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From Top: Tino Wallenda, Aurelia
Wallenda, Rietta Wallenda, Deiter Galambos,
Andrea Wallenda, Alex Wallenda, and Sacha Pavlata
Seated precariously on
a chair at the peak of the pyramid is Rietta 6th Generation Wallenda, began
performing on the high wire with her grandfather Karl and the
Great Wallendas at age 13 in New Orleans. Rietta has had a multifaceted
career, adding to her talents on the wire by performing daring
feats on the Sway Pole. She doubled for Cathy Rigby in the chair
position at the top of the pyramid in The Great Wallendas. Rietta
is an alternate for the position on the chair in the Seven.
As Karl Wallenda's protege, Tino once engineered many of the riggings for his grandfather's famous Sky Walks. Tino started on the wire at age seven. At seventeen, Tino became a full fledged member of the Great Wallenda troupe. During his career on the wire, Tino has accomplished such feats as walking over lions, tigers and man-eating sharks; walking between buildings, over rivers and a waterfall. His highest walk was 179 feet in the air, and his longest was 1250 feet in distance. Tino holds the base level, rear position of The Seven and is in the middle position on the shoulder bar for the 4-Person, 3-Level Pyramid.
Alida - 7th Generation Wallenda, is Tino and Olinka's oldest daughter. She has been performing in the circus since she was four and on the wire with her parents since she was only eight. Her circus skills include bareback riding on horses, trapeze, Spanish web, unicycles and the Cloudswing. Not long ago, Alida made her Sky Walk debut when she crossed over a man-made lake in Houston on the wire. She is the first female Wallenda to hold the front position of the second level of The Seven.
Olinka is a native of Czechoslovakia and a sixth generation performer whose family roots are in aerial performances and the high wire. Descended from an honorable and well-respected circus family, the Valla Bertinis, she has excelled in a variety of circus arts and holds a record in the Guinness Book of Records for a unique walk she did up-side-down, suspended only by her toes! Olinka has been performing on the wire with her husband Tino since 1974.
Andrea - 7th Generation Wallenda, Tino and Olinka's second daughter. Andrea began performing when she was four years old and started in the high wire act at age nine. She has been featured as the top mounter of the bicycle pyramid, sitting on the chair and was part of the 10-Person Pyramid. She also has begun in the area of training dogs, and is currently presenting Andrea's Educated Pups.
Aurelia - 7th Generation Wallenda, Tino and Olinka's youngest daughter. Aurelia began her career in the circus at age four when she substituted for her mother in the high wire act. Olinka was awaiting the birth of son Alex at the time. Aurelia is featured in many circuses as she performs the breathtaking Flying Cradle with her uncle Sacha Pavlata, and as a single on the Cloudswing. Aurelia is balanced at the top of the 4-Person, 3-Level Pyramid.
Alessandro - 7th Generation Wallenda, Tino and Olinka's son. Alex made his first appearance with his family when he was less than two years old. At age seven, he made his debut on the high wire in St. Louis where he crossed a span of over 30 feet. When asked when he planned to do this feat again he replied, "Every show from now on!" Nowadays, Alex has graduated to performing a headstand on a bar suspended on the shoulders of his Dad and Uncle as they balance on the high wire. When down on the ground, Alex is also displaying his juggling talents.
Lyric - 7th Generation Wallenda, Rietta's daughter. Lyric began performing in the air on the Spanish Web at age five and on the trapeze at age seven. She made her professional debut on the high wire with Circus Flora in 1998.
Sacha Pavlata. A fifth generation performer of an esteemed circus family, Sacha has headed up the Big Apple Circus School and Circus Flora's circus school since coming to the U.S. He has appeared in the motion pictures Big Top Pee Wee and Annie and trained Michael Crawford, Jim Dale, Stacy Keach, and Tony Orlando in circus arts for their roles in Barnum on the London and Broadway stages. Sacha also stars in Circus Flora performing the Flying Cradle with niece Aurelia. He holds the base level, third position in The Seven and the rear anchor position in the 4-Person, 3-Level Pyramid.
Dieter Galambos, a second generation performer, began with his family at age four as a hand balancer , juggler, and acrobat. An accomplished performer, Dieter decided to extend his career to tightrope walking and pyramids and so began training with the Wallenda family and has been a member of the troupe since 1998. He holds the base level, point man position of both the Seven and the 4-Person, 3-Level Pyramid.
Dave Klukow - Started practicing on the wire under the training of Gunther Wallenda to perform in the Sailor Circus, a Sarasota-based circus school. Upon graduation, Dave auditioned for Karl Wallenda and became a part of the team for the next nine years. Taking a break from the circus world, Dave was a successful real estate agent, becoming a "Multi-Million Dollar Producer." played football at Temple University, and has a successful home improvement business. Now, coming full circle, Dave is back as a member of the Wallenda team after 17 years. Dave takes the position of second man on the base level of the Seven and alternates to either front or rear position on the base level of the 4-Person Pyramid.
Robinson Cortes - A third generation circus performer and native of Columbia, Robinson is no stranger to heights and aerial acrobatics. Growing up in the circus as a flying trapeze artist and part of the family act, he has accomplished the triple somersault into his father's hands. Having had experience with his family on the high wire and being married to Alida was a natural progression to performing in the troupe. Robinson is an alternate for the Seven and was part of the 10-Person Pyramid.
TINO WALLENDA | 3650 Henrietta Place | Sarasota, FL 34234 | 941-355-4773