Paul Binder and Michael Christensen were the founders of the Big Apple Circus. The future founders first met when they both were performing with the "San Francisco Mime Troupe", in the late 1960s.
After working with the mime troupe Christensen and Binder went their separate ways. In 1974 , independently of each other they began working as street performers in Europe. The two met again in Kent, England were they teamed up and formed a comedy juggling act. It is while performing in England that they began daydreaming about starting a circus.
Meanwhile back in the United States, Russian circus performer Gregory Fedin and his wife Nina Krasavina had started a small "circus school", to teach circus performing arts.
When Binder and Christensen returned from Europe, they collaborated with Gregory and Nina who had the idea of starting a one ring, European style circus. In the summer of 1977, high hopes and a with a small green tent on a open area of Battery Park in New York City, the "Big Apple Circus" humbly began.
By 1979 the Big Apple Circus was generating enough money to fund two Circus Arts Schools.
In 1983 the circus began it's first "road tour" in New England states, in 1996 the circus performed in Chicago Illinois and Columbus, Ohio, the first two cities outside of the New York, New England area.
1994.Chock full O'Nuts became a sponsor of the circus, and it's many charities.
The Big Apple Circus has toured many different states in the U. S. and received many awards for it's performances as well as for the circus' charitable funding.
In July of 2016 it was announced that the Big Apple Circus had canceled it's 2016 and 2017 tours.
The circus found itself falling deeper into debt. Circus official blamed this on rising operating cost and lower ticket sales due to events such as Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Marathon Bombing, and an ice storm in Atlanta.
The circus started an online funding campaign to raise 2 million dollars to keep the show afloat, however Only $900,000 was raised, not enough to offset the show's debt.
Big Apple will continue it's community outreach programs, such as Clown Care, Circus of the Senses, Circus After School, Vaudeville Caravan and Circus for All.
In 1982, the B.A.C. Was awarded a silver medal at a circus performing competition in Paris, France.
In 1987 B.A.C silver crown award in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
In 1983 the B.A .C. won a Village Voice's Obie Award.
In 2002 Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed November 1, as "Big Apple Circus Day". |
