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Lilly Yokoi

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Lilly Yokoi
File:Lilly Yokoi.jpeg
Undated promotional photo
Born1929
New-York City, U.S.A.

Lilly Yokoi (born 1929) is a Japanese-American bicycle-riding acrobatic performer known as the "The Ballerina on the Golden Bicycle". Her parents, were Japanese and emigrated to the US in the 1920s. They were also bicycle acrobats, and started to train Yokoi and her siblings at a young age.

She toured with her family until 1956, going solo after appearing on her own on the The Ed Sullivan Show. After which she became very popular and in high demand until the 1970s.

Yokoi last public appearance was in 1982 she moved back to Japan and ended her show business activities.

Early life and family

Yokoi was born in 1929 in New York City to a family of circus and vaudeville performers.[1] Her father, Eizo (also known as Shonan), was born in Tokyo to a wealthy family. While pursing law a degree, he received a bicycle from an American friend and began performing trick cycling eventually all over the world along with his wife.[2] They trained their children in the art form becoming the Yokoi Family Bicycle Troupe or simply Yokoi Troupe and settled in the United States.[3] Performing together as a family Lilly became the stand-out for her difficult tricks, most notably the "Boomerang Swing" where she swings herself around the bike several times in quick succession while in motion.[4][5]

Career

According to research made by the University of Sheffield, in 1956, Yokoi had her breakthrough after appearing without her family on the The Ed Sullivan Show, which began her solo career.[1]

In 1959, after touring a couple years with the Harlem Globetrotters,[6][7] owner Abe Saperstein said she was " the greatest performer we've ever had with us". With them, she would perform her bicycle tricks before the main event and between breaks.[5]

In 1961 she performed at Radio City Music Hall where she took apart her bike and reassembled it while in motion. Variety noted her "fantastic gymnastics" further stating she was "a great find for the Hall".[8]

Throughout her career Yokoi appeared in various television shows such as What's My Line?, The Paul Daniels Magic Show,[9] and at the Royal Variety Performance,[10] becoming known as "The Ballerina of the Bicycle",[5] and shared the stage with many circus luminaries around the world.[11] Yokoi was in such high demand that the Bertram Mills Circus had to book her four years in advance for circus's 1963 BBC television special.[12] In Mills' 1967 book, Bertram Mills Circus: Its Story, he stated Yokoi "... was one of the greatest performers I ever engaged. She was an artiste down to her fingertips..." [13]

She was featured in the documentary film Rings Around The World (1966), about great circus acts.[14]

In 1982, Yokoi made her last appearance at the Blackpool’s Tower Circus in England. Moving forward she moved back to Japan and retired from public life.[11]

Personal life

Yokoi, a private person,[11] married to Ronald Johansson, a Swedish acrobat[15] in 1955.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b "Yokoi, Lilly, Born 1929 | Discover Our Archives". archives.shef.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  2. ^ "Sports Show Brings Cyclists to Coliseum". The Spokesman-Review. 1957-03-03. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  3. ^ "Bicycle Act at Exhibition Has Long, Interesting History". The Ottawa Journal. 1954-08-27. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  4. ^ "Trick Cycling Act Performed By Japanese Family Of Seven". The Morning Call. September 18, 1954. p. 28.
  5. ^ a b c "An Added Attraction". The Sun-Advocate. March 12, 1959. pp. Third section: 4.
  6. ^ "Ballerina of the Bicycle With Globe Trotters". Three Forks Herald. 1956-10-11. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  7. ^ "Under The Marque". Billboard. 13 April 1957. p. 90.
  8. ^ Wear, Mike (December 20, 1961). "29th Annual Repeat of 'Nativity' At Radio City Music Hall Glows and Grows". Variety. p. 54.
  9. ^ "Christmas Day". Leicester Mercury. December 24, 1980. pp. Supplements: XIV.
  10. ^ Delfont, Bernard Baron (January 25, 1989). Curtain Up!: The Story of the Royal Variety Performance. Robson. p. 139. ISBN 9780860516293.
  11. ^ a b c "- Remembering Lilly Yokoi "The Ballerina On The Golden Bicycle"". CapoVelo.com. 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  12. ^ "Going To The Circus". Evening Sentinel. 1963-03-09. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  13. ^ Mills, Cyril Bertram (1967). Bertram Mills Circus: Its Story. Hutchinson. p. 245. ISBN 978-0-906798-22-5.
  14. ^ "Rings Around the World (1966)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  15. ^ "Finger Walker's Torso More So". The Courier-Journal. 1955-02-14. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  16. ^ "Circus review". Variety. 227: 64.

Works cited

  • Delfont, Bernard Baron (January 25, 1989). Curtain Up!: The Story of the Royal Variety Performance. Robson. ISBN 9780860516293
  • Mills, Cyril Bertram (1967). Bertram Mills Circus: Its Story. Hutchinson. ISBN 978-0-906798-22-5.

Further reading

  • Tatarsky, Daniel (October 2016). The Splendid Book of the Bicycle: From boneshakers to Bradley Wiggins. ISBN 9781911042631.
  • "The Illustrated London News". Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. January 25, 1963
  • Renevey, Monica J. (January 25, 1977). "Le Grand livre du cirque". Bibliothèque des arts
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