter circus in a heated tent in Copenhagen.
Circus
Arli
ended this years performance by being the very first to wish their audience a merry
Christmas. From left can be seen Alexander, Bettina, Soren and Martin Arli.
26
August 2006
The German Circus Astoria had schedules their opening in Randers,
Jutland, for Friday 25 August at 19. But the performance was cancelled as only about 10
persons turned up at circus lot in the outskirts of Randers despite the fact that there
were posters all over town. Other performances in Randers were scheduled for Saturday
evening and Sunday afternoon. I have no information about those performances. However
Friday evening only two tickets for the Saturday performance was sold. It is certainly not
easy for a small and in Denmark unknown circus to attract audience.
25 August
2006
As
earlier mentioned on this website circus owner Benny Berdino takes his Circus Arena to Holland when he on 10 September
closes the summer season in Denmark. Arena will tour Holland from 15
September to 8 November, starting at Leuwarden
(15 to 20 September). On Circus Arenas webpage you can read the following introduction in
Dutch:
Arena
– Het grootste circus van Scandinavië presenteert de circusshow van de toekomst .
De
succesvoorstelling Circus onder water
heeft in Denemarken alle records geslagen en werd gezien door meer dan 300.000
enthousiaste toeschouwers. Nu kunt u de show in Nederland zien tijdens een tournee door 13
steden. De voorstelling heeft water en traditioneel circus als uitgangspunt. Arena heeft
een show in elkaar gezet met de nieuwste laser- en computertechniek en daardoor een nieuwe
dimensie toegevoegd aan de prestaties van de artiesten. Het publiek kan zich toch
verheugen op een traditionele circusvoorstelling. Paarden, olifanten, zeeleeuwen,
acrobaten en goochelaars zijn nog altijd een wezenlijk deel van de voorstelling. De eerste
helft is opgebouwd als een klassieke circusvoorstelling, maar tijdens de tweede helft
worden de sluizen geopend en de manege in een enorm bassin omgetoverd, waar de artiesten
hun kunsten op spectaculaire wijze in, onder en boven water tonen. Circus onder water is
een voorstelling die nieuwe bakens zet voor wat er in een circustent te beleven valt.
Translated
into English the text reads (my translation): The success performance Circus under water
has in Denmark broken all records and was seen through more than 300,000 enthusiastic
spectators. Now you can see the show in the Netherlands
during a tour through 13 cities. The
performance has water and traditional circus as a point of entry. Arena has put a show together using the newest
laser and computer technique and therefore a new dimension has been added at the
performances of the artists. The public can
enjoy a traditional circus performance with horses, elephants, sealions, acrobats and
magicians – all of them being an essential part of the performance. The first half has been built up as a classic
circus performance, but during the second half, the locks are opened and the ring is
transformed to an enormous basin, in which the artists show their arts on spectacular
manner, under and above water. Circus under water is a performance that set new borders
for what you can see in a circus tent.
25
August 2006
Katja
Schumann
to Sweden.
For a while is has been known that Robert Bronett had engaged Danish world class
equestrienne Katja Schumann for the autumn tour in Sweden with his horseshow Levade Noble Horse Gala. The show will open in Sundswall on 7 September
and then visit Gävle, Stockholm, Nörrköping and Göteborg before closing in Lund in the
southern part of Sweden (just one hours trip from Copenhagen) from 27 to 29 October.
After her father Max Schumann closed his own circus in 1982 Katja went to USA. It is first
time since then she can be seen in a show in Scandinavia. You can find more about Levade
at www.levade.se
24 August 2006
Two German
family circuses touring Jutland. Einar Trie of
Danish Circus Charlie tells me that there for the time being are two German family
circuses touring Jutland: Circus Renz-Berlin
and Circus Astoria. Circus Renz-Berlin has been
in Denmark since early July. Circus Astoria has just arrived after their summer brake.
Owner Ricardo Köllner tell on his home page http://www.circus-astoria.de/default.html
that there is between 300 and 400 circuses in Germany. And there is not audience enough
for that many shows. That’s why he now tries his luck in Denmark after having toured
smaller cities in Northern Germany for a while. He is touring with a two pole tent and the
family does all the acts. As in Circus Renz-Berlin the quality is somewhat lower than in
the Danish circuses where even the small circus always engages a couple of good acrobat
acts in addition to the owner family’s own acts.
20 August 2006
The 11th international clown festival at Bakken
closed today with one of the best performances I for many years have seen at the Open Air
Stage. In the final performance you met the comedian Toeffe, Clown
Pilulas, the Danish bike entertainer Lars
Lottrup, Benny Schumann with his plate
spinning entrée a la rococo, Jashgawronsky
Brothers with their
very special musical entrée and last but not least the famous comical tight wire act The Thuranos with 97 year old Konrad Thur and his
“only” 60 year old son JohnJohn Thur. ”We have had great fun during the shows,
but due to heavy rain the number of visitors have been rather limited. However we did not
have to cancel any shows”, the festival’s artistically director Benny Schumann have told me. In connection with
the last performance Benny disclosed that he after having been artistically director for
11 years want to have a brake. Thus his has asked Bakken to find a new artistically
director. It is a very impressive job Benny has done during the last 11 years creating a
festival with an high international reputation and where he year after year have been able
to present both great traditional clowns and new talents. Hopefully Bakken will find
someone who is able to continue the festival with the same spirit and quality as Benny has
been able to.
Konrad
Thurano and Benny Schumann. Click here if you want to see a slideshow with photos from some of the
performances at the Open Air Stage.
17 August
2006
The Caveagna
clowns from Circus Baldoni to Circus Dannebrog. During the season there have been some
disagreements between the Italian clowns Caveagnas and the management in the Danish Circus
Baldoni. When Cavaegna senior in the weekend for third time told Thessa and Réne Mönster
that he and his sons would leave Thessa and René said goodbye and paid what they owed the
Caveagnas. Caveagna senior then visited Danish Circus Dannebrog and got a temporary
employment for him and his to sons. Most likely they will stay at Dannebrog until the end
of the season in late September. In Circus Baldoni they have been replaced by the American
reprise clown Rudi Rudini who some seasons
ago toured for two years with the large German Circus Flic-Flac. You can find further
information on Rudi Rudini at http://www.rudi-rudini.com/
The
Caveagna clowns. Photo taken at Circus Baldoni’s season opening on 21 April 2006
15 August
2006
Swedish
circus fans to Copenhagen. It is a
tradition that a group of Swedish circus fans headed by Roy Himsel from the Swedish Circus
Academy are visiting Copenhagen in the beginning of September to see the three large
Danish circuses. And also in 2006 the Swedish will visit Copenhagen. Saturday 2 September
at 16 they will see the performance in Circus Arena in Ballerup. Sunday 3 September in the
morning they will visit the Circus Museum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen, where former
ringmistress and press agent Nelly Jane Benneweis will tell them about her circus
drawings. At 13:30 they will see the performance in Circus Dannebrog in central Copenhagen.
After this performance the Swedes will hurry to Greve south of Copenhagen to see the
performance in Circus Benneweis at 17.
14 August
2006
At the gala
performance 13 August in connection with the 11th
International Clown Festival at Bakken north of Copenhagen you meet several fine
performers. Ten
minutes before the show should start the entertainer Töffe entered the stage which he started to
sweep. He was disturbed by Jury Pilula (Jury
Emeliyanov) with a pram with a giant baby (Jury’s mother Galina Emeliyanova) who
intervened when Jury tried to do a juggling entrée. The Pilula's was followed by Töffe
with a wonderful comical potpourri of Christmas songs. After this warm-up artistically
director Benny Schumann and Pjerrot welcomed the audience and presented the
Belgian new wave clowns Okidok (Benoit Devois
and Xavier Bouvier) in a great entrée. Next performer was the Spanish clown Marta S. Sevilla with an original entrée you
probably could call the dead of the chicken.
Then Clowns Pilula was back on stage with a
funny act where Jury sucked up his mother with an oversized vacuum cleaner. Then we met
the 3 Italian Jashgawronsky Brothers who
dressed as Armenians presented an original entrée where the used water bottles and their
heads as instruments! Then Benny Schumann dressed in rococo style and assisted by his
stupid servant Töffe presented a most charming new version of Benny’s plate spinning
juggler entrée. The last act in the programme was the Okidok clowns’ outstaying
entrée with cardboard boxes. It was very well deserved that Benny Schumann awarded the
two young Belgium clowns (they are only 30 years old) the festivals first award The World Clown and Artist Reward. The talent
price The Golden nose was awarded to Töffe. Then performers were accompanied by live
music: the Joliday duo.
All the
performers at this year’s gala performance. Click here to se more photos from the performance.
12 August 2006
Friday 11
August Circus Dannebrog had set up their tent
close to the shopping centre in Söndersö on the Funen Island. On her way to the circus
lot Isabella Enoch was involved in a traffic
accident. Isabella is recovering very well after her severe traffic accident in February
and has just started to travel with her family’s circus, however not as a performer.
Together with the motorcade of circus cars she was on her way to the circus lot driving
her white truck with her mobile home at the truck’s body. Suddenly the truck in front
of her braked sharply. Isabella’s truck hit the camping wagon pulled by the truck in
front of her. The camping wagon which belongs to Josephine and Melanie Kasellowsky was
badly damaged (see photos) in both ends. Also Isabella’s truck got some damages.
Lucky enough there was no injury on persons.
Photo:
Kurt Stär
10
August 2006
Today
was opening day for the 11 International Clown
Festival at the Danish amusement park Bakken a few miles north of Copenhagen. As usual
the artistically director Benny Schumann presented a number of star entertainers. On the
opening night is was the female Spanish clown, Marta
S. Sevilla, Clowns Pilula (mother and son
from Russia with a great entrée with a flying pram which reminded me on the entrée
presented many years ago by the clowns Bube and Jule from Eastern Germany) and the
unicyclist Lars Lottrup. Last but not least you
met Benny Schumann himself who assisted by Töffe presented a most
charming new version of his plate spinning juggler entrée. Benny Schumann had hoped also
to present the comical musicians Jashgawronsky
Brothers. Unfortunately their trunk with all their originally made instruments was
lost during their trip from Roma to Copenhagen. Thus, it was necessary to cancel their act
until the props are found. On Sunday 13 August there is a gala clown performance in a tent
at Bakken. The festival will continue with daily performances at the Open Air Stage until
20 August. Among the performers the last couple of days will be Thuranos staring the world oldest active acrobat Konrad Thur.
Benny
Schumann
as plate spinning juggler a la rococo
6
August 2006
Crown
princess Mary to attend a gala performance in Circus Benneweis.
Circus owner Diana Benneweis has decided to donate the entire income from the box office
for a gala performance 9 September in Copenhagen to the national association SIND. SIND
was established in 1960 and its purpose is to improve the conditions for psychiatric
patients. The Danish crown princess Mary is patroness of the association and she has
promised to come and see the gala performance. If you are planning a visit to Copenhagen
and want to see a great performance in company
with the Danish crown princess call Circus Benneweis at + 45 40 40 20 20 and book your
ticket.
6
August 2006
Circus
Renz-Berlin.
A Danish circus friend Erik Digebo Hansen met a short while ago the German family circus
Renz-Berlin on the small Danish island Römö. Ticket price was fairly low and kids came
in for free. Only part of the seating was put up but enough to seat the rather limited
audience. The entire performance was produced
by three artists, two horse trainers and three kids. A lot of animal was presented:
horses, camels, elephants and dogs. The entire program was a bit discount-like. However
maybe more like circus as it was presented when grandfather was young than the more
international style performance you today can see in the Danish circuses.
Circus
Renz-Berlin at Römö. Photos: Erik Digebo Hansen
2 August 2006
Kenny Quinn
to FISM congress. For the time
being the FISM congress (being the world congress of magicians) is going on in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Danish gentleman thief Kenny Quinn was invited to perform at the opening show on 31
July. It was quit a long trip for Kenny to go to Stockholm: 640 kilometres by car (each
way) from the southern part of Sweden where he and his wife Joan this summer is touring
with Swedish Circus Olympia. Kenny started from the circus at 6:00 in the morning. He
arrived at Stockholm at 12 noon and was interviewed about pick-pockets by several TV
channels, radio stations and newspapers. The opening show took place at 4 p.m. with a
repeater at 6 p.m. After a brief chat with a few of his many friends amongst magicians
Kenny got a few hours of sleep until he at 3:00 a.m. left for Aarhus in the Southern part
of Sweden where Circus Olympia was waiting to have their top attraction back.
One
of the TV-shots which were made with Kenny Quinn can be seen at the homepage of Swedish
TV1. Click here here for a link to the website and click then at ”
Skandinaver är lovligt blåögda”. (It is not a shot from his gentleman thief
entrée)
2 August 2006
Circus posters
put on fire. The fire
brigade in Birkeröd north of Copenhagen was called to 6 burning circus posters from
Circus Arena at the main road in Birkeröd. In old days circus posters was made by paper
pasted up on a sheet of hard wood. It was mighty difficult to set fire to such sheet.
Today more and more circuses are using plastic poster who are more weatherproof than the
old posters. But unfortunately they are easy to put on fire. Most likely the incident in
Birkeröd can be put down to high spirits.
1. August 2006
Circus troupe from Tangier on tour in Denmark.
From 19 August to 11 September GROUPE ACROBATIQUE DE TANGER MED will tour Denmark with
their performance "TAOUB". In the press release is said: Hold your breath as the
acrobats topple along the Tangier skyline or fly through the air in acts that defy
gravity. A seemingly endless sheet of fabric gives the show its name, morphs from
bellowing backdrop to lavish dress - taking on a life of its own. Live Arabic music and
traditional songs further immerses you in this dream-like Moroccan world. And The Guardian
is quoted: "Pictures of the Tangier sea-front ripple over the
supporters' white tunics, turning her act into a Spiderwoman stunt. Desert landscapes are
created by manipulating a huge swathe of fabric, and simple changes of lighting work
extraordinary transformations, so that a whirling dervish dance ends up being performed by
giant shadows - flickering dream devils."
30 July 2006
Royal visit to
Circus Benneweis. ”We were
honoured by a royal visit with just two hours notice,” a proud and happy circus owner
Diana Benneweis writes. At the performance in Sonderborg Sunday
afternoon Greek ex-Quinn Anne Marie (a younger sister to the Danish Quinn Margrethe) and
her two children princess Alexia and prince Nicolaos, her daughter-in-law Carlos Morales
Quintana and the two grandchildren Arrietta and Anne-Maria was among the visitors. Diana
Benneweis welcomed the royal family together with Freddy Kolding Bergmann and the clown
Fumagalli. It was first time ever the Alexia’s two children visited a circus. Just as
their mother many years ago first time visited a circus by seeing Circus Benneweis. Arrietta being the eldest of the two children was
very interested in the many acrobats and clowns. The highlight for her was most likely
when Alessio and Adriana Folco in their act with parrots should use 4 children. Arrietta
volunteered and got in this way her debut not just as a princess in circus but as a circus
princess.
