Circus Legend: Alexandre Sacha Pavlata
Following the life of Alexandre Sacha Pavlata, fifth-generation Czech circus artist.
1953: At the age of 4 Sacha first performed in the Humberto Circus ring in Czechoslovakia alongside his Grandpa "djeda" with a clown act.
Sacha and his father Karel.
"Alexandre Sacha Pavlata radiates life and quiet joy as he strides around tent sidewalls, pounds stakes, uncoils cable, ties off rigging or stands atop the masts of a circus tent. When you stand close to him, you can hear the murmurings of multiple generations of circus folk whispering in his veins. His weathered, golden leather boots that now hang gleaming in the basement still emit the oceanic energy of millions of hands slapped together by people from all over the world through more than a half century of performances in the ring. His muscled arms are testament to the work of rigging thousands of tents, trapezes, high wires, cloud swings and more, and his calm, kind blue eyes are always ready to squint at the blinding light of a blowtorch as he welds metal to fix props or forge new creations. Circus has not been Sacha’s job, it has been his planet and attendant atmosphere. He has dual citizenship as an Earthling and a Circusling. Circus was - and is - the fabric of his life, a life of family, locomotion, hard work, happiness and happenstance." - Melinda Pavlata
(LEFT) Sacha's Mother Anna and Father Karel. (RIGHT) Sacha pictured with his family outside their trailer. His sisters sit in front (left to right): Helena, Ancha, Vera, Gabina. His grandmother is in the top right, his father on the steps and grandfather by his side.
1949 Circus Humberto
Sacha Pavlata was born in Prague into Czech Circus Humberto on March 25th, 1949 and grew up with his family was living in a small wooden circus wagon. Sacha is in the middle of five siblings, and the only boy. He has four sisters, two younger, Vera and Gabina and two older, Ancha and Helena.
Anna Dubsky
The birthplace of Sacha's mother, Anna in 1924. Anna married Sacha's father Karel Pavlata and joined him and his family in Czechoslovakia to work in Circus Humberto.
WW2 Dubsky Family
When the Second World War began, the rest of the Dubsky family, who had been working in Germany, sold everything they owned and left for America, where they found success performing with a variety of circuses. Anna never got to see her mom or dad again. Sacha is still sad when he thinks about that.
1965 Circus Humberto
When Sacha was 15 Circus Humberto was sent to perform in Russia and Ukraine. Everything (animals, tents, performers, trailers) went onto the train for the 10 day trip to Kiev.
Short Story: "Sacha’s grandma Dubsky had recently sent him a one dollar bill from the United States for his birthday, which he kept in a very special place: his passport. This dollar bill was very precious to Sacha because there was a store in Prague where you could buy chocolate and chewing gum, and it only took Western money. You could not get chocolate and chewing gum in any other place. So Sacha was saving his American bill together with his most important documents, mouth-water dreaming of future treats. The Soviet guard frowned when he saw the unacceptable green currency in Sacha’s travel papers. “Where are the other ones?” He demanded. “There is only this one,” said Sacha, but the guard did not believe him, and scrutinized the whole company to see who else might be harboring this offending capitalist money. Everyone in the circus got mad at Sacha because he didn’t hide his dollar in a better place. “You cannot enter Russia with this,” the guard told Sacha, plucking it from his passport. Sacha, usually very easy going, can get very up- set when you deny him his chocolate. He spoke up loud and clear: “You have to give that back to me, it is from my grandmother!” “We will give you the dollar back when you leave the country,” said the Russian guard, who took the bill into custody and carefully registered it under Sacha’s name. Remarkably, Sacha did get his dollar back at the border on the way back to Czechoslovakia."
1965 Circus Humberto
While touring with Circus Humberto, the circus also visited Moscow.
1966 Circus Berni
In 1966 an English agent offered The Pavlata Family's Bertini Unicycle act a contract with Circus Berni to tour in Norway and Finland.
