Art
“Emotions” at Circus Knie until June 2nd in Zurich
Circus Knie is back on the Landiwiese with its new show “Emotions”. For the 95th time the family Knie is touring around Switzerland.
When the “Cirque National Suisse” took its name in 1919, it was already the fourth generation. The Circus Knie goes back to the beginning of the 19th century, more exactly to 1803! Today Circus Knie is like an institution in Switzerland. Who has not heard or been once to a circus performance or visited the children’s zoo in Rapperswil. Circus Knie is run by the two brothers Fredy and Franco Knie. Their wives, sons, daughters, grand-children and extended families all take part a way or another in the performances or work at the tent or with the animals.
Franco Knie Junior and Fratelli Errani and the elephants show, Circus Knie Premiere in Zurich
On Friday night in Zurich the well-expected Première took place in a full chapiteau. Many personalities like the Swiss musician and band leader Pepe Lienhard with his wife Christine Köhli, the Chairman and CEO of Havas Worldwide Switzerland Frank Bodin, the T.V. moderator Röbi Koller and the caberetist Marco Rima came to watch the show.
Just like the title of the new program “Emotions”, you can expect to go through various states of mind during the 2 hour show. You will laugh, feel excitement, be joyful, be scared, feel thrills and most of all be in admiration.
The artists who will make you laugh this year are the Swiss comedian and kabarettist Claudio Zuccolini with his dog Hundini and the Hungarian comedian juggler and magician Steve Eleky. Eleky, dressed in a Scottish dress,makes the audience laugh from the first moment he starts talking! You will certainly still be laughing days after while remembering his hilarious gags.
One of the flying girls circus at, Circus Knie
Two amazing performances are done in the air, one from the flying girls from Pyongyang and the other one from Super Silva, the Spiderman. The girls fly quickly from one trapeze to another but luckily there is a large net above the floor for protection. Super Silva, a Brazilian man, dressed in a Spiderman costumes, walks head down in all directions at a height of 14 meters and this without a safety net.
Alessio Fochesato with his beautiful parrots
Alessio Fochesato and children from the audience with his beautiful parrots
The Italian Alessio Fochesato comes on stage with beautiful colorful parrots. Fochesato’s charming smile and the flights of the parrots in the tent will enchant the little ones and their families.
And there is the Swiss contortionist Nina Burri, wearing a red outfit. She moves her body like a snake. At one point the entire flour is covered with smoke and it is as if Nina was floating in thick clouds.
the contortionist Nina Burri
The performance of the duo You & Me from the Ukrainians Igor Gavva and Iuliia Palii is just amazing. It is a special powerful moment of acrobatic.
Igor Gavva and Luliia Palii, circus Knie
However what the children and animal lovers probably come to see are the animals. The new show won’t disappoint. During the first half of the program there will be horses, poneys, camels, lamas and of course elephants.
Mary José Knie (wife of Fredy) and Géraldine Knie, her daughter, will show one after another a horse dressage, Mary José with beautiful Achal Tekkiner horses of light brown color and Géraldine with 10 magnificent purebred Arabians. Speechless!
Purebred arabians at the Premiere of Circus Knie in Zurich
Then there is the performance of Maycol Errani with his Frisian horses and camels. The contrast in color between the beige colored camels and black colored horses is quite nice to watch. No doubt the little ones will love seeing the five guanacos (lamas from South America) jump over the back of the camels.
Not but the least is the impressive elephants’ show with Franco Knie Junior, his wife Linna Knie Sun, their young son Chris Knie and the 3 brothers, the Fratelli Eranni. All of them with additional elephant trainers will deliver a unique perilous acrobatic act with the elephants MaPalaj, Dehli and Ceylon. You will see an elephant sitting on a chair and another one stepping on a swing. Suddenly one of the brothers will be standing on the back of one elephant!
If you would like to go the Circus will be in Zurich for one month until June 2nd. For tickets click here.
Two elephants at the Circus Knie Premiere in Zurich
Also you can visit its zoo daily. It has more than hundred animals like horses, elephants, lamas but also birds and monkeys. There are pony rides too. If you are interested in horse dressage, you can go under the tent on Sunday morning from 10:00 to noon. It is included with the zoo entrance. On May 26th the zoology Dr Thomas Althaus will be there.
Linna Knie Sun during her show with an elephant during the dressage, Circus Knie Premiere in Zurich
The Circus Knie in numbers:
- Tours Switzerland every year for 8 months
- Started in March in Rapperswil and will end on Nov. 17th in Lugano
- Gives over 350 performances
- Visits over 40 places
- Covers 3500 km
- 100 people needed to install the big tent and work at the buffet and at Landiwiese zoo
- 50 artists work for the Circus
- 66 people at every performance in addition to the artists
- 100 caravans come with the circus where many live
- More shows: Basel June 7th-19th /Lucerne from July 19th-Aug. 2nd /Geneva Aug. 23rd-Sept 12nd
