Press release n° 9 – Monday, September 2nd, 2013
The Montico family maintains the values of traditional Circus in Italy: for the first time, brothers Redy and Denny Montico perform together in the largest “cage” number ever presented in Europe.
The long list of “Circus Stars” who will be performing at all the shows of the 15th edition of the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina” is endless! The most renowned Italian and international Circus families will be seen together in the same ring for the first time in the history of the Circus, for the enjoyment of the Circus fans that will be coming to Latina from all over the world. Following the announcement of the participation of the hilarious Italian ventriloquist Willer Nicolodi and the rising star of the clown world, Davis Vassallo (Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus), now it’s the turn of animal trainers Redy and Denny Montico. The Montico brothers, members of the renowned Italian Circus family, will be performing for the first time together with their big cats – lions and tigers – in a performance created and presented especially to première at this “Special Anniversary Edition” of the Festival at Latina.
Redy and Denny Montico are sons of Gaetano Montico, one of Italy’s most famous Circus animal trainers, who in turn is the nephew of Giulio Montico, the versatile performer and much-missed creator of the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina”, to whose fond memory this year’s Festival is dedicated. On a more general note, the Montico family, involved for generations in the world of the Circus, is rightly recognised as being a champion of the values of the traditional Italian Circus arts, and has long been involved across the board in the Circus, not just on an artistic level but also on a creative, managerial and promotional level as well as in promoting the cultural and educational aspects of the sector. As in all Circus families, Redy and Denny grew up living and breathing the air of the Circus, with the opportunity to learn and develop skills in various disciplines associated with the ring, and to learn to love it. Redy in particular seems to have had a real vocation: despite the fact that his father would have preferred for him a career outside of the ‘cage’, it was Redy who, at the age of 20, brought about the mating of two of the family’s tigers behind his father’s back, and lovingly reared the three resulting cubs with an innate sensitivity, subsequently training them using what is now known as the “positive reinforcement” method. Since then, Redy Montico hasn’t looked back: although he worked exclusively in the family Circus until the ‘90s, since then he has also performed in other Italian circuses and across Europe, presenting acts that he created himself, working from his base in Latina. Following on from that he participated in some of the most renowned International Circus Festivals, winning a series of awards. Redy has been a TV presenter, working in programmes dedicated to the Circus, and he has also created numbers that have been performed across Europe by other animal trainers, including his brother, Denny. Denny Montico is Redy’s younger brother: he began his performing career as an acrobat and an equilibrist, with his famous rola rola number set atop the mainmast of a pirate sailing ship. However his strong bond with his older brother was a great influence on him, and for several years now Denny has been performing in several Italian circuses with his five male lions. Redy Montico has already been a “Special Guest” at the 9th edition of the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina” in 2007, when he won the “Giulio Montico Special Prize”. This year he returns in honour of the “Special Anniversary Edition”, accompanied by his brother, Denny. They will be presenting three numbers: In show selection “A”, Redy will be performing in the cage with his 5 tigers; in show selection “B”, Denny will be performing in the cage with his 5 lions; in the Finale of the Festival Redy and Denny will both be working in the cage with all of their 10 felines, lions and tigers, presenting a brand new number for the Gala Evening – this promises to be one of the biggest “cage” numbers ever to be seen in Europe.
Press release n° 8 – Monday, August 19th, 2013
Two Kings of Comedy at the Festival: Willer Nicolodi and Davis Vassallo
Big names from the world of the Circus show their esteem for the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina” at the “Special Anniversary Edition”. We can announce a pair of Circus Stars who are both a guarantee of fun and laughter for young and old alike: ventriloquist Willer Nicolodi and clown Davis Vassallo are returning to Latina.
Willer Nicolodi has already appeared at Latina as a “Special Guest” during the 12th edition of the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina”, when he won the “Medal of the President of the Republic of Italy”. He is returning this year in honour of the “Special Anniversary Edition”, and will be presenting a segment of his one-man-show, which has been seen by many famous spectators, such as film stars Jerry Lewis and Paul Newman. The audiences of Latina, (and all the Festival staff) still vividly remember his hilarious sketch in 2010, when he had everyone in stitches whilst performing a routine with his puppet, “Joselito”. Willer Nicolodi was born in Valladolid (Spain) in 1959 to an Italian family that has seven generations of experience as Circus and live performance artistes. Willer began his artistic career at the age of ten as an acrobat in the Circus Knie in Switzerland, where he also later performed in a trio with his brothers Alex and Ben. Following a spectacular acrobatic career which saw him performing in the most important Circuses of Europe, winning prizes at world level Circus Festivals, in 1998 Willer Nicolodi decided to embark on another career, in the art of ventriloquism, a skill that has made him famous all over the world. Using a technique in which the performer projects his voice so that it appears to emanate from another person or object, ventriloquism is an art that was known and used in antiquity by the oracles, long before it evolved into a performing art. In Willer Nicolodi's number his ventriloquism skills are masterly mixed with comedy and often involve the audience.
Davis Vassallo has already appeared at Latina as a “Special Guest” during the 12th edition of the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina”, and returns this year in honour of the “Special Anniversary Edition”. Davis comes from a long pedigree of Circus performers: his grandfather and father were both clowns and he decided as a child to follow in the family tradition. With his father’s help, Davis learnt to play a number of musical instruments, learnt the importance of long hours of rehearsal, and learnt the art of being funny: he became a clown. His long-awaited début was at the age of 15, and since then Davis has never looked back, performing in Belgium and Germany as well as in Italy. Audiences of all ages have appreciated his dynamic and witty performances, watching his antics with great attention and enthusiasm. His love for his art can be evinced from his own words: “to be a clown is to dream, and dreaming is the most wonderful thing in the world!” His appearance at the Festival at Latina is rather special, because it is also his last performance before his official début in America with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, one of the greatest Circuses in the world; a début that has all the signs of a new and brilliant phase in the career of this young Italian clown, who, we can safely say, is destined to be one of the brightest new lights to sparkle on the international Clown scene.
Press release n° 7 – August 3rd, 2013
The 15th edition of the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina” – a truly international event!
The cast of the upcoming competition continues to grow. The number of countries that will be represented at the “International Circus Festival – City of Latina” in October increases from week to week: following the announcements regarding the USA, Hungary, Cuba, Italy, Russia, and the Czech Republic we now add two more countries – France and the Ukraine - and four more performers participating in the competition.
Crazy Flight is a troupe of four young performers from the Ukraine. Versatile and comprehensive artistes, Crazy Flight’s Acrobatic number is composed of a skillful mix of Circus disciplines, including banquine, verticalism, and hand to hand: original choreography combines with strength, balance and coordination.
Aurélie Brua is a young performer from France. Following a long career in gymnastics, Aurélie decided to trade in her gymnastics discipline, the parallel bars, for Chinese poles, going from a horizontal gymnastics discipline to a vertical one much favoured in the Circus. Aurélie and her father invented the structure with which she now works in 2005. In the Chinese pole number she is presenting at Latina, entitled “The Pirate”, two worlds meet: the sea and the air.