Diana
Benneweis with the
royal visitors. Photo by courtesy of Circus Benneweis
As you can
see the members of the royal family had fun! Photo by courtesy of Circus Benneweis
29 July 2006
Benny Berdino 60 years. On
3rd August circus owner Benny Berdino of Danish Circus Arena can celebrate his 60 years
birthday. Benny is the son of a fair performer Arne "Berdino" Olsen and his
wife Lydia. Arne Berdino founded Circus Arena in 1955 after a number of years as performer
at fairs etc. For the first years Circus Arena called themselves the smallest circus in Denmark.
The staff consisted of the manager, his son Benny, his daughter Jytte and the strongman
Abdullah. Later on the clown Larno joined the company. When Benny Berdino passed away in
1976 Circus Arena had grown to a nice medium sized circus. But the new owner Benny Berdino
was not happy just to own a medium sized circus. He had no doubt: big is beautiful
and his dream was to make Circus Arena the largest circus in the Northern countries. Under
then ownership of Benny Berdino Circus Arena became larger and better year after year.
However, in the late 1980’es they run into severe economical problems. Assisted by
his family and a number of friends who had confidence in Benny he managed to keep his
beloved circus going. The later years have been fairly good for all circuses in Denmark
and especially for Circus Arena. It is now clearly the largest circus in the Nordic
countries and has more visitors than any of the competitors. As the only Danish circus it
pays visit to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Benny Berdino is also involved in circus
business in Sweden: for many years he had produced the performance for Swedish Circus
Skratt whose owner Bo Rönnberg just has to sell the tickets! Also for the Danish
amusement park BonBonland Benny Berdino has for a number of years produced circus
performances. In 2006 even another amusement park Sommerland Syd has booked a Berdino
produces show. When the Danish circus season ends in September Benny Berdino will try
something new: he goes to Holland with his circus hoping that the Dutch people will like
to see his performance. Benny has always a lot of new ideas and initiatives. It is an
inspiring person with a lot of visions and new ideas who on 3 August can celebrate his 60
years birthday. On 3 August Circus Arena is giving an ordinary performance in Hörsholm
(Hirschholm) north of Copenhagen. A circus can’t take a day off just because its
owner can celebrate a birthday with a round figure!
Benny
Berdino
26
July 2006
Marianne
and the saxophone.
The Danish dog and pony show Circus Mascot has this year as their last act before the
grand finale a musical clown entrée with Marianne Deleuran as saxophone playing white
faced clown. Recently Marianne’s sax broke into two parts forcing her very fast to
purchase a new saxophone. And the new sax is much better than the old one, Marianne tells.
From the old one you could sometimes hear some unpleasant sounds which Marianne blamed
herself for. But those strange sounds have disappeared when she got her new sax. Thus, it
is a happy and well playing Marianne who now enters the ring!
25
July 2006
I
have earlier on this page mentioned the new Danish Circus
No Name, which until 15 September has daily
performance (however not Mondays) in the Team LA park in Solbjerg in the northern part of Jutland.
A local circus friend persuaded me to come and visit the show. And if you like a
performance with a lot of horses you will certainly not be disappointed by seeing the
performance which runs for slightly less than 1½ hour. After a poetic opening entrée
with the young clown Jesper German Sharon Folco
present with great talent 5 beautiful Frisian horses. Her presentation is followed by a
lot of other beautiful horse and playful ponies presented by Team LA’s owner Luffe
Bögh (Luffe does also ride the high school), his daughter Stinne Bögh and the circus
artistically director Bjoern Schult-Bjornlys who also is ringmaster. Between the horse
acts there are a number of clown run-ins, a fakir act and an act with trained goats and
cocks. The closing act is Sharon Folio’s very nice presentation of her African
elephant Lupni. If you are in the northern of middle part of Juttland a visit to Circus No
Name can be recommended. Entrance fee is very low: only 50 DKK (a little less then 7
Euro).
Bjoern
Schult-Bjoernlys
is artistically director and chief animal trainer at Circus No Name. Click here to see a slideshow from this year’s performance.
19
July 2006
When
Benny Berdino tonight welcomed the audience
in Circus Arena in a almost filled tent at the circus lot at the North Zealand sea side
resort Hornbäk he could welcome visitor number 197,000 in season 2006. A few years ago
Benny Berdino would have been happy to have 200,000 visitors for an entire season. This
year is seems undoubtful that he will have more than 250,000 visitors in his tent before
Circus Arena in September leaves for Holland hoping that also the Dutch audience will like
to see the largest circus in the Nordic countries and their spectacular Circus under
Water-performance. For the last many years no foreign circus apart from a few new wave
circuses have been able to made much business in Denmark. Danes prefer circus names well
known to them as Arena, Benneweis and Dannebrog. However, tradition might be different in Holland
where people are used to visits by large foreign circuses. A couple of years ago Europe's
largest circus, German circus Krone, paid a visit to Holland using the same agent as
Circus Arena. Also German Circus Fliegenpilz has visited Holland with their "Circus
under water".
Benny Berdino.
Photo taken during the interval in the performance in Hornbäk. Benny Berdino can
celebrate his 60 years birthday when Circus Arena on 3 August is visiting Hörsholm
(Hirscholm) north of Copenhagen.
19
July 2006
Ole
Bünger's tiny Circus Pip claims to be the
smallest circus in Scandinavia. Since 1993 the circus have toured during the school
children's holiday in their small one pole tent. This year the can be seen at the open-air
museum Nyvang close to the city Holbäk. The performance rung for 35 minutes. Performers
are Ole Bünger as ventriloquist and magician, the young juggler Michael with balls, clubs
and diabolos, the clowns Mini and Pip and the guest artist Sascha with a trained dog, two
ponies and some house cats. Click here to see a slideshow from the performance.
14 July 2006
"Here is two photos from German
new wave acrobat troupe Aquanaut's visit to
Faaborg on 2 July", the photographer Lise Kokholm writes. "Their schooner had
the same place in that harbour as last year. Half an hour before the performance almost no
one had turned up. But when the music started there were a lot of people at the harbour. A
lot of kid was waiting and I could hear them discuss if the show would be the same as last
year. The weather was perfect and it was a nice performance which got a big
applause." - The visit was mentioned on this page on 26 June.
13
July 2006
Benny
Schumann at Roskilde.
For many years it has been a tradition that the Danish clown and multi-acrobat Benny
Schumann with some guest artist present a show at the Open Air Stage at the People's Park
in Roskilde. This year the performance took place on 13 July and several thousand people,
including a lot of kids from Kindergartens with their teachers, had found their way to the
Open Air Stage. The performance started with a giant ball rolling into the arena - Benny
was inside the ball. Then you could meet Benny as tight wire acrobat, as ventriloquist, as
magician, as balancing acrobat, as plate spinning juggler and as King of Rock. Then he
presented his guest artist: Steven Pedersen and
his two sea lions and two penguins. The charming act which toured Denmark with Circus
Benneweis in 2005 (not Steven's first visit to Denmark!) was received with great
enthusiasm by the audience. Especially the part of the act when children from the audience
were invited to join the act and were rewarded with a kiss from the female sea lion.
Steven is this year busy by fitting out a new winter quarter in France for himself and the
family (including sea lions, penguins, his wife Angela and the couple's 3 children). Thus,
he had originally planned to take a year off this season. But he could not reject a number
of offers amongst those an offer from Benny Schumann (who also assisted Steven by booking
some performances earlier this week in Tivoli Karolinelund in Aalborg in the northern part
of Jutland). In the autumn Steven and Angela and their sea lions and penguins can been
seen in Dutch Circus Herman Renz, which is the leading circus in Holland. Click here if you want to see a slide show from the performance in Roskilde.
10
July 2006
Flying
Superkids to Malmö (Sweden) and Copenhagen. From
8 thru 11 December you could in the "Kölnarena" see the performance
"Circus Roncalli meets Classic". Among the performers was the acrobats The
Flying Danish Superkids. Uwe Godbersen founded the Danish Flying Superkids back in 1967
and together with his wife Lone and his son Lars, he is still the dynamic engine behind
the Superkids. Since 1983 the Superkids have had their own organisation and they are all
members of the gymnastic club Gymnastikgaarden, Aarhus, Denmark. It is a non-profit club
with an elected board. The club has about 400 members, all children, and from that basis
the very talented coaches - most of them all former Superkids - select the members for the
Superkids team. Over the years the Superkids have developed a unique show, which mingle
dance with artistic vaulting and comedy, singing and black theatre numbers. People all
over the world love the show and the Kids love to travel! It started out with 20 small
girls, but the idea proved to be viable, and the Kids have over the last 20 years
performed in over 30 countries. Last autumn Superkids bought a circus tent in Germany with
a diameter of 26 meter and a seating capacity of 500 which they now are using for their
shows. With this tent they will from 19 to 23 July visit Malmö in the southern part of Sweden
and from 26 July to 3 August Copenhagen. You can find further information on Superkids at http://www.superkids.dk/.
9
July 2006
Circus
BonBon and BonBon-lands show with sea lions. The
Swedish Circus Skratt does never tour from mid June to mid August. During that period you
have for a number of years could see a short version of their performance in the amusement
park BonBon-land in the southern part of Zealand. As in 2005 the performance, which is
produced by Benny Berdino of Danish Circus Arena, is presented in Circus Skratt's blue and
yellow striped tent seating 1,200 persons. This year's BonBon-performance last 45 minutes
and is started by English Tim Delbosq presenting
6 beautiful black Frisian horses. Next act is
Serhiy with a nice rola-bola entrée. He is followed by the clowns Yuri & Leon with another rola-bola entrée
using humans as a platform. Then comes Ljuba
Gorbatsjova with a traditional hula hoop act. She is followed by the juggling trio Del Arte (Serhiy is one of the members). Last act
in the performance is goats and dogs presented by Edy
Laforte. -
In another tent in BonBon-land the sea lion trainer Addie Jepsen presents Berdino's 3 sea lions on
stage as well as in water. - Furthermore you can in BonBon-land meet the reprise clown Mr. Chap with his comedy boxing act involving 6
persons from the audience. Click here to see a slide show from the performances in BonBon-land.
8 July 2006
Benny Berdino
and Sos Fenger no. 1 at the Danish radio hit list. For 7 weeks
you have every Saturday morning been able to hear the singing circus director Benny
Berdino and Sos Fenger on the Danish top ten hit list in the radio with an old Nina &
Frederik hit "Let's fly to a star". On 8 July the song was number 1 at the
hit list. Maybe Benny still will have a nice placing on the Danish hit list when he on 3
August can celebrate his 60 years birthday.
6
July 2006
Royal visit to Circus Benneweis. Circus owner
Diana Benneweis proudly tells that her circus which for the time being is in Aarhus on 6
July welcomed HRH prince Henrik (husband to the Danish queen Margrete) amongst their
visitors. TV was in place as Danish TV channel TV2 for the time being is busy shooting the
entertainment
series
Circus! Circus! In Circus Benneweis.
5.
July 2006
Renz-Berlin
back in Denmark.
In 2004 the German family-circus Renz-Berlin toured part of Denmark without attracting
much audience. And now they are back. They might have heard rumours about a great season
for Danish circuses. Furthermore business in Germany seems to be rather poor. However for
the last many years no foreign circuses have ever had good business in Denmark as Danes
prefer a circus well-known to them. So Renz-Berlin might get a hard time in Denmark.
4
July 2006
Agnete
Louise Enoch of
Circus Dannebrog tells that this season so far have been very good and could end up at the
best ever for Circus Dannebrog. Her brother the bike acrobat Haddie Enoch had a bad
accident during his bike act when performing in Hals on 2 July. He torn his Achilles'
tendon which is very painful. Agnes sister Isabella who in February together with the
elephant trainer Bernhard Kasellowsky was involved in a severe traffic accident in Germany
is recovering very well as is Bernhard. Bernhard has been with the show the entire season.
Isabella is only visiting the show once in a while.
2
July 2006
I
have earlier mentioned that the gentleman thief couple Kenny and Joan Quinn when they have finalised the
summer season with Swedish Circus Olympia would go first to Odense to take part in Danish
magician Henrik Christensen's show "it’s Magic - Vegas has to wait!" and
later on to Europapark in Germany where they have been engaged until end of January 2007.
But when I met the pleasant couple in connection with Circus Olympia's performance in Baastad,
Sweden they told me, that only Kenny would go to Odense and Germany as Joan is pregnant
and if everything goes well will become the mother of a tiny boy by the end of October.
Thus, Kenny will have to go to Germany without wife and son, Paternity leave an unknown
feature amongst artists.
Joan
and Kenny Quinn. It is not yet easy to see that Joan is pregnant.
1
July 2006
As
earlier mentioned on this page the Danish new wave circus troupe Cikaros had opening night
for their new performance on 30 June. You can see in What's on where you can see the one hour long open air
performance which will tour a number of countries until late September.
Cikaros-acrobats
Anders Adams and Tuvali Talso. Click here to se a slideshow with more photos from the performance
30
June 2006
Cikaros on tour 2006.
Friday 30 June was opening night for the New Wave Circus troupe Cikaros' new performance.
The high sky and utopian dreams have been the sources of inspiration to the new
performance. The Cikaros production of 2006 tell a universal story about mankind's desire
to give life to dreams and let the imagination win over the rational and dull picture of
the world. The scene is laid in a puppet workshop full of mysterious elements where we
meet the old and bitter puppeteer who is putting the finishing touches to his life's work;
the most beautiful puppet to be created. We also meet his young apprentice who is dreaming
of making the puppet live. In order to achieve this, the apprentice must go through a lot,
and sometimes he finds himself in strange and dreamy situations. By using the means of
fairytales mixed with the expression and style of new-circus, Cikaros creates a dreamy
play that breaks the restrictions of common theatre while the theme and performance will
be for all ages. As mentioned the play had its first performance on 1st of July in Copenhagen.
During July and August Cikaros will visit a number of cities in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Se further at What's on.
