Apolonia Van Voorden
Dutch American foot juggler
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Apolonia "Miss Loni" Van Voorden (née Abeen; April 14, 1926 - November 11, 2012) was a Dutch American foot juggler who began her career at the age of 10 in her father's family circus in the Netherlands.[3]
April 14, 1926
Apolonia Van Voorden | |
|---|---|
Van Voorden in 1973 | |
| Born | Apolonia Abeen April 14, 1926 |
| Died | November 11, 2012 (aged 86) |
Resting place | Highland Cemetery |
| Other name | Miss Loni |
| Citizenship | American[1] |
| Occupation | Foot juggler |
| Employer(s) | Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Circus Vargas, Harlem Globetrotters, et al. |
| Spouse | Frederik Jan Van Voorden |
| Awards | Queen of the Circus (1961) as voted by members of the International Circus Fans Association[2] |
| Signature | |
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Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1926,[4] Apolonia Abeen emigrated to the United States on March 28, 1950[5] and gave her first performance there with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, working in a display with juggler Francis Brunn.[6][7] After being introduced to Cecil B. DeMille, she was asked to be in his 1952 movie, The Greatest Show on Earth.[8] Ten years later in 1962 she was cast as a circus performer in the movie Billy Rose's Jumbo.[4]
Van Voorden became a naturalized United States Citizen on July 9, 1963.[1]
In addition to performing with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Van Voorden's extensive career also saw her juggle with Circus Vargas,[9] The Polack Brothers Circus,[10] and Minsky's Follies.[11] She regularly performed at various venues such as "... fairs, festivals, night clubs, and special events."[12] For two years, she was featured as a half-time act with the Harlem Globetrotters.[3]
Van Voorden was voted the 1961 "Queen of the Circus" by the International Circus Fans Association.[2]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | The Greatest Show on Earth | Herself | |
| 1962 | Billy Rose's Jumbo | Circus Performer #7 | (final film role) |