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The Flying Gaonas Gym, founded and operated by Gloria and
Julio Gaona, is a year-round flying trapeze and circus arts school in Chicago, Illinois. Gloria and Julio represent the seventh
generation of circus performers of the renowned flying Gaona family. Both have been performing since childhood in circuses
around the world.
Julio Gaona began his professional career at the age of three performing on the trampoline for Circus
Gatti with his father, brother and sister. By the age of six, he had added the teeterboard to his repertoire, and at seven,
he began performing on the flying trapeze with Circus World Orlando. At the age of ten, he became one of the youngest flyers
ever to execute and catch a triple somersault on the flying trapeze. During one period in his performing career, he had an
unbroken streak of 324 consecutive triple somersaults in professional shows, without a miss! In addition, he is known for
executing his double pirouette from fly bar to fly bar five times consecutively before finally returning to the pedestal board.
Julio has toured the world with many circuses, including Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus, Circus Flora, Garden Brothers
Circus, and the Takarasuka Circus.
Gloria Gaona has been balancing on her head and hands almost as long as she has
been walking! Throughout the 1970's, she traveled the world, performing incredible head and hand balancing acts with her
brother and sister. These award-winning performances earned her acclaim with trophies at the world competition Monte Carlo
Circus and "First Place" in the 1977 Gala de la Piste Circus competition in Paris. From 1977-1979, she performed with the
Circus Krone and Deutschland Halle in Germany and the Circus Knie in Switzerland. Over the next 10 to 12 years, she performed
all over the world with the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, the Monte Carlo Circus, and the Albarracin Circus
in Columbia. In 1992 she created a new balancing act with her sister which was featured both at Ringling Brothers and in
the Monte Carlo Festival tour. She subsequently began flying trapeze while working at Circus Flora with her husband and business
partner, Julio.
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