Cikaros is a new Danish new wave circus troupe
consisting of eight artists and musicians, all of them former pupils from the Copenhagen
Circus School AFUK. The names of the performers are Anders Adams, Camilla Becker Madsen,
Michiel van Leeuwen, Signe Löve Anderskov and Tuvali Talso. The musicians are Jakob
Overgaard Nielsen, Maiken Bruun-Aamodt and Michael Nielsen. Directors: Mikala Bjarnov Lage
and Malte Claudio Lind. Designers: Lea Burrows and Ingvild Römo Grande.
Cikaros
26
June 2006
Sailing
circus to the Funen Island. The
German based new wave acrobat troupe Aquanaut will
with their schooner Lovis visit Faaborg and Svendborg on the Funen Island. Using their
vessel as stage the will present a performance called Sirene Shadows. The visit in Faaborg
will take place on 1 and 2 July with performances at 20:00. The visit in Svendborg will
take place on 3 July.
23
June 2006
On 16 June
the photographer Lise Kokholm visited the Copenhagen Circus School AFUK's season closing event at Islands Brygge.
Lise send me the photos below and has told me that it was a great programme. On the photos
you can see how strong the girls are in the air and how you can read while throwing around
with a girl.
22
June 2006
The Circus Museum at Rold in Jutland opened today
a new special exhibition with some of the beautiful dresses which Circus Dannebrog's
ringmistress Agnete Louise Enoch has used
during the years. The exhibition has earlier been on display at the Circus Museum at
Hvidovre, Copenhagen.
Agnete
Louise Enoch in front of some of her elegant dresses. Photo taken at the Circus Museum at
Hvidovre, Copenhagen, in February 2005
21
June 2006
The
middle pages in the German Circus Zeitung have
a number of fine colour photos of tent and equipment from Danish Circus Dannebrog. The photos were taken in
Nordborg on 2 May this year.
20
June 2006
One
of the leading Danish TV channels TV 2 are for the time being preparing two new
entertainment series for the entire family: That's
Circus, which will broadcasted this summer and Circus! Circus! to be broadcasted sometime in the autumn. The
programmes are quit different but have two tings in common: circus and the host Bubber
(a popular TV host who for some years was ringmaster at Circus Arena). That's Circus
is a talent competition for non-professional artists. Audition started a week ago and
ended today. The most talented of the many performers has been picked out to take part in
the final which will be shoot at Circus Benneweis in Esbjerg on 9 August where the
very best non-professional act will be chosen.
Circus! Circus! had earlier the
working title Crazy about Circus. In this
program the viewers can follow eight well-known Danes' adventures when they are trained as
circus acrobats by professional artists. Circus! Circus! is based on an
Australian concept. The program will be taken at Circus Benneweis. A number of the
trainers, including star clown Fumagalli, will also come from Circus Benneweis. That's Circus and Circus! Circus! will for sure increase the interest
for circus in Denmark.
19 June 2006
This year's International Clown Festival at the Danish
amusement park Bakken north of Copenhagen takes place from Thursday 10 August and until
Sunday 20 August. Every day there will be clown performances at 15:30 and 19:30 at the
Open Air Stage. On Sunday 13 August at 11:00 there will be a gala performance in the tent
used by Bakken's variety theatre.
During the festival artistically
director Benny Schumann will present a number of great clowns and entertainers. The
fantastic Jashgawronsky Brothers are a
comical musical trio from Armenia and Italy. They will take part in all performances. Marta S. Sevilla is the leading female clown in Spain.
She is guest artist from 10 to 13 August. Okidok2 from
Belgium are star clowns in a class of their own. The have just returned from a successful
tours in the USA to take part in the gala performance on 13 August. They are nominated for
the festivals finest award The World Artist & Clown Award 2006. The Thuranos from USA and Germany present their
comical tight wire act and will give the Danes and other visitors to Copenhagen another
chance to see the world's oldest artist Konrad Thurano. Konrad was awarded The World
Artist & Clown Award in 1999. Thuranos will be part of the festival from 18 to 20
August. Danish Lars Lottrup is known as the man
in the balloon. He will take part of the performance 10 and 11 August and again from 14 to
20 August. Töffe is an all-round
entertainer. He takes part in all performances. And last but not least you can meet Benny Schumann himself, presenting on of his
well-known routines in an original new way. The festival offers a live circus band: Jollyday Clown Festival Orchestra. Apart from Lars
Lottrup and The Thuranos all the performers mentioned will take part of the gala
performance on 13 August at 11:00. Okidok2 will present two different entrées. The other
performers will show entrées different from then ones shown at the Open Air Stage. The
festival's two honorary awards the Golden Nose and The World Artist & Clown Award are
created by the painter Adi Holzer. Sometimes
the awards are called the Charlie Rivel award named after Benny Schumann's famous
grandfather.
Before the performances at the Open
Air Stage their will be a clown parade through the narrow streets and alleys of Bakken.
Furthermore the Circus Museum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen, will have a special clown
exhibition on display in a small tent close to the Open Air Stage.
Jashgawronsky Brothers.
Belgium
Okidok clowns. Photo by courtesy of Benny Schumann
17
June 2006
As usual we
can for some weeks in June meet circus owners Marianne and Jess Deleuran and their dog and
pony show Circus Mascot at Zealand where the
give a number of performances before they in the entire month of July can be seen as free
attraction in the amusement part Sommerland Själland in the north-western part of Zealand.
This year Circus Mascot has got a brand new tent and present as always a very fine and
family-friendly performance done by members of the family and two talented acrobat
families from the eastern part of Europe.
Jess and
Marianne Deleuran behind the tent. To the left the clown Edwalie. Apart from presenting
her poodles Marianne is the saxophone playing clown in the last act on the programme. The
photo was taken before her make-up as a white-faced clown.
Circus Mascot
2006
15
June 2006
”it’s
Magic - Vegas has to wait!” The Danish
magician and entertainer Henrik Christensen
will on 21 and 22 October for the 12 year in row produce a show called ”it’s
Magic - Vegas has to wait!" in Odense. ”In the show I will repeat some
highlights from previous years' shows and present some new magic act," Henrik
Christensen tells. "Furthermore I have engaged the gentleman thief Kenny Quinn and his partner Joan for the show. I
suggest the audience to take care of their belongings!" - The Danish gentleman thief
Kenny Quinn and his wife Joan is for the time being on tour with Swedish Circus Olympia.
After their visit at Henrik's show in Odense the couple will continue to the largest
amusement park in Germany EUROPA-PARK where they will present their world class entrée at
”Europa-park’s Dinner-Spectacle” until 31 January 2007.
14
June 2006
Circus summer school at Hvidovre. As in 2005 the
Circusmuseum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen, will host at circus summer school for kids from 8 to
15 this summer. The summer school will take place 26-27/6 and 3-4/7. Some professional
artists will train the kids in juggling, acrobatic etc.
From
last years Circus summer school. Photo by courtesy of the Cirkusmuseum at Hvidovre,
Copenhagen
12 June 2006
Circus Flik-Flak from Odense is the
largest youth circus in Denmark. Their leader Tommy Hardam and his team can for the 19
season in row present some of the most talented young non-professional artists in Denmark.
In week 26 Circus Flik-Flak will be a part of the Danish Gymnastics and Sports
associations' national rally at Haderslev in the southern part of Jutland. There will be
performances and workshops each day, Tommy Hardam tells. For the time being Circus
Flik-Flaks tent is set up at Trianglen in Copenhagen. Danish TV channel TV2 has rented the
tent for an audition for a competition called "That's
Circus". Several non-professional artists will compete in disciplines as juggling
and balancing, animal acts, acrobats and magicians and clowns. The best of the performers
will be invited to present their act in Circus Benneweis in Esbjerg on 9 August where the
very best act will be chosen.
9 June 2006
Agnete Louise
Enoch 50 years on 14 June. On
Wednesday 14 June Circus Dannebrog's press agent and ringmistress Agnete Louise Enoch can
celebrate her 50 years birthday. Agnete is the oldest daughter of circus owners Haddy and
Solveig Enoch. For many years Haddy and Solveig toured over most of the world with their
world class bike acrobat act the Haddies. In 1977 they re-established the old circus
Dannebrog which has toured ever since. The first Circus Dannebrog was owned by Haddy's
great grandfather and stopped touring in 1930. Agnete had her debut as a performer
together with her greater brother Dennie when she was 5 years old. It was in a
TV-programme called "Let's meet in Tivoli". When she was 7 year old she
performed on a bike together with Dennie. This performance was shown in German television
and Agnete received proudly a salary of 100 DM. When Agnete was 9 and her brother 10 they
became part of their parents bike act making 2 Haddies to 4 Haddies. Furthermore Agnete
trained a handstand entrée on a rotating pedestal. The act was first shown to the
audience in 1969 at Rosenkjelleren in Oslo, Norway. Agnete Enoch has also presented a lot
of animals: sea lions, elephants, crocodiles, snakes, doves and liberty horses. For at
number of years she had her own doves but she might be best remembered by the Danish
audience for performing with the liberty horses which her daddy bought from Max Schumann.
Her last season as a traditional performer was in 1995. Since then she has concentrated on
the job as press agent and also been responsible fro pre-sale of performances to
supermarkets, institutions etc. The audience meets her as ringmistress in Circus Dannebrog
and during the winter season in Circus Kenny. In 2005 the circus freak Jörgen Lorenzen
produced a documentary about Agnete Enoch: ”Agnete Louise Enoch – a life in
circus”. Agnete Enoch will spend her birthday by going about her duties and being
ready to present the evening performance at 19 in Circus Dannebrog which on 14 June is in
Auning, Jutland. A ringmistress and press agent can not take a day of in the middle of the
season just because she has a birthday with a round figure!
Agnete
Louise Enoch. Photo taken by her daughter Victoria Enoch
8 June 2006
Circus under
Water breaks all records Circus Arena tells and
claim that 136,941 so far has seen their 2006-performance. After the close of the Danish
summer season in September Circus Arena will for one or two months tour Holland. The
traditional summer visit at the Schackenborg castle in the southern part of Jutland where
the Danish Quinn's grandsons Nicolai and Felix use to visit the circus will this year take
place on 15 June.
2 June 2006
As
earlier mentioned on this page Copenhagen will host a New wave Circus Festival from 23 June to 16 July.
During the festival there will be a lot of activities such as performances, workshops, an
open stage for coming artists and professional artist etc. The festival will be arranged
by KIT (Copenhagen International Theatre) in co-operation with the Theatre Kaleidoskop,
the Dance Stage and AFUK. The main sponsor is the City of Copenhagen. For some
performances Institut Français is co-sponsor.
Opening ceremoni. 23 and 24 June from 16-21 (free
entrance), Österfälled Torv, Copenhagen. A NON-STOP PROGRAMME on an open-air stage offering
crazy, strong, beautiful, entertaining and confrontational acts and much more. Danish
artists reach for the skies and create stimulating experiences including circus workshops
for children. Arranged in collaboration with The Academy for Untamed Creativity (AFUK)
with aid from The Municipality of Copenhagen's pool Art and Culture. Night
cabaret from 22.00-02.00. Tickets for the
cabaret sold at the entrance for 25 DKK (approximately 3 Euro).
Compagnie XY. They are in doubt and cling to the past. But suddenly
life takes over and the plunge into an acrobatic drama. Laissez porter is an artwork
consisting of physical balance. An amazing experience where the choreography elevates
acrobatics to new dimensions. The six young acrobats literally toy with gravity and
lightness in this poetic performance. Duration: 60 minutes. Not suitable for children
under 7.
Circo Ripopolo. A circus tent is thrown in the
washing machine. It shrivels up to almost nothing, even the performance shrinks and lasts
only 15 minutes. Two stable boys present six heart warming scenes using tightrope, magic,
trapeze, a human cannonball, a Russian pyramid and a lion tamer. The show begins outside
the tent with sneak previews of what takes place inside. Wet you appetite on
www.circoripopolo.be/comicduo. 25 seats ONLY. Duration: 25 minutes. Not suitable for
children under 7. PLEASE NOTE! Except June 29 the performance is a double bill with ESCARLATA CIRCUS.
Remember DDK 10x2 in cash for entrance.
Escarlata Circus. An odd couple pursues their dream of an adventurous
circus life. They share with the audience their circus, their love and their family
struggles. Ludmila cracks the whip and is the target for Alfonso's knife throwing. The
Spanish circus duo Bet & Aspa met each other in Paris where Bet was a street performer
whilst Aspa was training at one the great French circus schools, Academie Fratellini. They
have cultivated their characters ever since and toured all over southern Europe. They step
into the circus ring for the first time with Llenties I Marabú, where the combination of
sawdust, fun and touching honesty makes the audience love life. It is not without reason
that they have attracted audiences wherever they perform. 75 seats. Duration: 35 minutes.
Not suitable for children under 7. Remember DDK 10x2 in cash for entrance.
Didier André & Jean-Paul Lefeuvre: La Serre and Le Jardin: and waltz with wheelbarrows.
They put our flaws, weaknesses and clumsiness into perspective, as if touched by the
spirit of Buster Keaton. The two artists present a comedy, which in a warm and inventive
way addresses our lives with intelligence, acrobatic skill and humour. Being veterans of
the circus trade, Didier André and Jean-Paul Lafeuvre, have previously visited Denmark in
the company of Cirque O and Que Cir Que. La Serre was their first performance together and
it is a lucid and cultivated as a hothouse. It was followed by Le Jardin, which presents
the blooming scope of their combined talents. "Le Jardin" (75 mins.) was
developed from "Le Serre" (30 min.), from street to venue. Not suitable for
children under 5.
Akhe Theatre. When the Akhe Theatre from St. Petersburg presents their
unique universe the atmosphere becomes cult, chaos and absurd. Mérimée's Carmen and its
fundamental story of love and jealousy inspired Mr Carmen, which is a brilliant twist of
the drama using props and a kaleidoscope of happenings. The text is transferred to objects
that are moved with physical elegance, ritual magic and refined humour. The performance is
constantly changing and finally literally explodes. Duration: 60 minutes. No interval. Not
suitable for children.
2 Rien Marci. It looks really simple. They stand alone in boiler suits
with no spotlights or polished technical aids. But under the surface is an incredible
compilation of the weird and wonderful. A genuine hill-billy performs one juggling act
after another with amazingly refined control, accompanied to the sounds of a wash board,
cogwheel and other outlandish objects. It is Charlie Chaplin in medieval disguise. The
audience members throw their walnut tickets into a box at the entrance and activate the
giant coffee mill, as three strange characters meet their destiny in an ever changing
space. This is magic without tricks. It is a laughing workout. A very rare experience!
"literally an archaically funny performance… An experiment in music therapy
could look like this, if Community Care had existed in The Black Forrest in the days of
the Seven Dwarfs" Soren Vinterberg, Politiken. Duration: 40 minutes. Not suitable for children under
7.
