The Flying Wallendas were and are a travelling
circus troupe. They're a family of
jugglers,
clowns,
aerialists,
acrobats,
animal trainers and all around entertainers who have dazzled the world for over two centuries. They're most widely known for their amazing aerial acrobatics. Beginning in the 1780s in
Bohemia in the Austro-
Hungarian Empire, they travelled throughout
Europe and by the late 1800s, had focused their efforts on the
flying trapeze. At first they were called the Great Wallendas when they headlined the
Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus through the 1930s and 1940s. They debuted their act
working without a net because it had been lost in shipping. They recieved a standing ovation that lasted fifteen minutes. From that day on they would be known as the Flying Wallendas. They have achieved such feats as the
seven-person pyramid,
sky walks on a
tightrope, and many other incredible feats. Their tricks have not been without loss. Many Wallendas have fallen to their deaths over the years, but members of the family have vowed to continue on in their stead. Karl Wallenda once said, "Life is being on the wire, everything else is just waiting."
This amazing family of entertainers still thrill audiences to this day, with a schedule of appearances set up a year in advance. They're still in demand even to this day.