Short Story: They were to perform three acts: a unicycle act, their donkey comedy act with Lenka and Chaplin, and an acrobatic trampoline act. The Communist government at the time did not easily let their people leave the country, but the state run circus agreed to let the Pavlatas out as long as they sent back 50% of their salary. The Pavlatas agreed and now had to figure out how to transport themselves, their belongings, two mules, several unicycles and a folding trampoline across the border and on into Scandinavia. They did not have much time before the season started and could only afford two ancient postal trucks with faulty engines to pull their two trailers - one loaded with mules and circus props, and one serving as their living quarters. Unfortunately, the family had not yet made it across the border when one of the trucks died and could not be revived. They had to load the truck and trailers onto a train that went through Germany and on into Sweden. They all slept in one trailer and the mules were in another truck that pulled the prop trailer. Once in Sweden, officials boarded the train and told the family that people were not allowed to stay on this type of train - it was for merchandise only. The family had to spend their very last money on tickets for a passenger train to Oslo. The officials made one exception and let Sacha’s father Karel stay on board to tend to the mules, and young teenage Sacha stowed away by hiding under the bed. Sacha and his dad had a few fresh eggs left to eat, which they carefully rationed and scrambled on a little gas stove, and Sacha remembers that the last couple of days when they cracked open the eggs they were rotten. They had suf- fered such setbacks before and survived, and so they did again. The entire family made it to the town of Dramen and found the circus tent set up in the middle of a snowy field. They could barely find the tent, the spring snow was piled so high."
1966 Circus Berni (Finland)
"Sacha remembers that in Finland it was always daylight, never dark. It was a beautiful country where the people were very different from what he knew. No one in the family spoke Finnish but somehow Sacha’s Hungarian mother Anna managed to communicate. Sacha made friends with a French boy in the circus called Bruno Antares, whose family had a flying rocket act. He and Bruno used to ride their unicycles on the main roads from the circus to town to go check out the girls, and one day the cops stopped them. “You have no steering wheel, you cannot do this,” they told the boys. Sacha and Bruno hopped off their unicycles and walked alongside them, and as soon as the officers were out of view, they jumped back on. “We don’t listen to some cops!”
Winter 1966 Circus Amar
Sacha and his family traveled by train and ship out of Marseille to Algeria to perform in Circus Amar.
1967 Circus Vivi Smith
1967 Circus Darix Togni
Winter of 1967 Sacha and his family travel to Italy with Circus Darix Togni.
Circus Berni gave them electricity and a place to park, and most importantly - advance money so they could go to the supermarket to buy food.
The chimpanzee from Circus Humberto. A brother and sister owned another circus chimp, they were the ones who gave the Pavlata children fruit.
Sacha will never forget his first visit to a western supermarket. After a childhood of food scarcity, he was stunned by the abundance and variety of food - you could just reach out your hands and put it into your cart. He had never seen so many varieties of fruit in his life, especially in spring time when the fruits for sale were not even in season. Back in Prague, “if you get apple was miracle.” He stood before bananas and pineapples with his mouth open wide. The only time he had ever had a banana or an orange in Czechoslovakia was when a close friend of the family’s who trained chimpanzees and had snakes for the circus sneaked these rare and special fruits meant for the chimps to Sacha and his sisters. The circus chimps received better government food rations than the children. Needless to say, in that first Western supermarket, they did “big shopping.”
Sacha (middle) and his family in Prague, 1966. Starting top, left to right: Helena, Sacha, Ancha, Vlastek Sr, Karel Pavlata.
1968 - Circus Williams
In 1968 the Pavlatas were hired into Circus Williams to tour in Germany.
Below is a collection of images of the acts Sacha and his family would perform in Circus Williams in Germany.
The man in the hat in the above photos is Sacha's grandfather. Also pictured is Sacha's sisters, Helena, Ancha, Vera, Gabina, his grandmother and his family's Donkey Lenka.