Petit Théatre Baraque. This is as close to Picasso's mind that theatre can get.
In a peculiar, two-storey circus tent the audiences' gaze is attracted downwards to focus
on the small movements in the space. A marionette moves and then another. A world of
images is born, as rats pour into the heart of the performance from all corners. Picassos'
surreal thoughts are ever present and yet subtly represented in this performance. In the
ring the words sound as clear as his paintings; absurd, abstract and focussed - authentic
and constantly in motion. The curtain is drawn to present a real circus Guernica. 32 seats
ONLY. Duration: 90 minutes, no interval. Not suitable for children.
Further
information on www.kit.dk
29 May 2006
As in 2004
and 2005 Einar Trie's Circus Charlie is during
the Whitsun holidays in Copenhagen where there tent is placed next to the beach in
Charlottenlund. Performers are a number of acrobats from Latvia with several spectacular
entrées: an adagio act to the music from cats, a skipping entrée and a handstand entrée
including a bike act clearly inspired by the famous May Ling. Clowning is done by Einar
Trie and Asger Asguer. From 26 June to 30 June Einar Trie is in charge of a circus summer
camp in Salling together with the well-known Danish acrobats from Flying Superkids. The Superkids took part in the
performance
"Circus Roncalli meets Classic" in the "Kölnarena" in December 2006.
In July 2006 Circus Charlie can be seen as free attraction in the amusement part Djurs
Sommerland in Jutland.
Circus
Charlie at the Charlottenlund beach. Click here to se some photos from the performance.
26
May 2006
New poster for
Danish Circus Baldoni. "For
a while we have been planning to change our poster for a poster which gives the audience a
better signal of the type of show which we present today," circus owner René
Mönster writes. "We have just ordered a new poster which can bee seen at the lamp
standards (that's where Danish circuses are allowed to place their posters) within two
weeks. I have made the design myself. The photo of Caveagna is taken by Kenneth
Severinsen."
25 May 2006
Circus Pip
2006.
Tiny Circus Pip has since 1993 toured Zealand during the school children's summer
holidays. But circus owner Ole Bünger has informed me that he now will scale down the
travelling. - I am getting older, Ole writes. For this reason his circus can this year in
the entire month of July be seen at Andelsbyen Nyvang close to Holbaek at Zealand. There
will be a workshop for children at 11 and a circus performance at 14.00. The performance
will be called "Circus as when great-grandfather was young". Opening day will be
on 2 July. The performance will run for 30 minutes and include the magician Ole Bünger
and the juggler Ronaldy. Furthermore Circus Pip's two clowns, a ventriloquist and a 14
year old diabolo-juggler. Andelsbyen Nyvang is a sort of open air museum. Opening hours
Monday to Thursday 10 to 16 and week-end 10 to 17.
Circus Pips clowns
24
May 2006
As I have
mentioned before Copenhagen's famous Tivoli Gardens does unfortunately not
any longer present acrobat acts as free attraction. But in the Danish comedian Soren Ostergaard's Tivoli Variety you can this
summer apart from Soren and the female comedian Sidse Babett Knudsen and the singers The
Oysters Sisters meet the Finnish magician Marko
Karvo, the Swedish bike acrobat Malte
Knapp
and the acrobats Oleg & Oleksij Kurensky
(father and son) from Ukraine.
23
May 2006
Nelly Jane and Peter Hoeg. At the very last page
in the Danish author Peter Hoeg's new novel "The silent girl" one can read:
"Thanks to Jes Bertelsen, Erik Hoeg, Karen Hoeg, Nelly Jane, Jakob Malling Lambert
and Otto von Moltke-Leth". The reason for Peter Hoeg thanking Nelly Jane Benneweis is
that she about 10 years ago assisted him with some information for a novel which should
take place in circus settings. And "The silent girl" takes place in such
setting. Nelly Jane has told me that she just was a tiny pawn in the comprehensive
research for which Peter Hoeg is known. It was a pleasant surprise for Nelly when she some
weeks ago received the book with an inscription from Peter Hoeg. The novel "The
silent girl" is so far only available in Danish but will be published in at least 11
countries. Peter Hoeg won international fame for his novel "Miss
Smilla's Feeling for Snow".
23
May 2006
Hästpalatset
(the horse palace) is the title of Swedish circus queen Diana Rhodin's touring horse theatre which had
its first night in Malmö, Sweden, on 11 May. The performance takes place in a 4 pole Scola
Teloni
tent with a diameter of 30 meter and a ring with a diameter of 15 meter. From outside the
tent is white. From inside it is blue. The
performance is called Drömmar & Illusioner (Dreams and illusions) but could also be
called Rhapsody in Rhodin as the pre-recorded
music is George
Gershwin,
Celine Dion and many others. The performance runs for about 90 minutes and present many
beautiful horses. The play is scripted and
tells a poetic story about a little girl and her night dreams. You will meet dancers,
magicians, Roman gladiators, dark riders, Pegasus as well as a Unicorn and an elephant.
The Horse palace will tour the southern part of Sweden during the summer months. You can
find further information at http://www.hastpalatset.se/
Diana
Rhodin on Pegasus. Click here to see a slide show from the performance
21
May 2006
The Circus
Museum in Preetz in Germany
is called Erstes Circus-Museum in Deutschland. As the name indicates it is not a Danish
museum. However it is situated only 113 kilometres south of the border between Denmark and
Germany. A couple of weeks ago I visited the museum on my way back from Hamburg where I
together with some other Danish fans had visited Zirkus Charles Knie. And the Circus
museum in Preetz is certainly worth to pay a visit (the same can be said about Zirkus
Charles Knie). You can find further info on the museum at http://www.circus-museum.de/index.html
The Erstes
Circus-Museum in Preetz, Germany. Click here to see some photos from the exhibitions.
14 May 2006
Circus Krone
2006. The Danish
circus Krone is a small dog and pony show and has nothing to do with the large German
Circus. But the quality of the performance in Circus Krone and the other smaller circuses
in Denmark
is high. Danes don't have to see a large circus to se a high quality performance. This
year's performance begins with Jan Allan
(husband to circus owner Irene Thierry) who wants to sit to relax on a chair in the middle
of the ring. He is disturbed by his large white pony and has a last to give up and pull
his horse out of the ring. Then Irene Thierry welcomes the audience. Jan Allan is back
with small liberty ponies. Then you meet Camelia
Bogdan in Washington-trapeze. Camelia and her husband Andreefcu Bogdan toured last
season with Zirkus Charles Knie in Germany.
Camelia is followed by the Danish ventriloquist Preben
Palsgaard together with his talking shoes. Preben is by far the best ventriloquist in Denmark.
Then the clown Allando (alias Jan Allan) enters
the ring hunting a dangerous panda-bear. Then the Bogdan's present a nice version of the
Mechanical Man-clown entrée. After the interval Easy
riders alias Patrick Austin and Lizza King
enter the ring with their carrousel act. Patrick riding a motorbike and Liza performing
trick in a trapeze hanging from a rotating perch. The Preben
Palsgaard assisted by his wife Lisbeth is back with a cowboy entrée including a magical
act: The Spirit
Cabinet. Then we meet Allando and Irene Thiery in a musical clown entrée. They are
followed by Patrick Austin with his comical dog act Sam, the collie. Last act in the
performance is the Bogdan's casceadeur entrée.
The
ventriloquist Preben Palsgaard and his talking shoe. Click here to see a slide show from the performance.
11
May 2006
Alting
har sin pris.
In 2002 the Danish circus queen Diana Benneweis'
published her memories "Alting har sin pris" ("There is a price at
everything") in which she told about her life. The book has become rather popular in Denmark
not at least because Diana openly told about her mental problems. The book is only
available in Danish. Diana has now written a new book called "Livet bliver ikke
genudsendt" (Life will not be repeated). This book will be available from 18
May 2006
and will tell about how one can live a fantastic and interesting life despite mental
problems. The book will as Diana's first book be available in Danish only. The book can be
ordered through Circus Benneweis'
webshop. The price will be 249 DKK (33,50 Euro).
Diana
Benneweis
10 May 2006
Circus No Name.
Bjoern Schult-Bjoernlys who is ringmaster and artistically director of Circus No Name/Team
LA tells that the Team LA
ActivityPark
now has bought a tent to be used by Circus No Name. It is an old tent which so far has
been used for exhibitions. But after some changes it will be well fit as tent for Circus
No Name and their show, which I described on this page on 17 April.
9 May 2006
Donation
to the Circus
Museum
at Hvirovre, Copenhagen.
Benny
Schumann tells that his mother Paulina Schumann has decided to donate two of the beautiful
dresses which she used in Circus Schumann to the Circus
Museum.
Pauline Schumann is a daughter of the late Charlie Rivel. For many years she was married
to Albert Schumann of the famous Danish circus family and was especially know for her
world class high school riding. After she in 1968 stopped as a circus artist she did for a
number of years assist her father Charlie Rivel with his clown act. The Circus
Museum
is most grateful for the gift from one of the grand old ladies of the European Circus
Community.
Paulina
Schumann in one of her beautiful dresses. Together with her the stallion Sabu and her son
Benny. Photo from 1963. From Benny Schumann's private collection.
8
May 2006
The new poster
from the Circus Museum. 2
May I did on this page mention the beautiful new poster which Nelly Jane
Benneweis had created
for the Circus Museum
at Hvidovre, Copenhagen. Here are a couple of pictures of the new poster. It
is for sale at the Circus museum. The price is 50 DKK (6.75 Euro) at the Circus Museum.
Mail the Circus Museum
at cirkusbyen@c.dk if you want to order the poster.
Postage and handling for Europe
will be about 6 Euro.
Nelly Jane Benneweis and museum curator
Poul Sverrild present the new poster. Photo by courtesy of the Circus Museum.
Maybe the new poster will
become a collector's item
4
May 2006
Josef
Dubsky
80 years. On 14 May the Danish clown Josef Albert Dubsky can celebrate his 80 years
birthday. He comes from a very old circus family. He was born in Copenhagen
in 1926 but has for many years had his permanent address on Funen. In 1953 he married
Josette Carmen Andreu, a daughter of the clown Polo Rivel. The couple has two children:
the daughter Tina and the son Janos, who this season tours with Circus Benneweis
presenting his football playing boxer dogs. Tina is working as a sea lion trainer at the
Danish amusement park Faarup Sommerland. Until a few years ago Josef, Josette and Janos as
the Dubys-Rivel family presented a fine
traditional musical clown entrée.
Josef
Dubsky with his violin. Photo: Lise Kokholm
3
May 2006
Rudi Brukson to Circus Dannebrog. As earlier mentioned on
this page one of the
seasons main attractions in Danish Circus Dannebrog the Goty clowns from Spain
cancelled their engagement with short notice, as far as I know for health reasons. Now
they are working for an Italian Circus. For at short while Toto Chabri and his wife Nora
and his partner Gregory stepped in as a replacement. However due to other engagements Toto
made it crystal clear for circus owner Haddy Enoch that they only could help him for a
couple of weeks. Haddy Enoch has now engaged the Italian reprise clown Rudi Brukson for the
remaining part of the season. Rudi is the son of
Hans and Elvira Brukson. With his family (father, sisters and uncles) he toured as member
of The Bruksons doing acrobatic on the tight
wire. They
worked all around the world. A few examples: 1967 South Africa = Circus Boswel Wilkie;
1969 Germany = Circus Karl Althoff; 1970 Hong
Kong = Variety Theatre; 1970 Greece = Green Park Athens; 1974 - 75 Spain = Circus Angel
Cristof, Atlas; 1976 England = Belle-Vue Circus Manchester; 1976 Denmark = Benneweis; 1977
France = Circus Amar, Cirque d'Hiver, Galas; 1978 Palma de Majorca = Variety theatre Son
Amar; Belgium = Circus Boultini;1981 England = Robert Brothers Circus;
1982-83 Germany = Circus Bush Roland; 1986 Singapore = National Circus; 1988 South Africa
= Circus Boswel Wilkie; 1989 Denmark = Circus
Arena; 1990 Italy = Circus Orfe. Rudi and his
partner Sharon started to work as a duo in 1990. They finished working together at the end
of an engagement in Circus Florileggio in Florence
(Italy)
in January 2003. Since then Rudi has continued alone with comedy. He can change the style
of his show depending on the needs or different type of show: comedy juggling or acrobatic
etc. A
couple of times he has worked together with his two uncles Fumagalli and Daris. He says:
"When we can it's always fun!" You can find more about Rudy Brukson
at http://www.brukson.it/
Rudy Brukson. Photo by courtesy of Circus Dannebrog.
2
May 2006
Nelly
Jane makes a poster for the Circus
Museum.
In
2005 the Circus
Museum
at Hvidovre, Copenhagen
decided every year to release a new poster. And this year the artist behind the poster is
the grand old lady of Danish circus Nelly Jane Benneweis. Nelly Jane has told me that she
many years ago was fond of painting and drawing. About a year ago she took up her old
hobby for which she during her year as an active ringmistress and press agent did not have
time. Nelly has shown me a number of fine paintings and drawing of clown figures. One of
those she has offered to the Circus
Museum
which on 2 May proudly could present the beautiful new poster. I hope soon to be able to
show a picture of the poster on this page.
28 April
2006
Film about
Benny Schumann. Benny
Schumann (born
1945, grandson of the late clown Charlie Rivel) has for
some years worked on a film about his own life and the history of the Schumann- and Rivel
family. The first part of the film is now ready and is called "'KROELLER OG
SPAGETTIBEN" ('Curled hair and legs as spaghetti'). The film which runs for 15
minutes will be presented for the public on 6 May at the library in Hjortespring, Copenhagen.
It will tell about Benny's childhood when he was
trained by his parents Albert and Pauline Schumann as a horse-trainer, rider and
multi-artist in the Schumann Circus, Copenhagen,
and some of the acts he presented as a kid. There is also a glimpse of the horse acts he
presented together with his family. As mentioned the film is first part of a larger
project where kilometres of old film and hundred of photos are going to be cut together
with sound and music. Benny sincerely hopes that the public will like his film in
preparation of which he has used a lot of time.
Benny
Schumann as the Danish audience know him today
23
April 2006
Circus
Baldoni
had as earlier mentioned on this page its official opening night in Lyngby on 21 April.
