Dimitri (clown)
Encyclopedia
Dimitri in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
as Dimitri Jakob Müller). After changing his name, his official name is Jakob Dimitri. He is a well-known Swiss clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
and mime
Mime artist
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...
.
Early life and training
Dimitri was born in Ascona, Switzerland in 1935. When he was seven years old he decided he wanted to become a clownClown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
. After graduating from school, Dimitri became an apprentice potter while studying music and theater. He went to Paris to study under Etienne Decroux
Étienne Decroux
Étienne Decroux studied at Jacques Copeau's Ecole du Vieux-Colombier, where he saw the beginnings of what was to become his life's obsession–Corporeal Mime...
, then Marcel Marceau
Marcel Marceau
Marcel Marceau was an internationally acclaimed French actor and mime most famous for his persona as Bip the Clown.-Early years:...
.
Career
In 1959, he was hired as an Auguste by Louise Maisse, a whiteface clown. He then created his own solo mime act which was received with much acclaim during the 1962 International Mime Festival in Berlin. In 1973, he was awarded the Grock prize, and appeared with New York's Big Apple CircusBig Apple Circus
The Big Apple Circus is a circus that is based in New York City. Opened in 1977, it has become a tourist attraction as well. It has been highly influential towards the creation of Cirque du Soleil, tent-based circuses and smaller non-profit shows, such as Circus Flora.-The 1970s:The idea of...
. He has also performed in many other countries across the globe. He was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame
International Clown Hall of Fame
The International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center , located in Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA, is dedicated to the preservation and advancement of clown art and achievement...
in 1995.
Style
Dimitri prefers performing solo in theaters with a few props and no scenery. His act is motivated with his comic logic and playful spirit allowing him to incorporate a wide variety of circus skills. Interaction with the audience is an integral part of both his stage acts. The finale of his show is to play four saxophones simultaneously. He is a published author and songwriter, and operates a theater company with his wife Gunda, in VerscioVerscio
Verscio is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-Geography:Verscio has an area, , of . Of this area, or 15.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 65.3% is forested...
, in the canton of Ticino in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland.