Baldoni 2008

Premiere this evening for the Dansih circus Baldoni – this season in Koge south of Copenhagen. Normally Baldoni has their premiere in Lyngby a little north of Copenhagen but the circus lot is under renovation and Baldoni had to move to Koge. Baldoni is a very young circus and is started by the couple Thessa Daniella and René Marvin. René is educated in the Danish circus Arena where he worked in many years. After a few years with different kinds of circus without any success, the couple decided to make a more traditional circus. Baldoni is still not a fully traditional business because they uses a stage in stead of the ring and try to do things a little different than other circuses. The first season was absolutely not fantastic and the material was a very old tent with a lot of holes. Anyway there was something special in this business and season after season everything was improved very much. In the 2007 season they presented the very special Ibaccala clowns and a lot of other nice artists. In the coming season Baldoni presents a very strong program compared to their small size with room for only 600 spectators. Hard to believe the list of artists today compared to the first season, where a few artists did most of the performance.

In this coming 2008 season we find a wheel of death entré and also presented is the Danish table artist Freddie Steckel before found in far bigger circuses as Merano, Dannebrog and Maximum. This season we don’t find the Director couple with an illusion act as we have seen the last two seasons but the ventriloquist doll Leonardo still presents René Marvin.

The opening is the two Baldoni clowns Daniel Dim and Martin Maiboll presenting the old routine – You cant play here. After lots of discussion where they are aloud to play the two clowns are thrown out. As the white face (without the white face) we find Tonni Steinvig educated in the Danish child circus – Circus Rainbow kids.

First on the stage is Gao Chen from China. Not the first season in Baldoni because they were a part of this circus back in 2005 and Baldoni Christmas circus in 2006. In the seasons 2006 and 2007 we could find those multi artists in the Swedish circus Victoria. Gao Chen are really great artists with a lot of attitude. Gao Chen are on the stage three times and the first entré is the Diablo act similar to the one they made in 2005. The two girls and their husbands do a great act, where the two guys are dressed like as the traditional Chinese lion. Maybe not the most fantastic Diablo tricks but both girls do the Diablo synchronic witch gives the whole thing a nice and smooth impression. The girls looks nice and always very smiling – nice act.

Duo Ferency are a bicycle balance act. Not in a normal way but balance on balls a few meters up in the air. Duo Ferency has been in the Norwegian circus Zorba but now ready for a tour with Baldoni. The act is very nice made in a Gatsby style opened with a little dance before they climb up on the bicycle. The act is a little trilling and you got the ohh feeling when they are balancing in different formations.

Leonardo and René are next on the stage presenting the Varadis. Normally we don´t find animal acts but this season the director couple has decided to bring in Varadis dogs. The act is a amusing dog act with a nice atmosphere. The dogs are mainly poodles and they do a lot of funny tricks.

Photo by Circus Scandinavia 2008 (C).

The 17 years old Miss Eszter presents a nice little entre´ with water meteor. The routine is done without water and instead replaced with balls. The act is short smooth and nice.

Gao Chen ends the first part of the performance with their tissue act. The act was developed in Baldoni when Gao Chen was a part of their Christmas circus in 2006. Later it was performed in the Swedish circus Victoria and since in the circus building in Riga. The act is very nice and very visual – rare to see four people in a tissue act. Again the artist is very smiling and the music fits perfectly to the act.

In the break the wheel of death are placed on the stage and opens with the two clowns. They can of cause not keep their hands away from the props because they are very impressed. A lot of discussions about what the wheel can be used for ends when Ferency enters the ring and throws them out.

The Ferency couple do a nice little routine on the wheel of death. Not so stunning as we see with the bigger wheels but it works. It is a little scary and that is why we enjoy acts like this. The routine fits perfect because it is not to scary and fits in a circus with a lot of kids. Both artists ends secure on the stage and the kids can breath again. Nice act and very smiling artists – perfect.

Clown Daniel is on the stage with the traditional bell routine. Bells in different tunes are delivered to people among the audience. Daniel is now ready to conduct his personal orchestra. Daniel is absolutely not the first doing this routine and are seen done by many artists. When you a routine you haven’t invented your self  - you had to put your own personality in what is done and Daniel does it absolutely okay. Later in the season I’m sure that Daniel will be more secure and therefore improve the act a little.

Varadis are in the ring twice and their second entré is spinning plate routine. As their first act a lot of humour is included and that suits the Varadis well. Everything in a huge tempo to keep the plates spinning and of cause Mr. Varadi loose his pants in the heat. Nice little act with a lot of conversation between the artists.

Nandor Petruska presents a very fast juggling act – Nandor is a very nice juggler with a lot of skills. The tempo is nice and he juggles nice and easy with 6 clubs. The entrée is ended with a fire juggling routine. – Circus Scandinavia congratulates the young juggler with his birthday today.

Freddie Steckel and partner is a great Danish table act. Freddie has through time had a lot of partners and I know why. It is hard – Freddies new partner for the season is the one half of the director couple Thessa Daniella. Lots of brushes and hard work is what you can expect if you go in the ring with a partner as Freddie. Falls from a table is hard if it had to look right – and it does. Freddie has done this act for many years, performed in most of the world and a part of most circuses in Scandinavia through the years. Freddie Steckel and Thessa presents one of the best table acts today – Freddie is not very young anymore and the falls he does really make you say autsh. The reaction from the audience is great they really like funny table acts like Freddie and Thessa.

Gao Chen for their third appearance ended the show. The last entrée was a double parterre act from the double twince married to each other. The act is strong and the music and light are so absolutely well adapted to the artists.

The show was ended with to crying clowns singing a very sad song because the show was over. This incident was ended by director René Marvin telling the guys there was nothing to cry for. He mend it was a happy ending and the song should be happy so he called in all the artist and they sang the Baldoni logo song –nice ending and a very nice show.

This production is the absolutely best from the hands of Thessa and René Baldoni. The artists are great and in a much better quality compared to previously performances. The light has been improved and everything seems be better and better here in Baldoni. The show is worth the money for both adults and kids, witch is a great quality.

The circus band contains two guys – yes they play well but they can’t do it for a full circus band and the sound could be better.

The show went on for two hours including a 15 min break.