However this was not the first performance in 2006. The first performance took place in
Rönne on Isle of Bornholm on 9 April. Circus owners Thessa and René Mönster have for
some years started their season on Isle of Bornholm and then invited the press etc. to an
official opening night when their show is back in the Copenhagen
area. Opening took place in a brand new four pole tent seating 600 persons. Outside the
tent is blue and red striped. Inside the colour is blue. No quaterpoles. This year the
performance was accompanied by a 3 pieces live band: keyboard, sax and drums. Previous
years taped music was used. The band was well playing and created a very good atmosphere.
The show commenced with run-ins by the Caveagne-troupe's two youngest members Steve and Jones. Then circus owner Baldoni (alias René Mönster) welcomed the
audience, very well assisted by his assistant "Caretaker Nielsen" (the Danish
clown Lars Larna). Then 15 year old Steve presented a diabolo-entrée. It was a nice
act presented with great charm. He was followed by Barbi's
with their plate spinning entrée. The Barbi's has been with Baldoni since 2002 every year
with new acts. After the spinning plates you met Miss
Ottilia in arial ring. Next act was Steve who assisted by his father presented the
run-in with the transistor radio which can play even after it is destroyed by the father.
Then Peytchev entered the ring which actually
is a stage raised half a meter above the ground. He was sweeping the floor. In a trash can
he found a doll who happened to be his partner Fatime
whom he assisted in a nice hula hoop entrée which included some acrobatic features.
Then Baldoni, his ventriloquist doll Leo the Lion and caretaker Nielsen decided that it
was time for an interval. After the interval the show re-commenced with Mr. Jumping (Peytchev Plamen Metodiev) with his
comedy trampoline entrée. A nice version of the entrée with the drunken man and his
swimming pool which as far as I know was introduced many years ago by Larry Griswold and
later on presented in an outstanding version by Don Martinez. Mr. Jumping was followed by
the Barbi's this time with an act with ring perch performed by the father and his 10 year
old daughter Ernita. After him Lars Larna proved that he too could act as a ventriloquist.
But opposite Baldoni Lars proudly admitted that he was moving his lips while talking! Then
we met Jones in a juggling entrée where he was
juggling with three clubs with extremely high speed. e was followed He He was followed by The Baldonis (Thessa and René Mönster) with
their illusion entrée. René is a former magician who under the name Ron Marvin for
several seasons worked for Danish Circus Arena, last time in 1992. Nice to see him back as
a magician. Last act in the performance was the Italian Caveagna clowns with a traditional musical
entrée. It has been very nice to see the increasing quality of the performance in Circus
Baldoni for the last couple of years. This year's performance is the best Thessa and René
has presented so far.
Circus
Baldoni's new tent. Click here to see a slideshow from the performance.
21 April
2006
Circus Baldoni
had its opening night in Lyngby (Copenhagen
suburb) on 21 April. You can read a review when this page is updated next week. Click here to see a slide show from the performance. (The full version of
the slide show might not be ready until 22 April by noon).
The Italian
Caveagna-clowns are among the performers this year in Circus Baldoni. Photo by courtesy of
Circus Baldoni.
17 April
2006
Circus No
Name. Tuesday 18
April will be opening day for a show called "Circus No Name". It is presented in
the Activity Park Team LA in Solbjerg in the northern part of Jutland.
No Name is a pedagogical
hotel for young people. The Activity Park Team LA is situated next to No Name. Luffe Boegh
who for several years has been involved in horse breeding and horse breaking owns no Name
and Team
LA.
Last year Team LA presented a performance with horses and camels, trained and presented by
Luffe Boegh, the former elephant trainer Kim Benneweis and the former circus trick-rider
Bjoern Schult (Bjoern Schult-Bjoernlys).
This year the show is called Circus No Name. Young people from No Name take part in the
performance. The performance is somewhat more professional than in 2005. Bjoern
Schult-Bjoernlys
will be ringmaster. For many years Bjoern and his partner performed a nice trick-riding
act called Björnlys or Bjoernlys. They had their debut in 1975 at Cirque D`Hiver
Bouglione. In 1976 they were with Danish Circus Dania. 1977 saw them in Hippodrome-Circus
in Great Yarmouth in England.
For part of season 1978 they toured with Danish Circus Dannebrog. After that Bjoern worked
for some seasons for Danish Circus Benneweis and in 1982 for Danish Circus Arena. After
Arena he toured with Circo Nando Orfei in Italy,
Cirkus Pinder-Jean Richard and Cirque Diana Moreno. 1987 was Bjoern's last season as a
circus-performer. But now he is back in business. At Circus No Name he will present a show
with the classical elements from circus: trained goats, liberty horses, ponies, the
reprise clown Jesper, a fakir with fire and nails, Cossack riding by Jenovic
Lufkowski, tight
wire, the classical clown entrée the boxing machine etc. And last but not least the
African elephant "Lupni", presented by Sharon
Folco. Sharon
is a sister to Adriana Folco who for the time being tours with Circus Benneweis. Sharon
Folco has also brought some horses and is riding high school together with Luffe Boegh.
Luffe plans later to build a permanent Circus Building
at Team LA.
You can find further information about Team LA (in Danish) at http://www.team-la.dk/.
14 April
2006
Circus
Dannebrog 2006. When Haddy
Enoch (born 1934) and his wife Solveig (born 1937) in 1977 re-established circus Dannebrog
using an old tent bought from circus Royal which gave up touring after the 1972-season
many wondered if Haddy's circus would survive. The first Circus Dannebrog was established
by Haddy's great grandfather in 1880 (other sources say that the starting year was 1897)
and stopped touring in 1930. The first seasons for Haddy's circus were pretty rough. But
in 2006 being Haddy's 30 season as a circus owner everyone have to admit that the Enoch
family has succeeded in establishing a good and large circus.
However the
last couple of months have been rather tough for the Enoch family. Isabella Enoch who
usually is putting the performance on stage was rather badly damaged when she together
with the elephant trainer Bernhard Kasselowsky was involved in a traffic accident in
February. One of the seasons main attractions the Goty clowns had to cancel their
engagement, as far as I know for health reasons. Circus Dannebrog's brand new tent created
some problem as new circus tents always does until the tentmaster and his crew gets
familiar with the tent. And the rather hard winter and very rainy end of March have
changed many circus lots to something close to puddles. It have been a severe problem for
all the Danish circuses.
But when the
press was invited to see the performance on Maundy Thursday in Odense
nobody could see that the Enoch family has had all the problems mentioned. The Enoch
family presented a very strong performance in the variety theatre stile which is Isabella
Enoch's "brand". This year she has due to her accident been assisted by her
smaller sister Katja. The new tent is a Cannobio tent with a diameter of 36 meter.
Outside the colour is white with red ornaments. Inside the colour is dark red. The tent
have 4 king poles and no quarter poles. For some years Circus Dannebrog has used taped
music. But this year the performance was accompanied by a 7 piece band. Real nice with
live music!
First act in
the performance was the juggler Eddy Carello. A talented and charming guy juggling with
footballs in a way which make his act a showstopper. Next act was the hand stand acrobat Miss Olesija, performing at the stage in front of
the bandstand which Dannebrog for some years has used in addition to the ring. Olesija was
followed by the Enoch family's traditional bike act Haddies
Jr. In 2006 performed by Haddy Enoch's son and grandson Dennie and Jimmy Enoch, both
being among the best bike acrobats in Europe. Josefine
Kasselowsky presented a short but nice act in trapeze with tricks Isabella Enoch have
taught her. Then Katja Enoch presented liberty
horses in a nice entrée which showed how much she have been able to teach the horses
during the winter's hard training. Then Bernhard
Kasselowsky (also called Bernhard Casselly) assisted by his daughters Josefine and
Melanie presented his elephant Rambo. If you didn't know it you would hardly be able to
see that Bernhard two months ago was involved in a severe traffic accident. Last act
before the interval was Glatvatskies in a nice
entrée in roman ring and arial cradle. First act after the interval was Josefine and Daniel Igen with their dogs. Then the
audience once again met the juggler Eddy Carello
in another great entrée where he was bouncing balls against a drum set. Impressive and
spectacular! After that it was time for ringmistress Agnete Louise Enoch to ask the audience if they
wanted to see clowns. Of cause the answer was yes. And then Agnete presented the audience
for one of the best loved clowns in Europe:
Belgian Toto Chabri. Toto has together with his
wife Nora and his partner Gregory for a couple of weeks been engaged to replace the
Goty's. Although Toto this year can celebrate his 75 years birthday you did not feel that
he was an elderly person when you saw his classical entrées "Load - Unload",
the music entrée and the ballerina entrée. Easy to understand that the audience in Odense
was enthusiastic about Toto Chabri & Co! After the clowns Josefine Kasselowsky riding on horseback presented
her father's camels. Then Josefine and Daniel
Igen presented their goats. Last act in the programme was a fine act in flying trapeze
The flying Michaels.
Rambo and
Bernhard Kasselowsky and his daughters. Click here to see a slide show from the performance.
12 April
2006
Copenhagen's
famous Tivoli Gardens does unfortunately not any longer present acrobat
acts as free attraction. But in the Danish comedian Soren Ostergaard's Tivoli Variety you can this
summer apart from Soren and a female actress Sidse Babett Knudsen and the singers The
Oysters Sisters meet the Finnish magician Marko
Karvo. You can read more about Marko Karvo at www.markokarvo.com.
11 April
2006
Circus Arcus present a new wave
performance. Hvidovre's youth circuses Circus
Regnbueboern changed last year their name to Circus Arcus. In a press release from Circus
Arcus they tell that one of their troupes with performers aged 14 to 23 this year will
present a new wave circus performance called "Lifetime”. Then performance can be
seen 4 to 6 May in a tent at a circus lot close to the Circus museum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen. Further information and
ticket ordering at + 45 36 49 78 47 or by sending an email to trine.thejls@tdcadsl.dk.
From a performance in Circus Arcus.
Photo by courtesy of Circus Arcus
10 April
2006
Fund donation
to the Circus Museum at
Hvidovre, Copenhagen. The
foundation Realdania was established in late 2000 following a merger of two large
financial institutions. At the end of 2005 Realdania's net capital amounted to approx 3.9
billion Euro. The foundation has just granted 675,000 Euro to the Circus Museum
at Hvidovre, Copenhagen.
The amount shall together with an amount of 375,000 which another foundation granted a
year ago be used to convert an old forge close to the Circus Museum
to an adventure centre to be used by the museum and its visitors.
8
April 2006
Opening of
the newest special exhibition at the Circus museum
at Hvidovre, Copenhagen
with photos taken by popular radio host Leif
Wivelsted took place on 7 April. While Hvidovre's Lord Mayor Britta Christensen and
the museums chairman Milton Graff was watching the elephant Tonga assisted by her owner
René Caselly, Pjerrot, the African multiacrobat Samson and the Danish clown BonBon opened
the exhibition. All of the artist is this year working at Circus Arena. Tonga even run
into the building, took at look at Circus Dannebrog's ringmistress Agnete Louise Enoch's beautiful costumes and then
went outside again to have the carrots he has been promised! Luckily enough for the museum
he did not take the stairs to the first floor. For this reason his missed the interesting
exhibition with black and white photos taken by Leif Wivelsted. Leif
Wivelsted has told me that he started taking photos of artist and clowns in Circus Arena
in 2000.
Leif: Tonga
and Pjerrot. Right: Leif Wivelsted in front of
some of his photos
5 April 2006
The Danish
dog and pony show Circus Mascot opened season 2006 in
Roslev in the northern part of Jutland
on 30 March. In this years performance you will meet Edward & Galina with cube acrobatic, the
juggler Mr. Valery, Miss Tania with a hula hoop entrée and the clown Gulio (Ulmas Gulamov) assisted by Andreas Deleuran. Andreas is son of circus owners
Marianne and Jess Deleuran. He is now 8 years old and has during the winter prepared a
diabolo juggling entrée which he now will show the audience. His big brother Daniel Deleuran has practised his rola bola act
and is now using a number of cubes. Marianne
Deleuran will present her poodles and Jess
Deleuran his ponies. During the season Circus Mascot will visit a number of smaller
cities in Jutland and Funen and also some villages at Zealand on their way to and from
'Sommerland Sjaelland' (an amusement park at Zealand) where Circus Mascot will be a free
attraction in July.
Gulio the clown
3 April
2006
1 April was
opening day for the small Danish Circus Arli. The
performance was as always very nice and is presented by circus owner Soren Arli's daughter
in law Bettina Arli. First act in the performance is Kristaps who is juggling with cigar boxes. He
is followed by Gola in a charming and poetic
entrée where she combines a date with a hat stand with a quick-change act. Then Martin Arli enters the ring in an amusing entrée
where a picture he has drawn on a table suddenly moves eyes and mouth and even begins to
talk. Martin is followed by Ina Sopava in a
charming entrée with her three dash dogs. After her we met Soren Arli's grandson Alexander Arli in comical entrée as the fireman
who shall rescue a cat (a doll) hanging in a wire from the top of the tent. Last act
before the interval was Oleg with a nice
handstand entrée in which he was assisted by his partner Olga (alias Gola). After the
interval Kristaps and Ina came back with a comical Wild West act called Dixie Rollers. Then Alexander Arli did some step-dancing. Next act was
Madam Sebesevych (alias Olga/Gola) with a
great entrée in arial ring. Then we met the children's favourite: the clowns Martino & Co. This year with Soren Arli as
the white faced clown and his son and grandson Martin and Alexander as augustes
in baggy-pants with exaggerated make up and clothing. Soren decided to stop his long career
as white-faced clown after season 2000. But Martin and Alexander has persuaded Soren to
have a comeback. The trio presented the classical busy bee entrée and ended their act
with a musical entrée with Martin on trombone, Alexander on trumpet and Sore nom
saxophone. Last act in the programme was Ina Sopava
with a nice foot juggling entrée in which she was wearing boots with stiletto heels!
Søren Arli
as white faced clown. Click here to see a slide show from this year's Arli-performance
29 March 2006
28 March was opening night for Circus Dannebrog. It has for many years been a
tradition that the opening take place in Vojens in the southern part of Jutland where a local supermarket
is sponsor for the opening performance. This year opening took place in a brand new tent.
And this year's performance was accompanied by a 7 piece live band. For some years
Dannebrog has used taped music. It was nice to have a live band back. Despite his severe
traffic accident about a month ago Bernhard
Kasselowsky managed himself to present his elephant Rambo in the ring. Danish circus
historian Jorgen Lorenzen tells that it was impressive and touching to see Bernhard enter
the ring - dressed in all white - with his elephant. The most impressive act amongst many
good acts was The Flying Michaels (flying
trapeze). Jorgen said that it was great to see such am act in a tent with a diameter of
only 36 meter. A full report with photos
from the performance will follow after the "press opening night" on 13 April.
