Born: 1957 (circa), United States
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the National Endowment for the Arts. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Known as the “Queen of the Air,” Dolly Jacobs is a world-renowned circus aerialist as well as a dedicated teacher, sharing the tradition of circus arts through teaching and performance at her organization, the Circus Arts Conservatory.
Jacobs was born into a family of circus performers. Her mother was a renowned New York model and later performed with the circus. Her father was Lou Jacobs, one of the most recognized clowns of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1925-87. He had the distinction of being the only living American to have his image on a U.S. postage stamp. In 2002 he was inducted into the Florida Artist Hall of Fame. Jacobs grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and traveled with her father in the circus during her school vacations. She was a part of Sailor Circus in Sarasota, a program uniquely reflective of the community’s circus heritage.
Jacobs joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1971 at the age of 14 as a member of the corps de ballet and finished her schooling through homeschooling. She began developing her Roman rings act under the guidance of her godmother, Margie Geiger. She made her solo debut on the rings in 1976, and was lauded for her performances. She was twice asked to perform in the Circus Festival of Monte Carlo and each time was recognized as a “Dame de Cirque.” In 1988 she received the coveted Silver Clown Award presented to her by Prince Albert of Monaco.
Jacobs and her husband, fellow circus artist Pedro Reis, founded Circus Sarasota (today known as the Circus Arts Conservatory) in 1997, a nonprofit organization that both presents professional performances and provides educational training and outreach programs. They now oversee Sailor Circus, the youth circus arts program Jacobs participated in as a youth, and also conduct programming in local schools that integrates the circus arts into science, language arts, and theater classes. Their humor therapy program brings joy and circus arts to those in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult care centers.
In 1998 Jacobs was inducted into the prestigious Circus Ring of Fame and in 1999 received the “Circus Celebrity” acclamation from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, given to members of the community who have brought extraordinary dedication and excellence to the circus arts. In 2012, she received the Florida Folk Heritage award from the Florida Department of State. In 2013 she was inducted into The Gallery of Acrobatic Legends for her outstanding acrobatic feats.