Issue 3, November 2014 - Federation Mondiale du Cirque

Issue 3, November 2014
CEDAC Represents Federation at
World Digital Library Meeting in Rome
The Educational Documentation Centre of Circus Arts (CEDAC) participated in the annual meeting of the World Digital
Library (WDL) hosted 29-30 October in Rome by the Istituto
per la Storia del Risorgimento italiano - Museo Centrale del Risorgimento, co-sponsored by the Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo (ICCU) of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and
Activities and the Library of Congress.
Partnership with the WDL, an initiative of UNESCO implemented
by the United States Library of
Congress, was achieved by the Federation and its museum/archive
partners in 2012 as part of the Federation’s “Preservation Project”.
Images of the Circus submitted by
WDL Partners, including CEDAC,
Circus World Museum, the Bolshoi
St Petersburg Museum of Circus
Art, the John and Mable Ringling
Museum of Art and Illinois State
University’s Milner Library all can
be found online at www.wdl.org (search for “circus” or “circus
performers”).
Other circus material has been placed on the WDL by the U.S.
Library of Congress (Arena Circus building, Khabarorsk, Russia); the Library Company of Philadelphia (view of city including Thomas Cooke’s Equestrian Circus); and the State Library
and Archives of Florida (image of Ringling clown Emmett Kelly). Many additional references to “circus” are found in historical documents on the WDL, particularly the memoirs and letters
of global adventurers and travelers.
Available now in our On-line Boutique
2015
Wall Calendar
featuring photography from
World Circus
Day.
New International Guide to the Circus with updated translations and images. Available soon at: www.circusfederation.org
World Circus documentary on DVD
The fascinating documentary World Circus follows five top
circus acts from around the world to the Monte Carlo Circus
Festival. The film includes Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros. and
Big Apple Circus and reveals
behind-the-scenes life, history
and culture of the international
circus scene. World Circus is
available to buy worldwide on
DVD and includes: Optional
Subtitles in French, German, and
Spanish. Special Features with
extra interviews, deleted scenes,
and funny behind-the-scenes
‘making-of’ material with the
filmmakers Angela Snow and
Ian Issitt.
To buy, visit: kunaki.com. For
more information, permission
for public screenings and educational licensed DVDs, visit:
worldcircusculturemovie.com
Circus Historians Contribute to Revised Guide
Circus researchers and historians Dominique Jando, Larry Kellogg, Jennifer Lemmer-Posey, and Mark St. Leon responded enthusiastically to the Federation’s invitation to registered circus
historians to comment online concerning the 100 terms included in the Federation’s first “International Guide to the Circus”.
Their input has been incorporated into a revised Guide with an
improved format and other corrections. The Federation thanks
all of the photographers who graciously provided images to illustrate the 100 terms. The Federation will be expanding its
online database of circus terminology in the coming months.
Now it’s your turn: want to suggest a new term for the online
database? Visit: www.circusfederation.org/terminology
Issue 3 November 2014
Photo Contest Showcases World Circus Day
Congratulations to Vincent Michels of The Netherlands who
was selected as overall winner of the Federation’s 2014 photography contest for his black and white photograph of contortionist Li Ling. A total of 115 images were submitted by photographers from 19 countries for this year’s contest under the theme of
“World Circus Day”. The 12 winning images are featured in our
2015 wall calendar available at www.circusfederation.org. The
photograpers and their images are profiled below:
Photo by Vincent
Michels, The Netherlands – Overall winner
Contortionist Li Ling,
Corpus Acrobatics, De
Leeuw Circus Events, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands, 19 April
2014
Coach and choreographer Vincent Michels photographed contortionist Li Ling, a student at the private acrobatics school Corpus Acrobatics, at the World Circus Day celebration hosted by
De Leeuw Circus Events in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Mr.
Michels chose black and white photography to provide uniformity corresponding to the “black and white zebra world.” The
photograph is taken at the beginning of Li Ling’s appearance,
after which she moves, step-by-step, to the tabletop for the contortion act.
Photo by Omar Vargas
Alvarez, Mexico
“Perfect Balance” open-air
workshop, Flow Fabric Art,
Mexico City, Mexico, 19
April 2014
Amateur photographer and videographer, Omar Vargas Alvarez,
Mexico, not only photographed participants practicing their balancing skills but taught a unicycle class as part of Flow Fabric
Art’s World Circus Day celebration.