1968 Circus Orfei
Tiger Babies Story: "There was a tiger act on the show, and in the course of the season, two tiger babies were born. They were black and yellow. For some reason the tiger mother refused to nurse her babies. Not long before that, in the course of their traveling, Sacha’s animal-loving sister Gabina came across some teenagers trying to drown a puppy in a lake. The teenagers fled when an enraged Gabina intervened. She saved the puppy and brought it back to the circus lot with her. The puppy had a big bone stuck in its throat, which a local vet removed for free. The dog grew up and within the year had a litter of puppies at the same time as the tigers were born. Since the baby tigers were in danger or starving to death, the circus owner asked the family if they would take in the baby tigers and see if the dog would feed them alongside her puppies. The sweet dog immediately treated the tigers like she was their own mother and let them nurse with her puppies. Sacha remembers that the newborn baby tigers were so cute and meowed like little cats. The puppies and baby tigers slept in the Pavlata’s storage truck in piles of blankets. The tigers quickly outgrew the puppies. Their meows deepened into rumbling growls. At three months old they became dangerous - they had sharp nails and they would bite, so the circus owners took the tigers back to the tiger cage on leashes."
Winter 1968/69 Cirque D'Hiver - Bouglione Circus
Sacha remembers that this circus was on tour around France at the same time as American astronauts first landed on the moon. It is here that he met his first wife Martine in Cirque D'Hiver as she was an usher in his show.
Winter 1969 Biarritz
Sacha's family gets stuck at the border on their way to Spain to perform. It was a very emotional time. In 1968 Russians had driven tanks into Prague and the family didn't know if they could return home or not. They were lucky because their whole family was together. It was then that a French border guard suggested they ask for political asylum in France. He advised them to first go to Biarritz to perform in the streets to make some money and then to Paris to change their papers.
1970 Sacha's First Born, Nathalie (September)
Sacha's wife Martine had traveled to Copenhagen to meet him. Together they then traveled to Napoli, Italy where Sacha's daughter Nathalie was born. The minute they arrived on the circus lot, Martine was rushed to the hospital to give birth.
Early 70s "Italy Time"
Sacha travelled all around Italy in the early 70s with Circus Orfei. He mostly performed the unicycle act with family, but also drove trucks for the circus. Photos show Sacha pictured with family in Festival Mondial de Cirque.
Summertime 1974
On the backlot of the circus in Italy, Sacha and another young man decided to challenge each other to an arm-wrestling match. Sacha went in for the win, breaking his own arm. He remembers picking up his arm and shaking it - when the bone moved, he said to himself "oh sh*t." This left him with a gnarly scar up his right bicep. He used to tell children made up stories of how he got this scar...
January 1975
The birth of Sacha's second child, Alexandre in Paris.
1975-1979 Conservatoire National du Cirque & Cirque Bouglione & Cirque Gruss & Cirque D'Hiver
In the 1970s Sacha was living and working in Paris. He was coaching at the Conservatoire National du Cirque and performing as a member of the Bertini Family Unicycle Troupe at Cirque Bouglione. During this time in Paris Sacha married and had his two children, Alexandre and Nathalie. He was running between shows in Cirque Bouglione and Cirque Gruss. Vlastek Sr had to have surgery and sacha had to take his place in the unicycle act. Photos show Sacha working with a Spanish man named Louis Nuños in 1978. They originally met in Sweden and then years later were working together until Sacha left for the United States. Louis had been working as an acrobat in the Moulin Rouge.
Photos 4 + 5 show Sacha replacing Vlastek Sr in the unicycle act in 1987/88.
1980s Big Apple Circus
In the 1980s Paul Binder , director of Big Apple Circus had met Sacha in Paris. Sacha was recommended by Philippe Petit who had met him while in Paris. Sacha was responsible for the near impossible task of raising the Big Apple Circus tent at Lincoln Center the first time it ever went up there. He ran the Big Apple Circus School and trained the award-winning acrobatic troupe, The Backstreet Flyers. Along with being tent master, Sacha performed cloud swing and Russian bar. Sacha also brought the Bertini Family over from Europe to perform their unicycle act in the Big Apple Circus ring. At the same time Sacha was working as a master teacher at New York School of Circus Arts.
Photo 2 is from Big Apple Circus in Philadelphia.
Photo 4 is from Big Apple Circus' first green tent in the 80s.
Photo 5 is of Big Apple in Virginia at King's Dominion Park.
Early 1980s TV Show
Sacha and his sister Gabina perform for a Television Show in Toronto, Canada.
1982 Annie the Musical
In 1982 Sacha starred in the movie Annie ! You can see him in the final scenes riding a unicycle. Pictured is Sacha and Family on the set. Sacha is sitting in John Huston's chair.
