Circus

Zoppe Family Circus: Part Three, Act Two

After the Intermission, we came back to a high wire act–balancing, recline, ride a bicycle. In the first picture below, you can see the tightrope walker on the left, wearing Nino’s hat. The tightrope walker had just ridden the bicycle across the high wire! Nino joined the tightrope walker and they played “catch the hat” again. Nino flipped the hat off his own foot, too, and caught it on his head!

Tosca sticks the landing after jumping rope on her horse

The Rosario Family of springboard artists comes from Mexico City, Mexico.

The woman in red on the right of the image below is managing the safety harness for the flier. (The flyer is also an excellent face painter who was working the crowd outside the tent before the show!)

Springboard Aerialist Prepares to Launch

Springboard flier in motion — Springboard Flier in Motion.

We had a great time at the show. If the Zoppe Family Circus is coming to your town, get a front row seat!

Zoppe Family Circus, Part Two: Act One

The lights came up on an empty ring, spread with fresh sawdust.

Before the Circus–sawdust spread on a grass lawn.

The “spectacle”–when all the acts parade around the ring and tease the audience with their skills and talents.

Nino the Clown checks out the ring while all the circus performers play nearby.

Sandra Zoppe opened the show, in glittering finery. (Her outfit was too dark for my camera.)

Nino thanking his mother for her introduction to the show.

A volunteer from the audience helped Nino the Clown look for his hat, and then played “catch the hat.”

Nino the clown plays "catch the hat" (on your head) with a volunteer from the audience. — Nino the clown plays “catch the hat” (on your head) with a volunteer from the audience.

Tosca Zoppe is an equestrienne and aerial ballerina. Her husband, John Joseph Walter, helps her in the act as Papino, a traditional European white-faced clown.

Papino and Tosca Zoppe, the Equestrienne Ballerina

Tosca Zoppe Horse and Aerial Act — Tosca Zoppe’s Horse and Aerial Act, assisted by Papino

Tosca Zoppe, performing aerial feats on a climbing rope

I love a good dog act. I know how much work it is to train a dog act that also includes chickens. This act would be very short-lived in my home. (I had a picture of the chickens, but you couldn’t tell what they were.)

The acrobats come from Poland and France, and I haven’t been able to find their names yet.

Zoppe Family Circus, Part One: John Dances the Tarantella

Have you ever wondered what a clown does on his day off? This week, Ubi the Clown went to the Circus!

John and Karen went to see the Zoppe Family Circus during their recent visit to Raleigh.

Acrobat at the Zoppe Family Circus, sticking the landing

Papino, a Classic European Whiteface Clown

Juggler (also part of the Springboard Team)

Acrobats performing during the pre-show.

Giovanni Zoppe told a story about when Venice was overrun with spiders. When the spiders finally left, the Venetians invented a dance called the Tarantella.

Giovanni Zoppe, introducing his circus family during the pre-show.

To no-one’s surprise, John was invited to participate in the dance.

John meets his Dance Partner, just before the Tarantella. Her acrobatic partner is in the rear right. The bearded man ran the music board.

John’s on the far right of the video, if you didn’t already know that. The leader of the dance is Giovanni Zoppe, who performs as Nino the Clown once the show begins.