Dimitri (clown)
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Jakob Dimitri (born September 18, 1935; Ascona, Switzerland), better known by his stage name Dimitri, is a well-known Swiss clown and mime.
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[edit] 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 clown. After graduating from school, Dimitri became an apprentice potter while studying music and theater. He went to Paris to study under Etienne Decrox, then Marcel Marceau.
[edit] 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 Circus. He has also performed in many other countries across the globe. He was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1995.
[edit] 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 Verscio, in the canton of Ticino in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland.
