Stars of the Festival:

Programme „A”

Fratelli Rossi - Ikaria (Spain) - In the same rhythm

The Rossi brothers from Spain have raised Ikaria, the traditional genre of the circus art to a really high technical level. Their production is specially synchronized and dynamic, which evokes the mechanism of machines. One of the duo is the driver, who provides the zest of the act, while his brother does different tricks, twists and somersaults with extraordinary precision. Like too matching parts, the brothers create a unity, a miracle by joining each other, almost breathing together.

The boys have absorbed the magic of the circus since the moment of their birth; they are the fifth generation who continue the family tradition. With their act they have captivated the circuses of Italy, Germany, France as well as the audience of the Scandinavian countries. They were awarded the golden prize by the international jury at the Dutch Enschede Circus Festival in 2012 and two years later their old, childhood dream came true when they could show their special talent in the arena of the Circus Krone.

Isaac Aborah - Juggler (Ghana) - Sizzling, cheerful Africa

The joy game of Isaac Aborah is a spectacular production invigorating with colourful dishes, which revives the special life of Africa full of mysteries. The rhythmic music, the colourful, spinning pots evoke the atmosphere of tribal ceremonies into the manege presenting the ancient fight of drought and water in a playful and serene way. The artist from Ghana was carried away by the world of the circus at the age of 10, then he was trained by his master and now he is presenting his fascinating production, which has its roots in African culture, already with 10 pots.

Duo Phykov - Running on the waves - Rope act (Russia) - La donne e mobile

The Russian Duo Phykov will arrive with an unusual, amazing production to the festival. Spectators can see reinterpreted tightrope walking as the stunt is presented on a wire tightened between two stands, but the space and the scenery are like a crescent moon.

Sometimes warlike, sometimes soft forms result from the continuously waving, moving ship and the background music of the drums reviving the beauty of the age of the Renaissance and providing a special piquancy to this act of the programme by the steps of the minuet and ballet. We can see the fleets, ballrooms and arbors of the city states fighting against each other, which slowly build up the picturesque view of the Renaissance world. This act was created in 2014 by the Silver Clown Award winner Yana PyKhova and her husband, who accompanies her on drums during the production.

Family Urunov - Liberty- Horse act (Russia)  - Free flying

The white horse represents freedom, clarity, power and mysticism in ancient sagas and legends. The white horse trains, leads and helps its rider. The horse production of the Urunov family is the mystic dance of a horse and a woman in the night. The horse suddenly gallops into the manege, where the sincere, ethereal relationship of a man and a horse unfolds.

The horse steps into the ring freely, without any equipment, the production was created by free training; it was formed to become uniquely picturesque and aesthetic by their mutual training and confidence. The members of the third generation of the Russian circus family have been working with animals, mainly horses and dogs since their childhood. They have been awarded a lot of prizes and they arrive also in Budapest as returning performers: they received the Bronze Clown prize and a special award in 2002 at the Hungarian Festival.

Flying Farfans - Fliegende (USA)

The breathtakingly spectacular fliegende production of the Flying Farfans - as well as several other current shows of the circus - badly taints the reputation of gravity: it is nothing else than life in the air several meters above the safe ground where the absolutely professional artists become really lively and all their movements reflect self-confidence and energy. The triple somersault shown high up in the air is only the beginning!

The American troupe reveals the real nudity of the circus to the audience when the emphasis of the stunt is simply shifted to the human body itself and to the fact what a body is capable of doing while struggling also with itself. And the trapeze is an excellent tool for this uniquely fascinating confidence game, where one learns to trust themselves and their partners without conditions; and for the spectators the theory, that everything becomes possible if we really listen to each other, is proven.

Rola Bola act (Ukraine) - Champion of balance

The rola bola act, one of the old genres of circus art, was reinterpreted by Dmytro Kharlov, who in his attractive, charming production, is able to do anything on the shaky ground, beyond the limits of reality. He stands on his head on the rola bola; then takes control of the highly built structure by one jump.

The dynamic, rhythmical music, which adds fine humour to the production, provides the background of the program requiring incredible sense of balance. The amazing sense of balance of the Ukrainian artist is not unknown to the world as he realized his old dream in Brühl, Germany on 26th June 2015, where he broke the Guiness record of performing the most possible squats on a balancing board in 1 minute in the programme called Phantasialand – One night in a museum by doing 64 squats, which took him two years to prepare for.

Heejin D - Snow Queen - Handstand (Mongolia) - The diamond of Mongolia

When virtuosity is accompanied by sensuality, when power is united with flexibility, it can create such exceptionally rare, unique production in the ring, which is similar to the most valuable diamond. The silent and wild Mongolian plain, which is covered in frost, comes alive; the Snow Queen is a discovery and adventure on the snow-covered steppes for a valuable piece of jewellery, named: Heejin..

The Mongolian artist has already travelled all round the world with her caoutchouc-handstand act, she has already worked in Mexico, Thailand and in 2010 she won a bronze medal at the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, and in 2011 she received the K’Dor of Cabaret Gold medal. To show the Snow Queen in the ring was the dream of Sigrid La Chapelle, to let us discover the versatile talent of Heejin, which, just like a diamond, has been polished clearer and brighter by her plenty of practice and hard work.

Programme „B”

The Gerlings - Wheel of death (Columbia)

If we have not experienced the importance of blind trust in each other the Columbian performance will ennoble the feeling into a palpable concept. In their stunt this time not only two but four artists will risk their lives while rolling the double wheel: two of them will balance the wheel rolling on the stretched rope inside the wheel and two on the top of it. In this act not only the contact of the bodies but also the connection by the object becomes important: every moment of "how" and "when" will be determining. The troupe shows what balance actually means by tempting the impossible, i.e. to be in balance with each other, with the world and themselves.