27
March 2006
From
18 to 21 May there is once again Clown Festival in Svendborg, Funen
Island.
In this years festival you will meet clowns from Denmark,
Sweden,
Norway,
Finland,
UK,
Wales,
Spain,
USA,
Germany,
Holland,
France,
Poland,
Russia
and New
Zealand.
The programme will follow the concept from previous years with clowns arriving on
Wednesday. Thursday and Friday the clowns will perform for children, at hospitals, at old
folks homes etc. Thursday night there will be an international clown gala show. Saturday
there is a clown parade and clown performances in the downtown streets. You can find
further information at www.klovnefestival.dk
24
March 2006
23
March was opening night for the oldest of the Danish circuses Circus Benneweis.
As
in 2003 the main attraction was the Italian world class clown Fumagalli (awarded with a silver clown in Monte
Carlo 2001) performing together with his brother Darius. Fumagalli (Gianni Huesca) and
Darius Huesca are former teeterboard and tight wire acrobats and toured Denmark with
Circus Benneweis first time in 1976 together with their brother-in law Hans Brukson. At that time Fumagalli was a young and gifted
acrobat. Today he is among the hottest names in the European circus world. Great that the
Danish audience once again can meets this outstanding artist. The 2006 performance began
with an entrée with Fumagalli and Darix who
also had a number of run-ins during the performanace. After the two brothers Benneweis'
new ring mistress Judy Glosted welcomed the
audience riding one of Adriana Folco's horses. She was followed by a talented young
juggler Jemil Mertinez juggling with soccer
balls. Next act was Duo Splash in a
beautifully choreographed act in arial cradle. Then
came Dubsky's soccer-playing
boxer dogs. An act created as long back as in 1939 (however not with the dogs performing
in 2006!). The present owner Janos Dubsky (former white-faced clown with the Dubsky-Rivel
family) has put his very own fingerprint on the act. Last act before the interval was Fumagalli's
two sons Nini and Nico (Giovanni and Nicolai) who under the name Huesca Brothers presented an excellent Risley act.
After the interval Fuma Boys entered the ring
-old fashion
acrobats in the shape of Fumagalli, Darix, Nini, Nico and Marek Benneweis. A very funny
entrée which we have never before seen in Denmark.
Fuma Boys was followed by an unusual act in a Danish circus ring: large colourful macaw
parrots presented in a most charming way by Fochesato
and partner. They were followed by the act which got the largest applause on the opening
night: the three acrobats from Street Kick in a
number of impressive leaps and salts. Then came Fumagalli,
Darix and Marek Benneweis with Fumagalli's very own version of the Busy Bee-entrée.
Last acrobat in the ring was Adriana Folco with
her elephant Baby. She was followed by a short
intermezzo where Judy Glosted accompanied by
the Circus Benneweis orchestra sang "Smile" while the circus grooms was building
a water organ in the ring. An impressive and spectacular end of a very nice performance.
The organ is as far as I have understood owned by Adriana Folco who now can offer circus
managers an elephant act as well as a water organ finale.
Former Benneweis ring mistress Nelly Jane Benneweis and
Fumagalli before the performance. Click here to see at slide show with photos from the performance
22
March 2006
Opening night at Circus
Arena. Brian
"Briano" Behrendt was among the invited guest at Circus Arena's opening night on
21 March 2006. Brian
writes: "The focus of the entire performance is on Circus under water. The
performance began with short run-in by the Danish clown BonBon dressed in a diving suit and with a small
umbrella splashing water. A nice entrée. After this circus owner Benny Berdino welcomed his audience. The next act
was called Hail Atlantis. Patrick Berdino and a
medium sized dapple-grey pony entered the ring with a fancy chariot decorated in beautiful
blue colours with dolphins. He was followed by Suzanne
Berdino on one of the new Andalusia horses
from last year. She was joined by her daughters Stephanie
and Charmaine. Also Marylou Caselly was in then ring riding high
school followed by her mother Alexia with a
jumping and skipping horse also doing a Capriole. At last Oliver entered the ring with another chariot in
same colours but decorated with unicorns. All of the performers was wearing beautiful
turquoise blue costumes. After the high school riding Suzanne Berdino entered the ring
with the liberty horse act Arena have bought from Yasmin Smart a short while ago. The
horses were beautifully dressed up. Next act was Les
Sandros with rola bola. According to the printed programme they should have been
followed by Madeleine in vertical rope and arial ring. However she did not perform at the
opening night. Thus, Sandor was followed by the Russian reprice clowns Duet Blues. On of the clowns was Jigalov's partner
from the Monte Carlo festival
2006. The clowns were followed by Russian Risley act acrobats Kuskov using motorbikes as trinkas. Then Duet
Blues had a run-in. Then came the German escape artist Peter Valence with one of Houdini's old tricks.
Impressive! Last act before the interval was Caselly's
elephants and Andalusia horses in
a nice new combination. During the interval the water show facilities was installed.
Second part of the performance started with The Little Mermaid (Marrylou Caselly) entering the water-filled ring
in a gondola and in a beautiful costume. Se presented a nice contortion act - very well
done by an artist who according the then printed programme is only 14 years of age. Then BonBon has his entrée Singning in the rain. A
nice new entrée with 5 x Bon Bon. After him came The
Starlights with a roller skate act with a fine trick involving two persons from the
audience. Then we meet Jorge C Junior with
ladder balancing. I believe he is son of George Cardinalli who assisted him. He was
followed by BonBon with The Turtels rap, which
is one of my favourite entrées. After him Peter
Valence presented a very good illusion followed by the Cardinalli's sea lion act combined with sea lions
in the water. Last acrobat in the performance was Encho
with an outstanding handstand act. By my opinion the best act in the performance. He was
followed by a laser show before the finale. Arena has created a new and very entertaining
program with a lot of light and sound effects as well as other effects. And they have
managed to create a fancy water spectacle. I wish Arena and their entire staff a good
season and I look forward to visiting them again in 2007. Briano's Circus Travels."
When Circus Arena
concludes their 2006 season in Denmark circus
owner Benny Berdino will bring his entire show to Holland. In Mexico an
"old" acrobat and friend of the Berdino family is following what happens in the
European Circus world. It is Carlos Kahman alias the contortionist Charly Ross ("Die Schlange"). About
Arenas tour to Holland Charly writes: There is no other big circus in Holland this
year, and the period during which they will be in Holland is good.
As well the water show is new again for Holland, so I
really hope that they are doing well as they are very nice people and hard workers, they
deserve it!
BonBon with the
entrée Singing in the rain. Photo: Christian Warrer/Circus Arena
21
March 2006
Michael
Deutsch's magical show in Copenhagen.
The
Danish gentleman thief Kenny Quinn saw Danish
star class magician Michael Deutsch's illusions show “A Magic Adventure” when it
visited Copenhagen
on 18 March. It is the largest illusions show which ever has toured Denmark
and according to Kenny it is of the same high standard as magical shows presented in Copenhagen
by magicians as American David Copperfield and Swedish Joe Labero. There were standing
ovations to Michael and his crew after the performance.
From
the finale. Photo by courtesy of Michael Deutsch
18
March 2006
As
the first of the Danish circuses Circus Charlie
had its opening night on 16 March in very cold weather. Danish TV2 Nord visited Circus
Charlie in the days prior to the opening. Click here to see what Danish television watches could see on 17
March (when you come to the page chose the date 17. marts and then click at no 7
"Cirkus Charlie trodser kulden" in the right hand column).
16
March 2006
Judy
Glosted as ringmistress in Circus Benneweis.
Since Nelly
Jane Benneweis
in 1994 decided to stop as ringmistress or sprechstallmeister, as it is called in Danish
and German, Circus Benneweis has only for one or two seasons used a ringmaster. But for
the 2006-season circus owner Diana Benneweis has decided to re-introduce a ringmistress or
compère as it is called in a slightly more modern language. Circus Benneweis new compére
is named Judy Glosted. Her mother was a circus artist and her father is a musician. Her
sister is a well-known Danish actress. Judy is self-taught as singer, dancer and musician.
For several years she toured Denmark
as an entertainer. A few years ago she decided to settle down and became manager at a
conference centre at Glud, close to Horsens
in Jutland.
But she has always been fascinated by circus. And when Diana made her an offer she did not
hesitate to accept it. She is looking forward to enter the ring and welcome the audience
and guide them through the performance. "Judy is with great success using some of my
smart old costumes," Diana Benneweis tells with a smile.
13
March 2006
Melanie
and Josephine Casselly
will this year have the responsibility for the camels and elephants at Circus Dannebrog. Although their father Bernhard
Kasselowsky is back from hospital after the traffic accident in Germany
on 17 February it has been decided that it will be his two daughters who shall present his
animals during the coming season. Josephine will present the camels and the girls will
jointly go in the ring with the two elephants. They have trained hard all winter in order
to be able to present new tricks etc.
12
March 2006
Circus
Mille sold.
There has never been a touring Circus Mille in Denmark.
But since the Circus
Museum
at Hvidovre, Copenhagen
opened on 1
September 2001
an impressive model circus called Circus Mille has been on display. It is created by Knud
Munch from Rönne (Isle of Bornholm) in scale 1:20. It was one the few items on display
not owned by the museum, which rented it from Knud Munch. The museum has for a long while
been interested in purchasing Circus Mille but could not agree on the price with Knud
Munch. Now Knud Munch has sold his model circus to Benny Berdino of Circus Arena. It will
be taken to Circus Arena's winterquarter at Slagelse, which the Berdino-family wants to
make to some sort of winter amusement park. It is easy to understand that Knud Munch was
tempted by a nice offer from Benny Berdino and that the Berdino's believe that the model
circus will be of interest for all those they hope to see at their winterquarter. It is a
bit sad for the Circus
Museum
to have to say goodbye to Circus Mille, which is the only Danish build model circus of
this size. On the European market there is several model circuses. With a bit of luck the Circus
Museum
at Hvidovre will some day be able to acquire another model circus for a price they can
accept and afford.
Circus
Mille as it looked when it was on display at the Circus
Museum
at Hvidovre, Copenhagen.
12
March 2006
Benny Berdino
and the Danish radio hit list. Benny Berdino of Circus Arena is sometimes called the
singing circus owner. He has made several CD's and has a number of times been on the
Danish radio's hit list. For the time being his song "Fiesta Mexicana" is placed
number 8 at the Danish at the Danish radios hit list. Last week it was number 9.
10
March 2006
Patrick
Austin and Liza King to Danish Circus Krone.
The English Circus Magazine King Pole's spring issue tells that Patrick Austin and Liza King who were married in
Cape Town, South Africa on 19 November for the coming summer season are going to Denmark
with the Danish dog and pony show Circus Krone. Liza King toured with Circus Krone in 2001
as the female partner in a double trapeze act, Duo Mawendo. Liza is born in South
Africa.
Patrick Austin is English. His father Mike Austin owns Circus Ginnett. Liza came to England
and joined Tony Hopkins' show with Duo Mawendo. Liza joined Zippo's Circus in 2004 where
she did two aerial acts and met Patrick. Patrick and Liza have been with Robert Brother'
Famous Circus at Christmas. This season with Circus Krone they will be doing the dog act
with Sam, the collie, the carousel act and Liza does a single rings and silk act. Jan
Allan of Circus Krone confirms that Patrick and Liza are with Circus Krone in the summer
season 2006. Other artists in this years performance is the Danish ventriloquist Preben Palsgaard and his wife and partner Lisbet (repeaters from 2005), Bulgarian Bogdan and Camelia Lazar. And of cause circus
owner Irene Thierry and Jan Allan (also known as the clown Alando) with
clown entrées and small and larger horses. Season opening is in Torring on 2 April.
Further information ion Circus Krone can be seen at www.cirkuskrone.dk
9
March 2006
Circus
Arli 2006.
The Arli family (Soren and Lotte Arli with their son and daughter in love Martin and
Bettina and their grandchild Alexander) has released the program for season 2006. They are
calling the performance Vild med savsmuld
(Danish for Crazy for sawdust). As the later years Bettina
Arli is ringmistress. Kristaps should be a
great juggler and Olga & Oleg will present
an excellent handstand act. Ina Sopova is a
skilled foot juggler and Dixie Rollers will
dressed as cowboys present a Wild West act. Madam
Sebesevych can be seen in trapeze. Gola
will show their quick-change entrée. As far as I know none of the artist have before
visited Denmark
or other of the Scandinavian countries. Of cause also members of the Arli family can be
seen in the ring. Martino & Co.
are classical clowns. This year circus owner Soren Arli will join Martin and Alexander as
a white-faced clown. For many years Soren worked as a whiteface. Even before he and Lotte
established their own circus. He decided to retire as a clown after season 2000. But this
year Martin, Alexander and Bettina have persuaded Soren to get a comeback as whiteface. 18
year old Alexander Arli is a very skilled and
versatile artist. This year he will dressed as a fireman present a ladder balance entrée.
Furthermore Circus Arli will in season 2006 present an act called Agent 006½ - recruitment of secret agents. I
would not be surprised if the Agent 006½ turns up to be Martin Arli. Circus Arli start
season 2006 on 1 April at Floeng. You can read more about Circus Arli at www.arli.dk or at this page in the section
called Facts about Circus Arli.
Martino
& Co - Martin, Soren and Alexander Arli. Photo by courtesy of Circus Arli
8
March 2006
Small change in the program at Circus Arena. The
English arial acrobat Laura Miller should have
been one of the performers in Circus Arena in 2006. However, she will be replaced by an
act called Black Sun. Is should be a
fascinating combination of air and water.
According
to the updated version of the press release from Circus Arena the performers in the coming
season will be: Les Sandros, Rola Bola; The Starlights, roller skates; Encho, handstand;
Duet Blues, American clowns; BonBon, the Danish world class clown;George Cardinalli,
ladder balancing; Black Sun, impressive combination of air and water; René and Alexia
Caselly with 4 African elephants and 4 Andalusian horses; Marylou Caselly, contortion; Duo
Cardinalli, sealions; Troupe Kuskov, Risley act on motor bikes; Peter Valence, magician
and escape artist; Suzanne and Carsten Berdino, liberty horses.
6
March 2006
Duo
Aerius at Tigerpalast.
Danish arial acrobats Esben and Maja Aerius can
until 25 June bee seen with their fine act in arial cradle at Tigerpalast Variety Theatre
in Frankfurt
in Germany.
From 7 July to 8 September the two young Danes will be at Blankenberge Variety Theatre in Belgium.
