Big Apple Circus Star Will Attempt to Break Husband's World Record at Niagara Falls

On Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 8:30AM ET, BIG APPLE CIRCUS star Erendira Vazquez Wallenda will attempt to break a World Record (previously set by her husband BIG APPPLE CIRCUS headliner Nik Wallenda) by hanging from a helicopter by her teeth at 300 feet, over Niagara Falls.

The stunt is being performed in celebration of the fifth anniversary of Nik Wallenda's famous 1,804-foot high wire crossing over Niagara Falls on June 15, 2012 - a feat that was broadcast live across the world by ABC Networks.

Erendira will be flown by helicopter over the south side of the Horseshoe Falls, and the stunt will last approximately 5-7 minutes in length. If completed, she will break the previous world record, set by her husband Nik in 2011 when he hung by his teeth at 250 feet, above Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The title sponsor of the event is Seneca Hotel and Casino. City of Niagara Falls and Niagara County also are sponsors.

Erendira is a member of the world-famous "Great Wallendas" circus troupe, which traces its performing roots back seven generations on her husband Nik's side, to the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1780. The Wallendas will headline BIG APPLE CIRCUS's triumphant return season this fall with a performance of the seven-man pyramid, a feat never-before-seen under the big top. Marking its 40th anniversary, the BIG APPLE CIRCUS 2017-18 season will celebrate its opening night on Thursday, October 26 at its longtime home in Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, where it will run through Sunday, January 7, 2018 before launching a national tour.

Erendira Vasquez Wallenda is an eighth-generation performer on her mother's side, of the Ashtons of Australia - the third oldest circus family in the world. On her father's side, she is the seventh generation of the Vazquez trapeze artists from Mexico, known worldwide as the first to successfully complete the quadruple somersault.

Nik Wallenda is a seventh-generation performer of the legendary "Great Wallendas" family, who trace their roots back to the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1780. Nik's great-grandfather, Karl Wallenda, brought the Wallendas to America in 1928 to perform in Ringling Brothers' and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Known worldwide for his incredible feats upon the high wire and beyond, Nik is the holder of ten world records, among these the highest 4-level 8-person pyramid on the wire, the highest and longest bicycle ride on a wire. In 2012, he fulfilled his lifelong dream to become the only person to walk directly over the precipice of Niagara Falls, covered live by ABC. In 2013, he was the first person to walk a wire across the Grand Canyon, an epic event aired live by Discovery Channel in 178 countries, breaking network rating and social media records in the process. His 2014 Discovery Channel TV special saw him set 2 Guinness World Records for the highest incline and blindfolded wire walks in the city of Chicago. In April 2015, he set his latest Guinness World Record, walking atop the 400ft tall Orlando Eye live on NBC's Today Show.

BIG APPLE CIRCUS was founded in 1977 by circus performers Paul Binder and Michael Christensen with a mission to present authentic and thrilling circus arts, in the intimacy of the one-ring Big Top, where no seat is more than fifty feet from the performers. In addition to its world-renowned reputation for presenting exceptionally unique and astounding acts, BIG APPLE CIRCUS has distinguished itself by demonstrating a strong social conscience in its programming. Throughout its 40-year-run, Big Apple Circus has maintained a vital no-wild-animals policy, and offered numerous community outreach programs including Circus of the Senses, Autism performances, and Circus for All, which provides free tickets to underprivileged children and underserved schools.

Big Top Works, an affiliate of Compass Partners LLC, became the new owners of BIG APPLE CIRCUS on February 14, 2017 following a live auction and approval from the Board of Directors. Big Top Works is comprised of Compass Partners managing partners Richard Perlman, Jim Price and Barry Salzman (who is the lead partner on the Big Apple Circus venture), as well as industry veteran Larry Solheim - who has a 30-plus year career working on and general managing circuses including BIG APPLE CIRCUS's 2015-16 season - and Neil Kahanovitz, a renowned spine surgeon, theatrical producer, and former circus performer. The new producers share a passion for, and history with, the circus arts and are building a sustainable business plan that will revitalize the BIG APPLE CIRCUS while also honoring the legacy of its 40-year history.

For more information, visit www.BigAppleCircus.com, or follow on Twitter: @BigAppleCircus, Facebook, and Instagram.

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