1987 "Circus of the Stars"
Sacha has coached stars like Nicole Eggert and Andre Gower for television shows like "Circus of the Stars". In Los Angeles Sacha also worked with Cirque Du Soleil.
1988 Big Top Pee-wee
Sacha had a speaking role in the major motion picture Big Top Pee-wee . He appeared as a Piccola Pupula brother named Antonio. His accent was a perfect match for the role.
Sacha's first trip to the United States at 30 years old. "I knew number 3 would change something in my life. I never forget my big trip. No regrets at all, I've seen a lot of great things here especially the most great person in my life" - Sacha reflecting in 2021.
Sacha Pavlata's Cloud Swing Act
Sacha Pavlata's Cloud Swing Act performed in Cirque Passion. Cirque passion was owned by Sacha and his wife Melinda. This is the same act and costume that Sacha wore while performing in Big Apple Circus.
Philippe Petit, renowned funambulist (high wire artist), writes of Alexandre Sacha Pavlata:
“I met Alexandre Pavlata in 1972 at the CIRQUE D’HIVER of Paris. He was helping some kids, backstage, to perfect their somersaults. I remember the gentle yet strong way he was directing their progresses, there was a lot of joy, but the results were prompt.
As I watch Sacha over the years, becoming slowly the “best circus teacher” (his well-earned reputation today), I realized that a very special chemistry was the secret of his so unique ability:
Sacha could offer in the classes he gave, the flavor of European Circus Tradition. He was born and raised in a traveling circus family, therefore was quickly acquainted with the constant training, the tough discipline, the respect for other artists, and the ability to understand rigging and to perform all aspects of circus profession.
But Sacha had to offer, blended to this heritage, the benefits of his own life and personality: he has traveled all over the world, therefore mastering several languages, he had coached numerous pupils of diverse ways of life, nationalities, age, goals and talents, had become a father, and had developed a sparkling intelligence at introducing the unfamiliar to a demanding craft, with surprising results.
It is the blending of the deeply traditional world of European circuses, with a modern international expertise that made the instruction of Master Teacher Pavlata so effective, and so rich, so outstanding.
A quick survey of the teaching of Circus Arts in America points to the lack of a figure that could lead the American performers of tomorrow into the track of progress and success: I believe Sacha Pavlata is the person that will devote his time and expertise to that wonderful task of keeping Circus Arts alive and flourishing in the United States, with the best rate of triumphs.”
1990s
Sacha practicing the 7-person pyramid with The Flying Wallendas in Sarasota, FL.
7-Person pyramid Sarasota, FL 1996. Pictured Bottom Row: Tino Wallenda , Sacha Pavlata, Nik Wallenda , Terry Wallenda. Middle: Tony Hernandez, Alida Wallenda, Top: Lijana Wallenda.
Festival Mondial du Cirque, Cirque De Demain
Paris, 1996
Sacha performs cloud swing with his niece Aurelia Wallenda. Sacha remarks that "nobody had done these combinations, we were the only ones and had no competition."
Double Cloudswing featuring Sacha and Aurelia in Circus Flora's first tent.
Early Circus Flora Years...
Sacha at Circus Flora in the late 80s and early 90s.
Sacha is pictured bottom row, second in from the left.
Wallenda four-person pyramid.
Pictured in 4-person pyramid: Sacha Pavlata and Dieter Galambos on bottom, Tino Wallenda balanced on chair and Aurelia Wallenda-Zoppé standing on his shoulders.
The four-person pyramid with the Flying Wallenda family was the most difficult and thrilling trick of my life. It was even harder than the seven-person pyramid. I performed many kinds of acts in my circus life but I never thought I would walk the wire. Thanks to Tino Wallenda and his family, that changed. Thanks to them, I accomplished some of the greatest feats of my life, high in the air on a slender wire filled with great hearts. Tino and Olinka, thank you so much - I have so many great memories of working with you and your family.
-Sacha
DOUBLE TRAPEZE by Sacha and Alida Wallenda, 1988/89 Circus Flora.
Sacha traveled in his hand crafted trailer home, pictured in the gallery below. It included a jacuzzi, washer dryer, three beds (one loft, one pull out couch, one bed), a kitchen, television and storage.