Photo by Fardin Waezi,
Afghanistan
Performing children, Mobile
Mini Circus for Children &
Afghan Educational Children’s Circus, Kabul, Afghanistan, 20 April 2014
A professional photographer
seeking to demonstrate to the world that Afghanistan is “more
than suicide bombings, the Taliban, and women wearing burqas”, Fardin Waezi, Afghanistan, captured the joy of children
demonstrating their juggling skills at World Circus Day celebrations hosted by the Mobile Mini Circus for Children and Afghan
Educational Children’s Circus in Kabul.
Photo by Julie Kycia, United
States of America
Amateur performance, Circus Fans of America Tent 24,
Plainville, CT, USA, 1 April
2014.
Amateur photographer Julie Kycia captured “tiger” Leah Reeves during a mini-circus performance put on by the members of
Circus Fans of America, Bluch
Landolf – Father Jack Toner
Tent 24 as part of their World
Circus Day activities.
Photo by
Josef Chovanec, Czech
Republic
‘Circus marionette street
performance, Prague,
Czech Republic,
19 April 2014’
The Federation Board of Directors regrets that this image was
submitted using a false name and address. According to the Tourism Office of the City of Prague, no application for a street
event of the type described in the online registration for the
WCD event at which this photograph was allegedly taken was
submitted or granted. Neither is the Tourism Office aware of any
such event, which was registered on the Federation’s website
with a link to the City’s official website. The Board of Directors
apologizes for publicizing what appears to be a fake event and
will remove the material from the WCD online archives.
Photo by Fraidoon
Poya, Afghanistan
Teenager jugglers,
Mobile Mini Circus
for Children & Afghan
Educational Children’s
Circus, Herat, Afghanistan, 19 April 2014
Combining black and
white silhouettes with a burst of color, professional photographer Fraidoon Poya, with the United Nations Assistance Mission
in Afghanistan, showcases teenage jugglers performing as part
of the opening of a new community center in Herat on the occasion of World Circus Day. A joint project between Mobile
Mini Circus for Children and the Afghan Educational Children’s
Circus, the centre will provide social circus, media and cultural
services for western Afghanistan.
Issue 3, November 2014
Photo by Juan del Rio,
Argentina
World Circus Day paper
art, Circo del Papel, El
Bolsón, Argentina, 19
April 2014
Photo by Giovanni Lagorio,
Italy
Victor Dupont, Cirque
Medrano, Nice,
France, 19
April 2014
Artist Juan del Rio, Argentina, photographed young artists
trying their hand at creating 3D paper circuses as part of World
Circus Day celebrations by Circo del Papel. The prominence of
performing animals in the circus is seen in the children’s work.
Mr. del Rio’s artistic endeavours range from the creation of intricate paper circuses to larger scale performing artists – all
made from paper.
Webdesigner and freelance photographer Giovanni Lagorio,
Italy, has a passion for photographing circus artists and traditional circuses with performing animals. His photograph captures Victor Dupont during the World Circus Day performance of
Cirque Medrano in Nice, France.
Photo by Arul
Horizon, India
Clowns of
Rambo Circus
entertaining at
an orphanage,
Kohapur, India,
20 April 2012
Photo by
Carla Thiele,
South Africa
World Circus Day
Pyramid, Zip Zap
Circus School,
Cape Town,
South Africa, 12
April 2014
Carla Thiele is a professional photographer whose photograph
showcases the trusts and bonds between the “Simunye” students
of the Zip Zap Circus School as they present their World Circus
Day “Pyramid of Happiness.” Zip Zap Circus was founded in
1992 to inspire young people to build a new culture of peaceful
co-existence in South Africa through circus.
Photo by Merilyn
Barrett, United
States of America
2014 World
Clown Association Convention,
Northbrook, IL,
USA, 28 March
2014
Hobbyist Merilyn Barrett photographed clowns representing
Mexico, Colombia, Malaysia, Dominican Republic, Puerto
Rico, Canada, Hong Hong, Japan, India, Guatamala, the United Kingdom and the United States who participated in the first
celebration of World Circus Day by the World Clown Association at their 2014 convention in Northbrook, Illinois.
Circus is the passion of professional Arul Horizon, a photo journalist with the Indian Express. His photograph is a snapshot
of a wonderful and memorable day for special children at an
orphanage in Maharashtra, India as part of 2012 World Circus
Day celebrations by Rambo Circus. The Rambo Circus clowns
featured in the photograph were also the subject of Mr. Horizon’s winning photograph of “Circus Life” in the 2010 photography contest.
