In focus

Not fiery batons, but family ... with your feet

By DAVE SCHEIBER
Published December 13, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - If you're talking pure leg strength and other-worldly agility, look no further than the Icarian Games segment of Varekai.

It is one of many jaw-dropping Cirque du Soleil acts, featuring several cast members juggling their comrades at increasingly rapid speeds using - what else? - their feet. Just as amazing are the fliers of the group, who use extreme body control to accelerate the spins. And somehow, they always manage to land on the extended feet of their prone stuntmates.

Stiv Bello, 28, of Verona, Italy,and his brother, Roni, 32, are two of the men who keep the show rolling, along with the three Santos brothers of Spain. Unlike many of their Cirque counterparts, they didn't compete in gymnastics or tumbling as kids or eye an Olympic bid. They simply grew up in their sixth-generation family circus, Medrano.

Their father, who still coaches them, taught his sons the essential art of foot juggling when they were teenagers, but they have taken it to a new level. "My father and grandfather kind of did it, but it was more acrobatics, not specifically foot juggling," says Stiv. "Roni and I learn it together. We're always training, always trying to get better."

To do so, they follow a heavy workout regimen, including morning runs and frequent weight training. Because Roni uses his legs for launching, he concentrates more on squats and cycling to build strength; Stiv is a flier, so he doesn't overdo the weights. "I try not to be heavy and to have energy," he says.

In their traveling circus, the brothers did a little of everything - comedy, trapeze, acrobatics on horses, juggling, even working with elephants. What is the secret to their athletic success?

"The secret is you have to be brothers," Stiv says. "We did so many circus acts, and there never is one you can compare to the Icarian Games. Because it makes you so nervous. And it ends so fast. In a few seconds, you're doing so many sumersaults and there are so many things to be aware of. So you have to trust each other and know each other very well."

Gold medal. Team Bello.

[Last modified December 13, 2005, 04:18:43]