Mr. Lorenz - Clown (Italy)

The clown originating from the old Carnevale circus family used to act as a strongman and now using also his artistic skills he achieves success as a comic. In his productions the irresistibly funny, colourful comedies well combine the classic jokes with the professional juggling, free ladder and music elements.

Jeton - Juggler (Germany) - The art of elegance

Prohibition, silent films, Chaplin, surrealism, Ford Model A, ragtime, jazz, swing and dixie – oh, yes, those happy years of the 1920s! Jeton, the gentleman, evokes the atmosphere of cafes by his production, which is full of elegance, charm and good manners. His cane, cigar and bowler hat are emblematic marks of his appearance, while they are the tools of his juggler production as well.

Being a passionate performing artist, Jeton is also driven by the desire to fascinate his spectators by his unforgettable acts. He was the first German juggler who received the Award of Excellence from the International Jugglers’ Association in 2013. He has already performed for Queen Margrette of Denmark, but he also travelled around Europe, Asia and Australia with his productions, and the art of elegance, which is represented by him, had an enormous success everywhere.

Family Urunov - Liberty - Horse act (Russia) - Free flying

The white horse represents freedom, clarity, power and mysticism in ancient sagas and legends. The white horse trains, leads and helps its rider. The horse production of the Urunov family is the mystic dance of a horse and a woman in the night. The horse suddenly gallops into the manege, where the sincere, ethereal relationship of a man and a horse unfolds.

The horse steps into the ring freely, without any equipment, the production was created by free training; it was formed to become uniquely picturesque and aesthetic by their mutual training and confidence. The members of the third generation of the Russian circus family have been working with animals, mainly horses and dogs since their childhood. They have been awarded a lot of prizes and they arrive also in Budapest as returning performers: they received the Bronze Clown prize and a special award in 2002 at the Hungarian Festival.

Nicol Nicols - Wire act (Spain) - Spanish temperament

The temperamental world of bull fighting and flamenco is brought to the manege by Nicol Nicols, who transforms the rhythm of music into movements with extraordinary ease. Her dance, decorated by jumps, revives passion and then a real fire is lit when, on the rope, she jumps through a burning ring equipped with blades. Yet, the most exciting point of the program is when the Spanish artist shows a somersault with incredible precision over the tight rope.

Nicol Nicols, who descended from an old comedian family, has committed herself to the circus art since her early childhood. She has performed in the Blackpool Tower Circus, in the Circus Krone as well as in the Cirkus Skandinavia in Denmark too, and she has already shown her whirlwind production as the participant of several festivals.

X-Treme Brothers - Handstand (Romania) - Perfect harmony

"Real friendship, fragile balance, caring for each other"

The bronze medallist of the 1st international Circus Artists' Festival (I. Festival International Artistas de Circo) organized in Loule in Portugal, the X-Treme Brothers will arrive at the Capital Circus of Budapest from our Eastern neighbourhood, namely from Romania. The team has an exceptional sense of balance and harmonized movements which prove that this triplet is undisputedly one of the best ones in this genre.

This small troupe have been working together for ten years and their career is hallmarked by international success. This year they have already performed in Switzerland and France. Their movements, which sometimes belie the law of gravity, are made even more unforgettable by special sound and visual effects.

Sergii Novikov - Opposition - Strap act (Ukrain) - Struggle of Sisyphus

Many artists and philosophers deal with the permanent struggle of people to rise, to reach the transcendent sphere, so it is indispensable for the circus art to formulate its ideas about this topic in its own language. The production called Opposition by Sergii Novikov attempts to do this. A person appears in the manege, who is trying to get rid of his chains, as the symbol of the hard struggle of Sisyphus to rise, which is shown by acrobatic movements.

The production is placed into religious, mystic space by sacred music, which is emphasized by the symbolism of the colour white. His professionalism is united with the unique sense of art in his program, thus providing his spectators with cathartic experience. The Ukrainian artist was dealing with sport gymnastics for 10 years; then he also took control of the strap from 2009. He was travelling with the modern production, which he created in 2011, all over the world performing in Germany, France and Russia, introducing himself in the Ringling Circus in the USA as well as in the city of Zhuhai in China, and he was also successful at several circus festivals.

Silver Power -  Power lifting act (Hungary) - Sacred embrace

The power lifting act of Silver Power evokes ancient mysteries. The vision, dressed in a silvered gown, the meditative music and the sacred movements take spectators into the remote universe of the relationship between men and women.

The Hungarian duo will arrive at the festival with a power lifting production at similarly high level as that of the Rippel brothers, however, the difference between a man and woman provides a special message to their performance making it really unique by the mixture of raw power and the refinement of movements. The duo have already introduced themselves when they performed in the program called Panem et circenses of Circus Roncalli, the largest travelling circus of Germany, for the spectators of Düsseldorf, Cologne, Berlin and Bremen.

The Gerlings - Art in balance (Columbia) - To build a pyramid high up in the air

It is possible to experience the impossible only when unconditional trust exists. This cohesive strength makes the production of the Columbian Troupe Gerling unique: it is a visual experience which transfers the feeling of final catharsis into our everyday life.

Here nothing is left to unreality: by rewriting the classic tightrope act which goes back to the 19th century, the human pyramid of the seven artists is built up in the air, while every moment of their reliance on each other is projected as an existing miracle into the space of the dome. The pyramid built in the air does not only provide a breathtaking picture but also sets an example: how a stunt can become the mediator of human values. To watch each other's movement, to feel mutual trust and to co-experience the impossible!

Detailed program and tickets: http://www.fnc.hu/eng/festival