Photo by Janeric
Dahlin, Sweden
Aerialist Emilia
Donnert, Cirkus Brazil Jack,
Karlstad Norra
Fälted, Sweden,
19 April 2014
While his professional life was focused elsewhere, Janeric Dahlin has
spent a lifetime
chronicling the circus, focusing on traditional circus acts and
artists. His photograph is a powerful image of an aerial pax de
deux act performed by Emilia and Richard Donnert during the
World Circus Day show of Cirkus Brazil Jack in Sweden. Mr.
Janeric was the winner of the 2010 photography contest for his
black and white photo of the famous Russian clown “Popov”.
His outstanding photograph of performing lions also was among
the finalists in that contest.
Issue 3, November 2014
First Australian Circus Challenge
Australia held also an ‘Australian Circus Challenge’ in Sydney
in October – the first national showcase of young Australian talent. The opening day featured 28 workshops including silks,
foot juggling, straps, hand balancing and more. In the evening
a 69-year-old contortionist gave a superb display and a talk to
inspire young artists to keep on working as long as they can!
Federation Secretary John Le Mare presented two films about
the Monte-Carlo Festivals. He was gratified to find youngsters
very enthusiastic about the
animal acts – elephants,
horses, sea lions, lions,
etc. – as Australian circus schools do not tend
to discuss animals in circus. The second day was
devoted to rehearsals and
a buy/swap session of
circus memorabilia. The
final day featured four
two-hour shows, including Community Competitions for the youngest
and novices, a Pre-Professional Competition,
and a combined Pre-Professional and Professional Competition – all in
front of judges. John was
invited to judge the last two
shows, alongside judges from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. He
awarded the Circus Federation of Australia trophy to Wokka
Brophy, for his rola bola act. Mr. Brophy had flown back the
previous day from South Africa where he had been performing
at the McClaren Circus. Through the Challenge there were frequent mentions of Traditional Circus
and a constant interest
in melding
Traditional
and Contemporary. The
event
was
organised by
circus agent
Jasmine Straga, who recently returned from Moscow where one of her protégés featured in a festival. Jasmine will be at the 2015 New Generation Festival with another act. John’s Aladdin’s Ticketing team
is assisting Jasmine with the Challenge. The organisers envisage
next year’s event will be hosted by one of many circus schools,
and feature a traditional circus alongside, similar to the Festival
de Demain in Paris, but on a smaller scale.
Fédération Mondiale du
Cirque
Programme Monte Carlo
2015
Thursday, 15 January
2015
18.00 – 19.00 Opening
Silent Auction and
Welcome Reception
co-hosted with the Europ
ean Circus Association
20.00 Show A
Friday, 16 January 2015
20.00 Show B
Saturday, 17 January 20
15
9.45 – 10.45 Federation
General Assembly:
Business Meeting (Engli
sh only)
10.45 – 11.00 Coffee Br
eak
11.00 – 13.00 Federation
General Assembly
(Open to all; English on
ly)
Keynote:
“The Importance of Pr
eserving Circus Heritag
e”
Steven High, Executive
Director,
The John and Mable Rin
gling Museum of Art
Projects & Activities:
UNESCO Project - Preser
vation Project Circus Terminology
World Digital Library Circus Friends World Cir
cus Summit 2015
World Circus Day - Circus
Juventus WCD VideoGreat Moscow Circus WC
D video WCD 2015 “Circus Selfie
s”
Afternoon:
~ Festival Open Doors
Show ~
17.00 – 18.00 Federation
Cocktail Reception
and Book Launch by Ro
berto Fazzini
18.00 Close of Silent Au
ction
20.00 Show A
Sunday, 18 January 2015
12.00 Circus Directors’
Luncheon,
Hotel Hermitage (invitati
on only)
15.00 Show B
Monday, 19 January 2015
19.00 Ecumenical event
(Chapiteau)
20.30 Match de Football
at the Cap d’Ail Stadium
more: www.circusfederation.org
The Fédération Mondiale du Cirque was founded in 2008 under the patronage of H.S.H. Princess Stephanie of Monaco and is
headquartered in Monte-Carlo. The Federation is a non-profit organization created to promote Circus arts and culture worldwide,
to serve as a voice for the Circus community, and to represent Circus interests at the international level.