Highlights:
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Andrey Medeiros was performing since he was six years old in his family owned circus. His wife Viktoriya is a first generation circus performer who started her career as a gymnast and learned circus skills when she came to the United States in 2001. Widny Neves is a fourth generation circus performer who began training when she was 13 years old.
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Andrey and Viktoriya received their motorcycle high-wire act as a wedding gift.
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Viktoriya and Andrey trained with Widny for more than half a year to ensure she was ready to perform the double hair hang act for The Greatest Show On Earth®. Widny has successfully been performing this act for the past three years.
Medeiros Troupe
Double Hair-Hang and Motorcycle High-wire
What do a gymnast, a former teeterboard acrobat, and a fourth generation circus performer have in common? They are the members of The Medeiros Troupe who perform two dazzling and high-flying acts in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents DRAGONS.
Performing a hair-iffic act, extraordinary Empresses of the Air, Viktoriya Medeiros and Widny Neves are suspended high-above the arena floor as they spin, twirl, and juggle only using the strands of their own and their partner's hair. In addition to their mane attraction, Viktoriya also perform alongside her husband, Andrey in a dueling motorcycle high-wire act that is sure to rev up Children Of All Ages. Executing impressive aerial feats, Viktoriya will perform bold stunts on a trapeze bar attached to Andrey's motorcycle, as he cruises on a wire the width of a human thumb.
For Andrey Medeiros performing in the circus is a true family affair. Since the age of six, Andrey began performing in his family owned circus. He and his nine cousins put on the whole show exhibiting a Russian swing, trampoline, trapeze and their renowned family teeterboard act. When Andrey was 19 years old, he took the teeterboard act and toured Europe for four years and returned to the United States in 2003 to work for various circuses. While performing on one of the circuses, he met Viktoriya, who had come from Bulgaria to work as a production woman. As soon as the two began dating, Andrey fell head over heels for Viktoriya and decided to leave his troupe so that the two could get married. The couple was married in 2004 under the circus big top and, to their surprise, was given the motorcycle high-wire equipment as a wedding gift.
Viktoriya, who was trained in gymnastics since the young age of five, began learning circus skills when she arrived to the United States in 2001 and was excited to be able to perform with her new husband. After training and perfecting the act for three months the two were ready to showcase their exhilarating display; but it wasn't too long before the two were ready to kick it up a notch and add another act to their already death-defying routine.
"My best friend and I had been practicing silks and we wanted to do something new so we created a double hair-hang act. No one believed that we could do it so we wanted to push ourselves," explained Viktoriya.
When the trio was invited to perform their acts for Ringling Bros. ®, Viktoriya's friend declined because her husband had prior commitments. Luckily, Andrey knew a perfect candidate to fill the position. Her name was Widny Neves and she had the skill, height, weight, and hair needed to be able to execute the act.
A fourth generation circus performer, Widny's family was known for their high-flying trapeze act. Having constantly been around her performing family, it was inevitable that Widny would follow in their footsteps. "I had been training since the age of 13 in various circus arts including web, trapeze, and contortion. I wanted to start performing right away but my mom said I had to finish school so I went and got a degree to become a physical education teacher," states Widny.
Touring with Andrey and Viktoriya is their son Kristofer who is already showing indications of being an acrobat himself and traveling along with Widny are her very proud parents and little sister.