Duo
Aerius
5
March 2006
Flying trapeze
at Circus Dannebrog 2006. It
is Haddy Enoch's 30th season as circusowner. For the season he has bought a
beautiful new tent in a dark red colour, slightly larger than his old tent. And he will
for the first time ever present a flying trapeze act in his circus: Brazilian The Flying Michaels, who amongst other tricks will
perform the triple and a double salto where the artist is blindfolded! Clowns this year
with Dannebrog is Les Gotys who was among the
performers at this year's circus festival in Monte
Carlo.
They were also with Dannebrog in 1997. Eddy Carello
is a skilled juggler using footballs. The
Haddies jr. jr. is the Enoch family's own bike act. Especially the circus owner's
grandson Jimmy Enoch is a bike acrobat of international standard. He has just returned
after several months at Hagenbecks Dinner-Zirkus in Hamborg,
Germany.
Glavatskies will present a nice arrial act.
They were also with Dannebrog in 1993. And of cause there will be a lot of animals with
Dannebrog; Josephine and Daniel Igen will
present their dogs and goats. Miss Koschi
will present the camels owned by her father Bernhard Kasselovsky. Katja Enoch will present liberty horses from
Circus Dannebrog's own stables in a brand new liberty routine. And Caselly's (Bernhard Kasselovsky's) elephants will
also be a part of the show. Circus Dannebrog will open their season on 28 March. You can
find further information on Circus Dannebrog on www.cirkus-dannebrog.dk and at this page in the section called Facts about Circus Dannebrog.
4
March 2006
Circus
Benneweis 2006.
Diana Benneweis has kindly permitted me to release the 2006-program for her circus. It has
for a long while been known that the famous clown Fumagalli
(Gianni Fumagalli Huesca) as in 2003 together with his brother Daris have been engaged for Circus Benneweis'
2006-season. This time Fumagalli will bring his own acrobat troupe, Fuma-Boys, with their fantastic version of how
they believe that acrobats looked and were working in 1900. His two sons Nino and Nico who
as Huesca Brothers present a Risley act furthermore join Fumagalli. Fumagalli and his team
comes directly from Munich
where they have been main attraction in Circus Krone's indoor show in the Krone
Circus
Building.
Amongst the other artist who can be seen in Circus Benneweis in 2006 is the juggler Jemiel Martinez, who is third generation from the
well-known family of jugglers. As in 2005 pretty Italian Adriana Folco will present her elephant Baba. The three acrobats from the trampoline troupe Street Kick comes from Ukraine.
Their names are Sergei Bukhovtsev, Pavlo Masalykin and Mikhailo Soon. Yevgen Abakumov and
Inessa Lvova are also from Ukraine.
They present an arial cradle act under the name Duo
Splash. Alex Fochesato
is fifth generation from an Italian circus family. He presents his macaw parrots. The
macaws are the largest specimen of parrots in the world. Janos Dubsky will present his soccer-playing boxer
dogs. Janos has recently toured Asia
and South
Africa
with The
Great Moscow Circus. Opening day for Circus Benneweis in 2006 will be 23 March in
Hillerod, 20 miles north of Copenhagen.
Fumagalli.
Photo taken in Circus Benneweis in 2003
3
March 2006
Sine
Andersen took
part in the Danish version of the TV-show StarSearch
on 3
March 2005.
She performed with her two ventriloquist dolls and won the category 'comedy'. She will now
continue to the finale of the popular TV-show.
Signe Andersen.
Photo:
Lise Kokholm
2
March 2006
New Peter Hoeg-novel about a circus artist. The
internationally well-known Danish author Peter Hoeg (his most well-known book is the
best-seller Miss Smillas' Feeling For Snow from
1992) will on 19 May release a new novel, the first he has written for 10 years. The title
of the novel will be The silent Girl. The head character is a 42-year old world famous
circus artist Kasper Krone. The book will be published in Danish. It seems very likely
that the book will be translated to several languages, including English.
2
March 2006
Danish
trapeze star Isabella Enoch was after the
traffic accident which I mentioned at this page on 24 February taken to a hospital in Bremen,
Germany. On 1 March she was well enough to be transferred to
a hospital in Aabenraa in the southern part of Jutland,
close to her home and the winter quarter of the Enoch family's Circus Dannebrog. But she
will be confined to her bed for some length of time. The elephant trainer Bernhard Kasselowsky had hoped that he could leave the hospital
during this week. But the doctors have persuaded him to stay for at while longer at the
hospital in Bremen.
Rumours telling that he has been discharged from hospital are not true. But he is
undoubtedly missing his elephant. And the elephant is missing their owner and trainer.
2
March 2006
Opening
days. The
first Danish circus to start season 2006 will be Circus
Charlie. Einar Trie and his team have opening night in Aalborg
on 17 March. The following day Circus Arena has
dress rehearsal in Copenhagen.
The official opening night is however not until 21 March. On 23 March Circus Benneweis has season opening in Hillerod
north of Copenhagen.
On 28 march Circus Dannebrog will have their
first performance in 2006 in Vojens in the southern part of Jutland.
30 March is opening day for Circus Mascot in
Roslev in the northern part of Jutland.
1 April Circus Arli will start their
2006-seadon at Floeng, not far away from the Danish capital Copenhagen.
8 April Circus Baldoni will give this year's
first performance in Ronne on the Isle of Bornholm. Opening night for Baldoni on Zealand
will be 21 April in the Copenhagen
suburb Lyngby. I am missing information on opening night for Irene Thierry's dog and pony
show Circus Krone. It might be on 6 April,
when Circus Krone can be seen in Tonning in Jutland.
A tour list and information on how to get tickets for the circuses mentioned can be found
at What's on. - Some
opening nights for circuses in Sweden:
Circus Maximum has opening night 23 March in
Älvsered north of Gothenburg. The Trolle Rhodin-family's Circus Brazil Jack has opening night in Malmö on
24 March. Circus Olympia has season opening in
Oskarström on 8 April.
28
February 2006
Katja
and the horses (in
Danish Katja og hestene) is the title of a
subpage under the section 'Cirkusliv' (Circus Life) at Circus Dannebrog's webpage. Last
season Circus Dannebrog bought some new horses. Responsibility for the horses was given to
Katja Enoch, youngest daughter of circus owner Haddy Enoch and his wife Solveig. It was
also Katja who presented the horses in a liberty routine in Circus Dannebrog in 2006.
Katja is very enthusiastic about her job. After the close of season 2005 she has every day
trained the horses for several hours. New tricks are introduced. Training takes place in a
training ring at Circus Dannebrog's winterquarter at Molby north of Vojens in the southern
part of Jutland.
You can see some photos and find further information (in Danish) at http://www.cirkus-dannebrog.dk/
27
February 2006
Circus
Baldoni 2006.
Some of the performers have been know for quite a while. But the circus owners Thessa and
René Moenster have now released the full program for 2006. The look forward to welcome
the audience in a brand new with very good facilities for the audience.
The
2006 program is called The great Circus Party
(in Danish 'Den store Cirkusfest'). Thessa and René promises their audience a splendid
show with artist from all ower Europe
and this year accompanied by a live band: Polish Tomek
Krawczyk and his trio. Performers are the Italian Cavaegna clowns, Mr. Jumping (Peytchev Plamen Metodiev) with his
comedy trampoline entrée, perch with Barbi
family, the hula hoop acrobat Miss Fatime, the juggler and breakdancer Steve, the diablo juggler Jones, the plate spinning The Barbi's, magical illusions by Ron Marvin & Daniella, the arial acrobat Miss Otilia, the caretaker clown Hr. Nielsen (alias the Danish clown Lars Larna)
and circus owner Baldoni alias Rene Monster and
his lion Leonardo (a ventriloquist doll). The
Barbi family has worked for Circus Baldoni for some years, every year with new entrées.
Also Lars Larna has for some seasons worked for his old pal René. Last time in 2005 where
was amongst the audience's favourites when playing the part of Circus Baldoni's figure the
caretaker clown. Magician Ron Marvin (alias René Monster) performed in large Danish
Circus Arena in 1986 and again from 1989 to 1993. Further information on Baldoni's 2006
program can be found at http://www.baldoni.dk/
24
February 2006
Isabella
Enoch and Bernhard Kasselowsky involved in severe traffic accident. On their way to Paris
in order to participate in their late friend Gilles
Gonnerton's funeral Danish trapeze star Isabella Enoch and the elephant trainer Bernhard
Kasselowsky was early the morning on 17 February involved in a severe traffic accident on
thenhighway close to Bremen
in Germany.
Isabella broke an arm and a leg and had a severe concussion of the brain. Bernhard who was
driving the car got some injuries in his head and in his chest. Both were taken to local
hospitals but should now be getting better. Luckily enough none of their injuries should
be of a permanent character. But both will be confined to their beds for some length of
time. And we will certainly not see Isabella in trapeze in this year's performance in her
fathers Circus Dannebrog.
Isabella
Enoch. Photo taken at a performance in Isabella's Dinnershow Trapeze in 2005 by Ronald
Timmermann
23
February 2006
New
wave Circus Festival in Copenhagen
from 23 June to 16 July. During
the festival there will be a lot of activities such as performances, workshops, an open
stage for coming artists and professional artist etc. Among the performances will be a
French company 2 rien merci, with their performance "Moulin Cabot" and the
Spanish duo Escarlata Circus with their family performance "Llenties i Marabú".
Also AFUK (the Copenhagen
circus and artist school) will present a performance at the open stage. The festival will
be arranged by KIT (Copenhagen International Theatre) in co-operation with the Theatre
Kaleidoskop, the Dance Stage and AFUK. The main sponsor is the City of Copenhagen.
23
February 2006
A lot of circus performances could bee seen as
free attractions at Danish shopping malls during the school childrens winter holiday in
week 7 and 8. And several artists could be seen in more than one shopping centre. Benny Schumann performed in Slagelse in week 7 and
in Glostrup in week 8. The sea lion trainer Steven
Pedersen was in Slagelse in week 7 and in Odense
in week 8. The photo below was taken during his performance in Slagelse. The
German-Russian couple Yvo Antoni and Marina
could be seen in Ballerup in week 7 and in Odense
in week 8. The photo below is from their performance in Ballerup. Click here if you want to see a slide show from Circus BonBon in Ballerup.
Benny
Schumann, the sealions and Steven Pedersen. Photo by courtesy of Benny Schumann
Buble
Gums alias Marina and Yvo Antoni
22
February 2006
Circus
Arena
has made a minor change in their press release regarding the coming season: as anticipated
they have had to delete the arial act Antares
from their program following the tragically accident in Paris
where one of the artist fall to dead. The remaining program for Circus Arena is unchanged
and includes among others Laura Miller in
arial ring. For several years Laura performed together with Antares in German Circus Flic
Flac. Laura as well as Antares was among the performers at the Circus Festival in Monte
Carlo
in 2005.
21
February 2006
New tents for three Danish circuses. When season
2006 begin in March three of the Danish circuses will have brand new tents. Circus Dannebrog has bought a new tent in Italy
with a diameter of 36 meter, slightly larger and higher than their old tent and without
quarter poles. Circus Baldoni has purchased a
new tent in Germany.
Diameter is 26 meter and circus owner René Moenster has just picked up the tent in Germany.
The king poles made by René and his team are almost ready. Colours of the tent are red
and blue and the tent is without quarter poles. Jess and Marianne Deleuran from Circus Mascot has bought a new tent for their
circus. The size is the same as their old tent. And the manufacturer is from Denmark:
Festi Telti v/Fabian Kawalec from Funen
Island.
20
February 2006
Many visitors at Circus Arena's winterquarter.
Circus
Arena did open the doors for the public to their winterquater in Slagelse in week 7.
Several visitors have informed me that the opening was a success with more than 1,000
visitors on some of the opening days. Next time the winter quarter will be open to the
public will be in November when Circus Arena is back from the trip to Holland
which is planed during the autumn after their summer tour in Denmark
16
February 2006
A Magic Adventure Tour 2006. You can not see many
magical shows in Denmark.
But from 22 February to ultimo March Danish star class magician Michael Deutsch will tour with a show called A
Magic Adventure Tour 2006. I quote from the press release presenting the show:
There
are forces in the universe that are invisible to most, but for a select few they are part
of a larger reality. In "A Magic Adventure Tour 2006", Michael Deutsch carries
you away into his world on an amazing journey filled with laughter and wonder. With nimble
elegance and a twinkle in his eye, magician Michael Deutsch keeps his audience riveted for
a full 90 minutes. Experience hazardous illusions that involve motorcycles, cranes and
machines that have otherwise taken the lives of other magicians. See how playing cards,
paper money, coins and personal items are transformed, disappear and reappear right in
front of your very eyes – illusion or magic, you decide! "A Magic Adventure Tour
2006" is certainly a first-rate international show. With the help of an impressive
scene set-up, including lighting, sound, shock effects and large screens, Michael Deutsch
goes beyond the stage, bringing the audience closer to the illusion than ever seen before
in Denmark.
Four professionals perform fabulous dance numbers and assist with large illusions.
International magician Michael Deutsch is able to present a blend of complicated tricks
with plenty of humour and mystery, giving audiences an experience for a lifetime.
15
February 2006
Kenny
Quinn and Joan
who for the time being can been seen at Hagenbeck´s Dinner-Zirkus in Hamburg together
with among others Konrad & John-John Thuranos (see photo) are fully booked for season
2006. After Hagenbeck they will tour with Swedish Circus Olympia. And when Olympia
in the autumn end their summer season Kenny Quinn & Joan will present their elegant
gentlemanthief-entrée at EUROPA-PARK’S Winter Dinner Spectacle until 31
January 2007.
Europa-Park in Rust is one or Germanys
largest amusement parks. It is situated in the southern part of Germany.
Kenny
Quinn, Konrad Thur, Joan Quinn and John-John Thur. Photo by courtesy of Kenny Quinn
14
February 2006
When
Steven Pedersen end his one-week job with
Benny Schumann in the West Zealand Shopping Mall in Slagelse he will go to Odense where he
together with his three sealions and two penguins will perform for a week at Circus Kenny in the Rosengaardscentret (a large
shopping mall). Other performers at Circus Kenny will be the Bubi Ernesto clowns. As usual the
Kenny-performance will be presented by ringmistress Agnete Louise Enoch.
12
February 2006
Circus
Arena 2006.
"300.000 enthusiastic spectators saw Circus Arena's performance in 2005," press
agent Christian Warrer of Circus Arena writes in his press release regarding the program
in 2006. The press release continues: "In our new production 2006 - Circus under
Water - we can promise the audience a performance of the same high quality with a unique
composition of tradition and renewal. Water and fire has for all times fascinated human
beings and in the circus world you could as long back as 1886 for the first time see a
circus ring filled with water. With the water and the traditional circus Arena has now
created a show which by using the newest laser and computerbased technique creates new
dimensions for what the artist can present. But the audience shall not be missing the
traditional circus performance: horses, elephants, clowns, arial artists and magicians.
