| About Wallenda Enterprises Inc. Wallenda Enterprises is the child of The Great Wallendas. My grandparents called their highwire act by that name from 1929 until 1978. At that time I assumed leadership of the company, with my grandmother’s enthusiastic blessing. My sister, Rietta, and I toured as The Great Wallendas until she married. I also married, and my wife Debbie and I continued as The Great Wallendas. We performed our highwire troupe, and a new duo act featuring Debbie as the first and only woman in history to perform an incredible jump from my shoulders to the wire. That record still holds. No other woman has attempted that trick. I fell from the wire while performing the leap-frog over Debbie, as part of this duo act. My recovery time lasted five months, and ended in St. Paul, Minnesota at the sportsmens show. Debbie and I continued with the duo, and the troupe, but added The Great Wallendas Circus. The circus consumed time, and minimized highwire practice. On some occasions The Great Wallendas highwire act remained in the truck sometimes replaced by other Wallenda highwire acts. The main focus of The Great Wallendas Inc became show productions, and eventually attracted the mighty Medinah Shrine Temple as our opening engagement in Chicago for a seventeen day appearance 1995-97. During this time I turned my attention to concept shows. As a response to spectators requesting something historical, we fashioned Zirkus Wallenda. Zirkus was a turn of the century show with a story line, and a real medicine salesman selling Wallendas Wonder Tonic. The show successfully toured for several years, and remains on our menu of offerings. After the 1998 season I entered Eckerd College, graduating in just three years with a 3.95 GPA, and a B.A. in Creative Writing, and followed that with two years at Vermont College, earning the MFA in Writing. I now combine my literary degrees with my performing experience, creating and performing concept shows, thrills, and exceeding the limits of tradition. Wallenda Enterprises offers more room for creativity, and expansion into other areas of expression. My memoir, Skywalk, will soon be published, and available at this web page. We also offer several concept shows. Please ask for anything special that you think is out of the box. |
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Rick and Rietta 1978
1928
Ringling
Poster
Ringling
Poster
This 1929 program from the Cypress
Shrine Temple is the first documented use
of the adjective “Great” in reference to the
original Wallenda troupe. The adjective
remained as part of the title to the act, The
Great Wallendas, for the next sixty years.
The authentic members of the troupe never
used any other adjective such as “Flying,”
or “Fabulous.” From The Authentic
Wallenda Archives.
Shrine Temple is the first documented use
of the adjective “Great” in reference to the
original Wallenda troupe. The adjective
remained as part of the title to the act, The
Great Wallendas, for the next sixty years.
The authentic members of the troupe never
used any other adjective such as “Flying,”
or “Fabulous.” From The Authentic
Wallenda Archives.
Debbie
Wallenda, the
first and only
woman to
perform a
daring leap
from the
shoulders to
the wire,
1986-91.
Wallenda, the
first and only
woman to
perform a
daring leap
from the
shoulders to
the wire,
1986-91.
Rick Wallenda, headstanding Skywalk over tiger
pen at the Columbus Zoo at the invitation of Jack
Hanna. In his book Monkeys on the Interstate, Jack
documents that an incredible 15,000 spectators
witnessed this animal friendly event.
pen at the Columbus Zoo at the invitation of Jack
Hanna. In his book Monkeys on the Interstate, Jack
documents that an incredible 15,000 spectators
witnessed this animal friendly event.
| Wallenda Enterprises, Inc - Exceeding the Limits of Tradition |
