Yokoi, Lilly, Born 1929
Dates
- Existence: Born 1929
Biography
Lilly Yokoi was an American bicycle acrobat of Japanese descent. Her early training started with her family, as her parents were themselves bicycle acrobats, who emigrated to America from Japan in the 1920s. Lilly and her three sisters went on to achieve a remarkable technical level in bicycle acrobatics, doing tricks rarely or never seen before.
Lilly’s career set off as part of the family troupe, performing with her siblings, until 1956 when she appeared as a solo act on the popular ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ in the USA. This breakthrough in television helped launch her early career. She later appearanced n major TV shows around the world, including shows hosted by Joan Crawford and Paul Daniels, and a long running TV circus show in France called ‘La Piste aux Etoiles’. She also toured on various occasions with the Harlem Globe Trotters.
By the 1960s and 1970s, Lilly was considered the world's greatest acrobat on bicycle and was in high demand in the circus and variety scene around the world. The technical skill of her performance was matched by her elegance, grace and charisma in stage, which made her very popular with the audience. She became one of the highest paid solo performers in the world and a much sought after act in any quality variety and circus show.
Lilly appeared in some of the greatest stages in the world including Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia, Billy Smart’s Circus, the London Palladium, Cirkus Berny in Norway, Cirkus Schumann in Denmark and Sweden, Circus Knie in Switzerland and the Lido in Paris.
Lilly Yokoi made her last public appearance at Blackpool Tower Circus in 1982. Through her career she became a circus legend and she is still regarded by many as the greatest solo bicycle act that ever existed.
Found in 10 Collections and/or Records:
Blackpool Tower Circus Fantastic Programme, 1978
Charlie Cairoli and his company clowns, Lilly Yokoi trick cyclist, Yong Brothers balancing act, Mary Chipperfield and her magnificent animals, Norman Barrett ringmaster, The Salvadors ball balancing, Kludsky Troupe tumblers, Miss Wendy and her birds, Burger Sisters, El Gran Rober. Contains illustration on cover with photos, 12p.p.
Blackpool Tower Circus Posters, c1930 - 1990
Posters for Blackpool Tower Circus including shows by Knie's Circus, Circus Krone, Circus Schumann, Bertram Mills Circus, Robert Brothers Circus and performances by Charlie Cairoli, Doddles, Coco the Clown, The Rosaires, Lilly Yokoi, Alfred Court, Vojtek Trubka, The Great Wallendas and Mary Chipperfield among others.
Christopher Palmer Collection
Circus programmes and VHS tapes from Billy Smart’s Circus and Chipperfields’s Circus collected during the 1970s and early 1980s by the TV producer, Christopher John Palmer. There are also a number of promotional photographs of artistes and other ephemera related to the circus.
Circus Friends Association Collection
This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses
Circus Knie Advertising Material, 1953 - 1987
Advertising material for Circus Knie including their newspaper, containing extensive information on international performers and acts including Lilly Yokoi, Trubka, The Fratellis and the Flying Marilees, touring schedules and various souvenir brouchures for their zoo and menagerie, contain black and white and colour photographs with text and commercial advertising.
Circus Schumann Programmes, 1934 - 1968
Circus Schumann programmes containing colour illustrations on the front covers, inside black and white photographs of perfomers and acts, introduction, programme and commercial advertising, feature Lilly Yokoi, Mazeppa and Charlie Rivel.
Posters, c1800 - 2011
A wide range of British and international circus and menagerie posters ranging from the 19th to the 21st century including Astley's Amphitheatre, Pablo Fanque, Polito, Bostock and Wombwell, Ducrow, Cooke, Hengler, Sanger, Smart, Gerry Cottle, Bertram Mills, Chipperfield's, Robert Brothers, Fossett, Blackpool Tower, Billy Russell, Belle Vue, Great Yarmouth Hippodrome, Austen Brothers and many more.
Programmes, 1970 - 1981
Programmes for various British and international circuses including Billy Russell's, Blackpool Tower, Fossett's, Chipperfield's and the Toni Boltini's Circus.
Programmes, c1800 - 2019
A collection of mainly British and international circus programmes and some variety and music hall programmes containing circus acts.
Trade and Advertising Material, c1900 - 1999
A range of items of promotion and advertising from a range of circus companies and performers, including artistes' photographs with act descriptions used for seeking employment in circuses and pamphlets advertising independent performances and circus companies' literature and souvenirs for public distribution and promotion including Gerry Cottle's Circus, Belle Vue, Blackpool Tower, Bertram Mills Circus, Gandey's, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, Knie and many more.
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- Clowning 9
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