Thursday, January 11, 2007

Francisco Capri #1

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tell me about this chap? Where is he from? What date and circus was this taken on?

Anonymous said...

Leopard acts seemed to go over better in Europe than in the US. What years is this group from. Clubbs leopards work by Emil Smith is probably the finest leopard act I've ever seen. Looks like cougar or small lioness in back.

Raffaele De Ritis said...

Francesco Capri was a German trainer from the DDR (East German) State Circus. This act ran from the late 70s to 1999. The picture is surely from one of the 3 State-owned big tops (Busch, Aeros, Berolina). Capri was often booked to western circuses, as for the other DDR acts (as Bottcher, etc.).
I saw this act last time at Jacobi Althoff Circus in Austria, around 1990. It was quite boring. Notihing to to with Clubb-Smith leopards: Emil got personality, style, terrific tricks, beautiful animals, splendid music and props, and the act was perfect in rythm.
Another leopard act at the time was Philippe Gruss, quite good.
I don't think today of leopard acts being around in Europe.

Anonymous said...

Leopards are a ladies act in my opinion. Too graceful and small. They are also the most dangerious to train and perform with. Faster then a speeding bullet/able to leap buildings in a single bound. Grab for the throat [all cats do to kill] and use the hind legs to rip your guts out. Its a good thing I was not aware of this when I worked with them.