Sacha traveled the world with friends and family, both performing with various circuses and coaching at many circus schools. To this day he has students from COCA and other schools reach out to him to express how much they valued learning from him in the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
Sacha teaching at COCA in St. Louis, MO and Sacha's School of Circus Arts.
Cirque Passion duet at Circus Flora, Nantucket 2005.
2011 Circus Flora's special "Vagabond Adventures"
2012 Circus Flora "Tir Na Nóg"
2010 & Beyond
Sacha and his legacy live on in Massachusetts, working at his school Moody Street Circus coaching more young children (and adults!) in the wonderful life and art of Circus. His legends, artistry and performance live on through the skits he teaches in classes, atmosphere his presence provides and stories that he shares, inspiring everyone.
Sacha Pavlata by Naomi Goldstein
Sacha's sisters are currently living all over the world. Helena lives in Sarasota with sacha's Nephew, Vlastek Jr, and his family who continue on the circus tradition performing unicycle, trampoline and aerial cradle acts (Wife Kim Sue, children Vincent and Violet) . Ancha and Vera live in Poitier, France and Gabina in Sicily, Italy.
Alexandre and Nathalie, Sacha's children currently live in France. Sacha has three grandchildren, Tiago (Alex's son), Yann and Romain (Nathalie's sons).
Melinda, Sacha and Zoë currently live in Waltham, MA.
Passing on the Circus Tradition
Sacha's step-daughter Zoë Isadora Heywood (Melinda's daughter). Sacha has been passing on his tradition to Zoë since they met in 2000 in Arizona. Zoë's mother would walk Zoë to the stables to see the horses. The stables were near Sacha's trailer where he would wake up early and chisel himself pieces of dark chocolate. Sacha and her mother married in 2007 bye the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.
Sacha, Zoë, Melinda
Sacha and Zoë on tour in 2016 with the Flying Wallendas to Guildford, Ct, Deerfield, NH and Topsfield, MA.
Follow in Sacha's footsteps from March 1949 to present day through the map below.
Since arriving in the United States in 1980 Sacha has traveled to and through 41 states with various friends, family, and circuses. He has returned to Europe and beyond, teaching, performing, visiting and vacationing. The following map attempts to follow Sacha's circus "golden boots" footsteps, but by no means is it an exhaustive list of locations or dates.
1949 Circus Humberto
Sacha Pavlata was born to Anna and Karel.
1964/5 Circus Humberto
Traveling with Circus Humberto to Russia and Ukraine. They visited and performed in Moscow and Kiev.
1965 Variété Dragnovsky
Sacha performs Variété Dragnovsky with family back in Prague.
1966 Circus Berni
Traveling to Norway with Circus Berni.
1966 Circus Berni
After Norway they traveled through Sweden, stopping at a few towns to then enter Finland.
1966 Circus Berni
Traveling with Circus Berni to Finland.
1966 Circus Amar
Traveling with Circus Amar to Algeria.
1967 Circus Vivi Smith
In Denmark with Circus Vivi Smith.
1967 Circus Darix Togni
In Italy with Circus Darix Togni.
1968 Circus Williams
Working with Circus Williams in Germany.
1969 Asylum
At the border of Spain, getting political asylum in France.
1969 Circus Darix Togni
Working in Torino with Circus Darix Togni.
Winter 1969 Paris
Sacha and Martine get pregnant with their first Child in Paris. They came to Paris to change their papers.
1970 Circus Togni/Scott
Sacha and Martine travel to Copenhagen with Circus Togni/Scott.
1970 Circus Scott/Togni
Sacha and his family travel with Circus Scott and Togni to Sweden.
1970 Napoli (Nathalie)
Nathalie, Sacha's daughter is born in September in Napoli.
1971 Circus Orfei
Sacha spends the next 5 years traveling all over Italy. He begin in 1971 with Circus Orfei.
1973 Circus Orfei
Sacha's show gets stuck in a big snow storm in Ancona, Italy in 1973 while working with Circus Orfei.
1975 Paris (Alex)
Sacha's second child, Alexandre is born in Paris.
