SNAPSHOTS FROM THE PAST
The year is 1955, on the Hamid-Morton Circus. I guess you would call this the new Alberto Zoppe Bareback Riding Act, because of some changes in personel. L to R, are Idamae Crowell, (who taught Trudy Contortion Acrobatics), Rusty Perrin, Joannie Letty, (later married to Billy Valentine),Alberto, Fatima Wazzan, (now Brahim, and Sec. of Showfolks), Penny Wilson, (later married to Micky Rodriguez, of The St. Leon Teeterboard Act), & Denise, (?). As for the little guy down front, you know him now as Tino Wallenda Zoppe!!!!
posted by 24-HOUR-MAN | 12:05 PM
3 Comments:
so great to see this picture of rusty. i never knew she worked with the zoppe act. i only knew that she was terrific, a great performer who was always available to help new performers and to teach them to do things right. while it seems we have no more great riding acts, rusty could put together a great riding act like we used to have in a heartbeat.
I know it is just a dream I have, but I would love to see some of these circus schools teach some youth to work with animals. With so many tumbling and silk and trap, there has to be talent somewhere to work with animals. The cost is probably a factor. A bareback act would be a great place to start. There is a great need for some to work in the circus.
Henry, Trudy & I retired in Nov. 1999, and were with Circus Krone for 6 yrs. before that so actually we've been away from the American Circus scene for a long time, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Ihave never met Rusty, but like many performers of those days, you hear enough to feel like you know them. I feel like that is another thing missing today, I remember people like Jimmy Troy, Walter Patterson, Fay Alexander, and many others who got as much satisfaction out of teaching their skills to others as they did performing themselves. I watched Johnny Herriott teach Trudy how to work her Liberty Act, and you could see the good feeling he had while doing it. When my oldest son was a very young clown on the Paul Kay show Karl Marx took him under his wing and was teaching him all of his little nic-nac tricks. David looked forward to the next date knowing he was being taught by one of the best. Sadly when one of the next dates came, Karl was gone. But as I say I don't know if those kind of people are here any more.
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