Last week the World Acrobatics Society (WAS) held their annual Congress & Banquet, celebrating the newest round of inductees into their Gallery of Legends –Hall of Fame. The ceremony recognizes landmark acrobats from different disciplines, as nominated by WAS’ members. This year’s Legends run the gamut from Olympic medalists to servicemen and household names in circus. CircusTalk wants to congratulate the 2021 inductees by spotlighting them and their achievements.  

This year’s inductees are as follows:

• Acrobatic Gymnastics – Sergii Popov & Mykola Shcherbak
• Artistic Gymnastics – Nellie Kim
• Diving – Don Dunfield
• Extreme Sports – Travis Pastrana
• Professional Acrobatics – Cristiani Family
• Trampoline/Tumbling – Karen Cockburn
• Charlie Pond Service Award – Nel Filliger
• Acrobatic Excellence Award – Blue Angels
• Golden Achievement Award – Norbert Dill
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Wendy Hilliard

The inductees have been chosen for excellence in their specific disciplines, while contributing to the overall success and growth of acrobatics. 

They were honored last week with a welcome ceremony, where the public was able to take advantage of photo opportunities. The festivities also included a “Meet the Legends” Q & A, a gala, reception, banquet, and of course, the official induction. 

The Word Acrobatic Society is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that has so far welcomed 297 athletes into their WAS Gallery of Legends — Hall of Fame. According to the World Acrobatic Society, their mission is “to advance the education, communication and cooperation among all individuals and organizations interested in fostering the growth, development and safety of the various acrobatic disciplines along with preserving their histories.”

Image source: World Acrobatic Society website.

Lydia Nord

Performer, Writer, Associate Editor -United States

Lydia is a Sailor Circus graduate currently based in Florida who was featured in the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. She is a Florida State University alumna and former member of the FSU Flying High Circus who received a degree in Media Communication Studies and Spanish. Her disciplines include trapeze, aerial silks, and Spanish web. Lydia is happily a part of the CircusTalk team as a journalism associate editor, combining her love for media and all things circus.

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Carolyn Klein

Journalism Intern -United States

Carolyn Klein is a writer, poet, and circus fan from the Washington, D.C, area. Writing stories about the circus has been a dream of hers since getting introduced to circus fiction around 2014. She recently completed her B.A. in English and Creative Writing, magna cum laude, at George Mason University. As a new member of the Circus Talk journalism team, Carolyn looks forward to learning as much as she can about the industry and people behind circus.

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