Summer 1975 Historic Hippodrome Circus
Sacha and family travel to England to perform in the Historic Hippodrome Circus. They perform their family donkey act with their donkey Lenka. Sacha remembers renting an apartment right next to the Hippodrome near the water. He would wake up and have fresh milk delivered to his doorstep.
1975-9 ENC
Sacha worked as master circus teacher at École National du Cirque in Paris with Alexi Gruss.
1979 Big Apple Circus
Sacha is brought to the United States with Paul Binder and Big Apple Circus.
Early 1980s Toronto TV
Sacha stars in Toronto television show.
1982 Motion Picture Annie
Sacha stars in Annie.
1980s Kings Dominion
Sacha performs with Big Apple Circus and family at King's Dominion in Virginia.
Early 1980s Shriner Circus
Performing with family (Vlastek) in Shriner Circus.
1982/3 Barnum Production
Sacha travels to Louisiana to teach in the Barnum Production.
1985 Circus of the Stars
Sacha travels to LA to work with Circus of the Stars and Cirque du Soleil.
1985 Circus Flora
Sacha is co-founder of Circus Flora. Circus Flora began in South Carolina and then toured to Colorado, Arizona, Texas, New York and Nantucket before ending up in St. Louis, MO.
1986 Big Top Pee-wee
Sacha stars in Big Top Pee-wee.
1986-1996 Circus Flora
Sacha toured with Circus Flora across the US, starting in SC then to AZ.
1986-1996 Circus Flora
Circus Flora in Dallas, TX.
1990s
Chicago, IL.
1995 Circus Flora Legend of the Phoenix
Sacha performs with Circus Flora for their show "Legend of the Phoenix"
1996 Flying Wallendas
Sacha practices the 7-person pyramid with The Flying Wallendas in Sarasota, FL.
1997 Circus Flora
Circus Flora tours to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
1997 7-Person Pyramid Recreation
Traveling with The Flying Wallendas to Detroit, MI to recreate the famous seven-person pyramid.
2000 Phoenix Art Museum
Sacha performs in Arizona at the Phoenix Art Museum. Read more here.
2002 Circus Flora
The Lincoln Center Festival - Sacha put up the Circus Flora tent.
2003 Spoleto Festival
Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.
2003 "The Temptation" Tiger Lilly Circus
Sacha performs with Lisa Giobi at a Greek Cabaret/Night club. Their act was called "The Temptation."
2002/3
Fliegende Bauten show with Tiger Lily in Hambourg.
2003 Monte Carlo
Sacha performs with The Flying Wallendas in Monaco.
2003/4 NECCA
Traveling from St. Louis with people from his Circus School to visit New England Center for Circus Arts in Vermont.
2005 Circus Flora
Sacha and Melinda perform with Circus Flora presented on Nantucket.
2006
Sacha and family head to Taiwan to perform with the Flying Wallendas.
2006 Circus Sarasota
Sacha performs in 2006 season of Circus Sarasota with The Flying Wallendas.
2006 Cirque Rocks
Sacha and Melinda perform with The Flying Wallendas at Cirque Rocks! In New Zealand.
2007
Cirque Passion circus tent (owned by Sacha and Melinda) goes up in Waltham, MA at the YMCA. Second photo features Sacha walking across the top of the tent with nephew Vlastek Jr.
2007
Melinda and Sacha in Trapeze Duet at Baltimore Museum of Art Belly Dance Magic Show produced by Daughters of Rhea.
2007 Wedding in Greece
Sacha and Melinda are married in Greece.
2008
Singapore performance of trapeze duet - Sacha and Melinda. Photo by Dav Rue courtesy Goddess Motion.
2008 Circus Roncalli
The Wallenda Troupe Salute on the High Wire. Lanxess Arena, Koln, Germany.
2009 Cirque Passion
Sacha and Melinda's tent is put up in Nyack for Amazing Grace circus camp.
2009
Sacha Pavlata crosses a 1 km high wire over the Hangang River in Seoul, South Korea.
2009
Roxy Night Club. Providence, RI. Performing trapeze duet with wife Melinda.
2009
Performing with The Flying Wallendas at Cirque Roncalli.
2009/2010
Opening of Moody Street Circus, Sacha and Melinda's circus school in Waltham, MA.
