Highlights:
· Guillermo and Alberto learned the wheel from their father Roberto. Their uncle also performed the wheel as well.
· Both brothers started out their circus career as jugglers and even juggled clubs on fire.
· Guillermo is the only person in America to perform a forward somersault outside and atop of the wheel.
Fernandez Brothers
Dueling Wheels
Imagine two giant hamster wheels, each with a person running inside. Now put those wheels on a giant axle that circles 39 feet high. Now watch as the performers climb out onto the outer rims and jump rope. Performing just such a thrilling stunt in ZING ZANG ZOOMSM are the daredevil Fernandez brothers, Guillermo and Alberto. Guillermo even performs a forward somersault outside and atop of the wheel, the only person in America to do so.
The brothers learned the Wheels of Steel from their inspirational father, who performed with the Vasquez Circus in Mexico. Their uncle Rodrigo also found fame running, jumping and performing acrobatic moves on the giant rotating apparatus.
Growing up in a circus family, the brothers learned to juggle, including clubs on fire. But more than juggling, the high-drama wheel called out to them. Guillermo, who started practicing when he was 5, brought Alberto along at 17. Now their 12-year-old brother is learning the wheel, too.
About three years ago, the brothers learned that Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey® was looking for new acts. Vice President of Talent and Production Tim Holst even stopped by for a look, but decided they needed more seasoning. They thought they’d been forgotten before the life-changing call came last year. Working for Ringling Bros., they say, is a “dream come true.”
Their entire family, including their mother, a former high-wire artist, and their Chihuahua, Virky, is traveling with them on the Ringling Bros.® train.
Guillermo and Alberto say they couldn’t be more different from one another. Guillermo can’t wait to see Los Angeles, while Alberto is eager to see New York City. Guillermo considers himself Americanized, while Alberto considers himself more traditional. Guillermo would love to have a house in Malibu, while Alberto wants to move to Spain.
But there are three things the brothers agree they both like: soccer, video games and American food!