Jul 22, 2022
On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Lyric Wallenda, Simon Arestov, and Alex “The Mooch” Arestov of Circus Incredible. Lyric is a 7th generation circus performer of the Flying Wallenda family while Simon, a member of the Arestov Circus Troup from Moscow, is 2nd generation. The Mooch, now five years old, is the 8th and latest generation to carry on the Wallenda legacy.
Lyric reflects on the achievements of the most famous member of her family, her great-grandfather Karl Wallenda, who immigrated from Germany to the U.S. where he and his wife Helen performed with the Ringling Brothers for 17 years.
Their immediate success at their debut performance at Madison Square Garden gave the Wallendas the opportunity to bring many more of their relatives over from Germany.
Listen in as Lyric and Simon tell the riveting and often-heartbreaking story of their family’s rise to fame in America.
They explain why, after several generations, they continue to see the circus as their calling, and why they love performing in front of a wide variety of audiences, from major state and county fairs all the way to the Hollywood Bowl and NBA Halftime shows at Madison Square Garden!