2010
Performing with The Flying Wallendas. Altoona, PA at the Jaffa Shrine Center.
2010
Sacha and The Flying Wallendas at the Deerfield Fair get ready for the 4 person pyramid.
2011
Circus Flora "Vagabond Adventures"
2011
Cirque Passion tented show in Newton, MA.
2012
Circus Flora "Tir Na Nóg"
2013
Cirque Passion. Wayland's Anniversary 375th anniversary.
2013 Cirque Passion
Sacha puts up the Cirque Passion tent for a wedding in Ontario, Canada.
2014
Performing with the Flying Wallendas at Circus Flic Flac "Festival Der Artisten" in Kassel, Germany.
2016
Sacha performing with The Flying Wallendas at the Topsfield fair. Sacha pictured below step-daughter Zoë Isadora.
2016
Sacha performing with step-daughter Zoë Isadora and Flying Wallendas at Guildford Fair.
2019 Sacha's 70th
Sacha and Family head to Paris to celebrate his 70th birthday at Le Zebre de Belleville.
1949 Circus Humberto
Sacha Pavlata was born to Anna and Karel.
1964/5 Circus Humberto
Traveling with Circus Humberto to Russia and Ukraine. They visited and performed in Moscow and Kiev.
1965 Variété Dragnovsky
Sacha performs Variété Dragnovsky with family back in Prague.
1966 Circus Berni
Traveling to Norway with Circus Berni.
1966 Circus Berni
After Norway they traveled through Sweden, stopping at a few towns to then enter Finland.
1966 Circus Berni
Traveling with Circus Berni to Finland.
1966 Circus Amar
Traveling with Circus Amar to Algeria.
1967 Circus Vivi Smith
In Denmark with Circus Vivi Smith.
1967 Circus Darix Togni
In Italy with Circus Darix Togni.
1968 Circus Williams
Working with Circus Williams in Germany.
1969 Asylum
At the border of Spain, getting political asylum in France.
1969 Circus Darix Togni
Working in Torino with Circus Darix Togni.
Winter 1969 Paris
Sacha and Martine get pregnant with their first Child in Paris. They came to Paris to change their papers.
1970 Circus Togni/Scott
Sacha and Martine travel to Copenhagen with Circus Togni/Scott.
1970 Circus Scott/Togni
Sacha and his family travel with Circus Scott and Togni to Sweden.
1970 Napoli (Nathalie)
Nathalie, Sacha's daughter is born in September in Napoli.
1971 Circus Orfei
Sacha spends the next 5 years traveling all over Italy. He begin in 1971 with Circus Orfei.
1973 Circus Orfei
Sacha's show gets stuck in a big snow storm in Ancona, Italy in 1973 while working with Circus Orfei.
1975 Paris (Alex)
Sacha's second child, Alexandre is born in Paris.
Summer 1975 Historic Hippodrome Circus
Sacha and family travel to England to perform in the Historic Hippodrome Circus. They perform their family donkey act with their donkey Lenka. Sacha remembers renting an apartment right next to the Hippodrome near the water. He would wake up and have fresh milk delivered to his doorstep.
1975-9 ENC
Sacha worked as master circus teacher at École National du Cirque in Paris with Alexi Gruss.
1979 Big Apple Circus
Sacha is brought to the United States with Paul Binder and Big Apple Circus.
Early 1980s Toronto TV
Sacha stars in Toronto television show.
1982 Motion Picture Annie
Sacha stars in Annie.
1980s Kings Dominion
Sacha performs with Big Apple Circus and family at King's Dominion in Virginia.
Early 1980s Shriner Circus
Performing with family (Vlastek) in Shriner Circus.
1982/3 Barnum Production
Sacha travels to Louisiana to teach in the Barnum Production.
1985 Circus of the Stars
Sacha travels to LA to work with Circus of the Stars and Cirque du Soleil.
1985 Circus Flora
Sacha is co-founder of Circus Flora. Circus Flora began in South Carolina and then toured to Colorado, Arizona, Texas, New York and Nantucket before ending up in St. Louis, MO.
1986 Big Top Pee-wee
Sacha stars in Big Top Pee-wee.
1986-1996 Circus Flora
Sacha toured with Circus Flora across the US, starting in SC then to AZ.
