David Larible is part of the 7th generation of a family traditionally dealing in the world of circus, related with the Travaglias. Born in Verona in 1957, he’s on the stage since very young, performing in the most various disciplines, in order to obtain an enciclopedic education. His family is hired in the main Italian circuses (Medrano, Darix Togni) and European ones (Nock, Bouglione, Krone, Tower Circus e Teatro Carré). In South America they’re collaborating with Tihany, Atayde and Fuentes.
Since 1986 to 1988 he’s fixed guest of the German television program “Stars in der Manege”. In this way he acquires a set of really impressive experiences which contributes to further embellish his natural capabilities.
At Krone’s, one of the most important German circuses where his family is hired, he’s offered the chance to entertain the public at the entrance, before the show. In this way he has the opportunity to observe from nearby two of the greatest clowns of the century: Charlie Rivel and Oleg Popov. In the same years he defines his character: a classical “Augustus” with plain grey clothes, in contrast with the cheerfulness expressed by a hat like the one of Jackie Coogan in "Il Monello", a light make up and the traditional red nose. He mainly focuses on short original tracks, renewed everytime, to be performed between one show and another.
In 1988 he’s called by Prince Ranieri to the Montecarlo Festival, where he won a Silver Clown. The following year he takes part to the festival, out of competition.
In South America, in the Atayde Circus, he gets the chance to face the big public in the stadiums with a capacity exceeding 8.000 places. He’s noticed by Kenneth Feld, president of the most important live show producer in the United States, who hires him as first clown in the history of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey who appeared as star of the central ring. At Ringling, where he’s called "The Clown of Clowns", the production requires a continuous renewal of the clown show.
Therefore David changes his own approach to creativity, drawing ideas from the classical repertoire and adding, in the way of the comedy of art, fundamental innovations personalizing or distorting the pre-existing plots. His very long experience as a trapezist, a skater, a juggler, a dancer, a horse acrobat and more, has given him a stout and at the same time nimble physical structure which he has alway controlled at will enriching his performances with a great mimic potential. The success he met with everywhere in the United States, where there is a multiracial audience, shows the universality of his comic spirit. In 1996 he started his stage carrer with a "one-man-show" the title of which was "Excuse me do you want to partecipate?" which was performed several times. In that show we saw his best performances in a fluent and coordinate way. As it is clearly explained in the title the show was mainly based the interaction between the audience and the artist his favourite modus operandi. In 1999 in the Montecarlo Festival he was awarded the Golden Clown, the first artist of that kind who was able to win such a prize after the prizes to the career which had been awarded in the past to Popov and Charlie Rivel.
He was also the star of a show called Barnum's Kaleidoscope performed first in Broadway and later in several other American cities.
In 2005 he went back to Europe and in 2006 he was called by Bernhard Paul, manager of the Roncalli Circus in Germany and at once he becomes the indisputable star of that show.
In Germany he found the perfect environment and atmosphere for his involving kind of comic spirit. In the same year together with the greatest circus artists who like him had been awarded prizes in the previous editions, he took part in the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Festival of Monte Carlo Circus.
He was also spotlight chaser of several theatrical shows in many European cities and he was again absolute star of the stage.
In 2007 he was awarded another prize: the Grock Trophy of Imperia.
In March 2012 he became the first non-Russian artist to be the main attraction of the famous Moscow State Circus, with the show "LARIBLE”, enjoying incredible success. In the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 he took part in the Circo Estate television program, conducted by Andrea Lehotská on Rai3.
In 2014, as in 2016, he performed at Circus Knie in Switzerland. In the same year he received the “Doctorate Honoris Causa” for "his triumphant international artistic career" from the Mesoamericana University of Puebla.
In 2015 he received the Master award for the best clown act at the Master Festival in Sochi (Russia). In 2016 he conquers France with the show "Rire" at Cirque d'Hiver in Pris, where he also performs excellently as a singer. On the ring, at the aerial belts, even his daughter Shirley. In 2018 he resumed international tours with his personal show and performed at prestigious theaters, such as the Gran Teatro Nacional in Lima and the Colsubsidio in Bogotà. He is also "Special Guest" in the "Moscow-Monte Carlo" program at the Nikulin Circus in Moscow, as well as the main attraction at the Ciniselli Circus in St. Petersburg in two different productions, and participates in the International Clown Festival where he receives the Grand Prix for his career. In 2019 he directs and interprets the show "Gran Circo de Europa" in Peru and is invited to participate with his show "The Clown of the Clowns" at the "Grandkidsfest" Festival Theater.
Actually he is performing in many cities around the world with is theatrical shows "Destino di Clown" and "Il Clown dei Clown", together with his partner and the pianist Stephan Kunz. David's activity is not limited to all that we said. He often takes part in special events, workshop and university lectures.
Biographical note:
David's family is native of France. He was preceded by six generations of artists. He was related to several European circus families. His grandfather Pierre Larible was a dancer , an acrobat and a clown. His father Eugenio Larible was a juggler and a great artist of the Washington trapeze. His mather Lucina Casartelli was an artist and manager with her brother Leonida and her sisters Jonne and Liliana of several Italian circuses, among which the great Medrano Circus. David has got three sisters, Eliana who married Bernhard Paul (manager and clown of the famous Roncalli Circus), Cinzia Larible-Gerard and the trapezist Vivien who married the acrobat Noè Españas. David is the father of two children, with the Mexican trapeze artist America Olivera Jimenez, Shirley and David Pierre, also their circus performers.