'Strong men and pretty girls are still a vital part of the circus performance', circus
owner Benny Berdino tells. He do remember that he as a kid was impressed by a poster for a
Circus under water. 'The magic of the water is unchanged and even if we produce
traditional circus we also want to create something new. I believe that seeing what we can
do in a circus tent will impress the audience'.
In
the performance the audience can meet Les Sandros,
Rola Bola at a high level. The Starlights
roller skate act. Encho, outstanding control of
the human body. Duet Blues, American clowns in
a water show. BonBon, the Danish world class
clown. George Cardinalli, impressive ladder
balancing. Laura Miller, queen of the air. René and Alexia Caselly with their 4 African
elephants in a new entrée combined with 4 Andalusian horses. Marylou, Then little Mermaid (contortion). Duo Cardinalli, cheerful sealions in the water. Troupe Kuskov, Risley act, will bring the
performance into the 21 century using their motor bikes as trinkas. Peter Valence, magician and escape artist. Suzanne and Carsten Berdino, liberty horses from
Circus Arena's own stables." - According
to the press release the arial act Antares will also bee among the performers. But after
the tragically accident in Cirque d'Hiver on 6 February where Gilles Gonneton died after a
fall is seems doubtful if the two remaining members of Antatares, Gilles' brother Bruno
and Gilles wife Maria Garcia, will continue the act with a new partner.
The
handstand acrobat Encho will be among the performers in Circus Arenas 2006-performance.
Photo by courtesy of Circus Arena
10
February 2006
More
about circus performances during the Danish school childrens winter holiday. On
21 January I mentioned that several shopping malls etc are presenting circus or artist
performances as free attractions during the Danish school childrens winter holiday in week
7 and 8. I have now some additional information on the performers. In the West Zealand
Shopping Mall at Slagelse you can from 13 to 18 February meet the Danish clown and
multi-acrobat Benny Schumann with special guests. His guests are the Danish/English
sealiontrainer Steven Pedersen and his two
sealions. Steven presents a very charming act which a lot of Danes will remember from the
2003 and 2005 performances in Circus Benneweis. Until 15 February you can meet Danish Circus Krone at the Gellerup stage at the City
West shopping mall in Brabrand, Aarhus.
Among the performers are Italian balance acrobat Jessica
Gaveagna. In the shopping mall in Herning you can from 13 to 18 February meet Circus
Mascot. Among the performers are the clowns Pico and Picolina from the Czech republic,
Marianne Deleuran with her poodles and Daniel
Deleuran on slack wire (nor at earlier written with rola-bola).
9
February 2006
Preben
Palsgaard at the Circus Museum at Hvidovre, Copenhagen.
15
and 16 February you can meet the Danish ventriloquist Preben Palsgaard at the Circus
Museum
at Hvidovre, Copenhagen.
For more than a year the museum have presented a special exhibition with ventriloquist
dolls. This exhibition will close on 19 February. The next special exhibition will be
about a rather special Danish dancer and acrobat called Miss Florens.
6
February 2006
Danes
visiting Monte
Carlo
22/1 – 26/1 2006. A
group of 14 Danes headed by Benny Schumann's head groom Brian "Briano" Behrendt
visited this year's circus festival in Monte
Carlo.
The group included two well-known Danish artists: the clown and multi-acrobat Benny
Schumann and the clown Bonbon (Lasse Noerager). The visit was a huge success and many from
the groups and some other Danish fans plans to repeat the visit in 2007.
The Danish
visitors. Sitting in the middle Brian "Briano" Behrendt. Behind Brian Benny
Schumann. Photo: Lise Kokholm (who herself can been seen to the left of Brian).
6
February 2006
The
European Circus Association ECA sent out the following press release in connection with
this year's circus festival in Monte
Carlo:
Monte
Carlo
Circus Festival, homage to the traditional circus
An
unequalled Circus experience! A galaxy of the
world’s top circus artistes in a glittering Golden Gala performance produced by Her
Serene Highness Princess Stephanie in tribute to the Festival’s much-loved founder,
her father the late Prince Rainier III.
And,
not surprisingly, standing ovations for each and every one of these outstanding acts.
It’s
almost impossible to choose a ‘best’ among a programme which, though wonderful,
was over long at 5 hours. Many would say the Festival’s crowning glory was the
wonderful equine presentation of Alexis Gruss. But also at the forefront was the sight of
clowns Jigalov and David Larible working together! As always, the Festival was a world
meeting place for circus Directors, an exuberant round of reunions. And that includes the many artistes, trainers,
writers, circus friends, managers, publicists and others, whose colourful presence combine
to make this the world’s greatest circus social event. More formally, there was the
European Circus Association Symposium, members’ meeting, and Round Table discussions. And the 2nd Circus Trades Exhibition,
including tentmakers, printers, equipment engineers, and souvenir companies.
ECA
SYMPOSIUM -- ideas and issues for Directors
Five
main points were under discussion at this year’s ECA Symposium, all issues being
dealt with by the European Commission. Those topics were: education, animal welfare, Visas
and Work Permits, the place of Circus as Culture, and siting of shows, all subjects aired
in recent EU resolutions. Each of those
subjects inspired vigorous discussion. Especially
interesting was the talk by Joan Galvin, of America’s
Feld Organisation, with her news and suggestions to help keep wild animals in circuses.
Joan dealt with PR and the promotion of our good husbandry -- a hugely significant subject
within the circus world.
ECA
Members’ meeting
As
announced beforehand, ECA founding President Martin Hanson spoke to confirm his retirement
from that post. The meeting gave him a well-deserved standing ovation for his enormous
commitment and unique energy, qualities which Martin has used to good advantage to put the
ECA on the European map. Martin Hanson
received a special Award in thanks for his services, and has agreed to continue to serve
the Association, but now as Ambassador. Urs Pilz was elected by unanimous vote as the new
President, and Carl-Gustav Jernström as Treasurer. The governing Board was expanded to
include Suzanne Herman Mata, Carol Gandey, and Ton Rennings.
Further decisions were also taken regarding the promotion of the ECA and its
further progress. And members heard with
delight that the ECA’s Brussels
representative is now an official Lobbyist to the European Parliament.
Circus
Business Exhibition
The
second Circus Business Exhibition was held as part of the ECA Symposium, and all the
businesses taking part said they were pleased at the level of attention they’d
received from the circus world. Princess Stephanie’s personal visit, quick though it
had to be, was especially appreciated. The Fairmont Hotel is an ideal venue for an
exhibition of this sort, since so many circus Directors and Managers stay and meet there
for the Festival. All the exhibitors said
they’d like to take places next year, and others are asking to join in too.
21
January 2006
Several
shopping malls etc are presenting circus or artist performances during the Danish school
childrens winter holiday in week 7 and 8. From 9 to 15 February you can meet Danish Circus Krone at the Gellerup stage at the City
West shopping mall in Brabrand, Aarhus.
Amongst the performers are the clown Alando and circus owner Irene Thierry and some guest
artists. Circus Arena will open their
winterquarter at Slagelse to the public from 11 to 19 February. The winter quarter is a
large visiting area with 100 circus animals, repair shops, training ring and Berdino's own
sealions performing in a large basin. Suzanne Berdino will explain and show how she is
training Circus Arena's 32 horses. There will be shows with Pjerrot and the African multi
acrobat Samson (Luka Odhiambo). In the shopping mall in Herning you can from 13 to 18
February meet Circus Mascot. Among the
performers are the clowns Pico and Picolina from the Czech
republic,
Marianne Deleuran with her poodles and Daniel Deleuran with rola-bola etc. From 13 to 18
February Circus BonBon produced by Circus
Arena can been seen in the Shopping Centre in the Copenhagen
suburb Ballerup. Ringmaster Finn Bendixen will present Carsten Berdino and his daughters
Charmaine and Stephanie in a magical entrée, 11 year old Oliver Berdino as juggler, miss
Marina with hula hop and her partner Yvo Antoni with a most charming entrée with a tiny
dog. Furthermore Carsten Berdino will present a dog show with 3 border colliers and a
poodle. In the West Zealand Shopping Mall at Slagelse you can from 13 to 18 February meet
Danish clown and multi-acrobat Benny Schumann
with special guests. The following week from 20 to 25 February Benny Schumann and his ponies can be seen at the
Glostrup Shopping Mall close to Copenhagen.
From 20 to 25 February Circus Charlie will
present a performance called Circus Charlito at
the Rodovre Shopping Centre (5 miles from downtown Copenhagen).
Circus Kenny, which is produced by Haddy Enoch
from Circus Dannebrog, can bee seen at the Rosengaard Shopping Mall in Odense
from 20 to 25 February.
Finn
Bendixen as ringmaster in Circus BonBon. Photo from February 2005
20.
January 2006
Magic
at Bryggen
is the name of a magic show to be held 8 March at 19 at the Cultural Centre, Islands
Brygge 18, Copenhagen.
Performing magicians are Danish world class gentleman thief and magician Kenny Quinn and Magic Michael (Michael Frederiksen). A similar show with other performers arranged in November
2005 by Magic Michael was most successful.
19
January 2006
Danish
Circus Krone has sold their winter quarter.
According to the Danish magician magazine Pegasus Irene Thierry and Jan Allan from tiny
Danish Circus Krone has for long while wanted to sell their present winter quarters in
Haarup. Now they have found a purchaser and will live in their caravan until they find a
new and better winter quarter for their circus.
16
January 2006
Christmas
Circus in Copenhagen.
By
tradition circus is a summer event in Denmark.
In 1973 Benny Berdino and Kenn Anker Petersen tried to introduce a Christmas Circus
concept in Copenhagen:
Circus Benkenny. The performance was rather good but the audience rather limited. Since
then no one has dared to present a winter circus in Denmark.
Realising that such circuses are becoming more and more popular in Germany
and Holland Thessa and Rene Moenster from Danish Circus Baldoni has decided to present a
Christmas Circus in Copenhagen
in December 2006. They will raise two tents at the Triangle circus lot in Copenhagen.
In one of the tents with a seating capacity of 600 people they will present an
international and family friendly circus performance running for 2 hours. In the other
tent their guests can have sodas, gloeg (mulled wine containing raisins and almonds, very
popular at Christmas time in the Nordic countries), small cakes of batter etc. Surrounding
the tents there will be lot of Christmas trees, light and Christmas atmosphere. Further
information (in Danish) can be seen at http://www.julecirkus.dk/
9
January 2005
The year of the Circus in Holland. 2006 has been
pronounced the year of the circus in Holland. The Year of the Circus is organised by the
Dutch Centre for peoples culture, the Club of circus friends the Netherlands and the
Association Dutch Circus Enterprises (members: Circus Herman Renz, Circus Royal, Circus
Althoff, Circus Rigolo, Circus Moscow-Holiday, Magic Circus, Wintercircus Martin Hanson,
Wintercircus Apeldoorn, Kerstwintercircus Eindhoven, Cascade Utrecht, Stardust Circus
International and Mega Tent Hire International). Arie Oudenes from ECA (the European
Circus Association) tells: "On the 8th of January Mr. Cornielle -
commissioner of the queen in the province Gelderland opened the year of the circus. By
piling up cubes in the correct order the logo of the year of the circus arose. On 1 April
in Utrecht the summer season will be opened with a traditional circus parade and circus
activities to which also youth circuses cooperate. Further there will be travelling circus
exhibitions, several museums will have special circus exhibitions and there will appear a
special book concerning the circus in the Netherlands. Furthermore a scientific symposium
is organised, is circus at issue during the annual day of the Dutch Folk Culture days and
in October in‘s Hertogenbosch a festival for new circus will be organised. Concerning
these and other activities can read you on the Internet site: www.jaarvanhetcircus.nl
From
the opening ceremony. Photo: Maarten Sprangh
6
January 2006
Today
was private view day for the artist Pia Ville's new
exhibition of paintings. Pia started to paint in 1984. Until then she was for 20 years
known as the female partner in the magician act Lee
Pee Ville and Company which was among the hottest names in Europe
at that time. Pia and Lee Pee Ville alias Leif Hansen parted in 1984 and Pia worked for a
while with press and sales for German Circus Krone until she reverted to her maiden county
Denmark
and started to paint. Her former partner Leif Hansen established himself as artist agent
in Brühl in Germany.
Some but not all of Pia Ville's paintings is from the world of circus and variety artists.
Pia
Ville in front of two of her paintings.
3
January 2006
More
and more Danish acrobats get their own website. Suzanne
and Karsten Berdino have established a website at the address www.berdino.dk, where they offer
entertainment for birthday parties, city festivals etc. Suzanne is daughter of Circus
owner Benny Berdino of Danish Circus Arena. Also other daughters of circus owners do have
their own website: owner of Circus Dannebrog Haddy Enoch's youngest daughter Katja Enoch has a homepage at the address www.katjaenoch.dk where she offer
shows with a quick change act and as joker girl. Her elder sister Isabella Enoch has no less than two websites for
her Dinnershow Trapeze: http://www.cirkus-dk.dk/dinnershowtrapeze/, and http://www.dinnershow.dk/
2
January 2006
Acrobats at Rode Kro Variety Theatre. As usual
some circus performers have been engaged for an autumn show at the variety theatre Rode
Kro (The Red Inn Theatre) in Copenhagen.
The owner of the theatre Charley Kaye and his
wife Belita are former comical casceadeurs. For
their 2006 autumn performance they have engaged Russian Duo Malinkovich with their quick-change act and
the food juggler (antipodist) Jan Navratil
from Czech.
2
January 2006
Travel
in Fantasy
is the working tittle of Circus Charlie's 2006-performance,
which will tour Denmark
from 17 March to 17 September. Among the performers will be the acrobat girls Natascha & Natascha (repeaters from 2005), RiGa Skakalki Group with a
skipping entrée, Karina Maskina with a
solo-biker-number and as part of a troupe called Six Acrocats. You will
also meet the clowns Red and Blue and the pleasant clown Charlie and his clarinet.
The
clown and circus owner Einar "Charlie" Trie
2
January2006
Birthdays with a round figure in 2006. Two
personalities from the Danish circus world can in 2006 celebrate a birthday with a round
figure. Press agent and ring mistress Agnete Louise
Enoch can celebrate her 50 years birthday on 14 June. And Benny Berdino of Circus Arena can celebrate his
60-year birthday on 3 August.
1
January2006
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