1986-1996 Circus Flora
Circus Flora in Dallas, TX.
1990s
Chicago, IL.
1995 Circus Flora Legend of the Phoenix
Sacha performs with Circus Flora for their show "Legend of the Phoenix"
1996 Flying Wallendas
Sacha practices the 7-person pyramid with The Flying Wallendas in Sarasota, FL.
1997 Circus Flora
Circus Flora tours to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
1997 7-Person Pyramid Recreation
Traveling with The Flying Wallendas to Detroit, MI to recreate the famous seven-person pyramid.
2000 Phoenix Art Museum
Sacha performs in Arizona at the Phoenix Art Museum. Read more here .
2002 Circus Flora
The Lincoln Center Festival - Sacha put up the Circus Flora tent.
2003 Spoleto Festival
Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.
2003 "The Temptation" Tiger Lilly Circus
Sacha performs with Lisa Giobi at a Greek Cabaret/Night club. Their act was called "The Temptation."
2002/3
Fliegende Bauten show with Tiger Lily in Hambourg.
2003 Monte Carlo
Sacha performs with The Flying Wallendas in Monaco.
2003/4 NECCA
Traveling from St. Louis with people from his Circus School to visit New England Center for Circus Arts in Vermont.
2005 Circus Flora
Sacha and Melinda perform with Circus Flora presented on Nantucket.
2006
Sacha and family head to Taiwan to perform with the Flying Wallendas.
2006 Circus Sarasota
Sacha performs in 2006 season of Circus Sarasota with The Flying Wallendas.
2006 Cirque Rocks
Sacha and Melinda perform with The Flying Wallendas at Cirque Rocks! In New Zealand.
2007
Cirque Passion circus tent (owned by Sacha and Melinda) goes up in Waltham, MA at the YMCA. Second photo features Sacha walking across the top of the tent with nephew Vlastek Jr.
2007
Melinda and Sacha in Trapeze Duet at Baltimore Museum of Art Belly Dance Magic Show produced by Daughters of Rhea.
2007 Wedding in Greece
Sacha and Melinda are married in Greece.
2008
Singapore performance of trapeze duet - Sacha and Melinda. Photo by Dav Rue courtesy Goddess Motion.
2008 Circus Roncalli
The Wallenda Troupe Salute on the High Wire. Lanxess Arena, Koln, Germany.
2009 Cirque Passion
Sacha and Melinda's tent is put up in Nyack for Amazing Grace circus camp.
2009
Sacha Pavlata crosses a 1 km high wire over the Hangang River in Seoul, South Korea.
2009
Roxy Night Club. Providence, RI. Performing trapeze duet with wife Melinda.
2009
Performing with The Flying Wallendas at Cirque Roncalli.
2009/2010
Opening of Moody Street Circus , Sacha and Melinda's circus school in Waltham, MA.
2010
Performing with The Flying Wallendas. Altoona, PA at the Jaffa Shrine Center.
2010
Sacha and The Flying Wallendas at the Deerfield Fair get ready for the 4 person pyramid.
2011
Circus Flora "Vagabond Adventures"
2011
Cirque Passion tented show in Newton, MA.
2012
Circus Flora "Tir Na Nóg"
2013
Cirque Passion. Wayland's Anniversary 375th anniversary.
2013 Cirque Passion
Sacha puts up the Cirque Passion tent for a wedding in Ontario, Canada.
2014
Performing with the Flying Wallendas at Circus Flic Flac "Festival Der Artisten" in Kassel, Germany.
2016
Sacha performing with The Flying Wallendas at the Topsfield fair. Sacha pictured below step-daughter Zoë Isadora.
2016
Sacha performing with step-daughter Zoë Isadora and Flying Wallendas at Guildford Fair.
2019 Sacha's 70th
Sacha and Family head to Paris to celebrate his 70th birthday at Le Zebre de Belleville.
Sacha by Cheryl Clegg Photography
Sacha with current students at Moody Street Circus. Images from various classes, camps and performances.
If you have any additional stories to go along with the ones posted here, images, fun or funny facts, dates/locations to add to this page about Sacha's life and travels, please reach out and share them!
Contact: moodystreetcircus@icloud.com
