Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
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===CIRQUE BUREAU===
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===THE ARAGON FAMILY===
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[[File:Bureau_Frères_Program.jpg|right|200px]]
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[[File:Pompoff_Thedy_Emilio_Zampabollos.jpeg|right|400px]]
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From the late nineteenth century to the early 1950s, the Cirque Bureau was one of France's most popular circuses. Over its long existence, it had built in the French provinces a faithful audience that appreciated the constant high quality of its offerings and its simplicity, devoid of the advertising hype of its competitors. Wherever it went, its visits were expected and anticipated, practically at the same time each year. Sadly, this steady routine was disturbed by World War II and the Nazi occupation of France—and Jules Glasner, its last director, had a hard time trying to restore its place in the new economic era that followed the war: The Cirque Bureau folded its big top in 1953, at the end of what was advertised as its "99th season."
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The Aragón family is one of Europe’s most prolific clown dynasties. A Spanish family with French circus ancestry, it has produced five generations of funnymen, some of whom have become major circus stars in Spain as well as abroad: Pompoff y Thedy, arguably the greatest Spanish clown duet of their generation, which morphed into The Pompoff Thedy Family with the third and fourth generations and have enjoyed an outstanding international career; and Gaby, Fofó y Miliki, from the fourth generation, and their children of the fifth generation, who became major stars on Spanish television.
  
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Its founder was Jean Bureau (1836-1899), born on May 31, 1836, in Villeréal, a small village of the Lot et Garonne department that has kept its medieval architecture and is classified today as one of the "most beautiful villages of France." His father, Jean, Sr. (1809-1844), a carpenter and the son of a farmer, and his mother, Françoise (née Arché, 1815-1880), had two other children: Cosme (1838-1885) and Jeanne (1844-1908). Jean Bureau was just eight years old when he lost his father, and to alleviate the burden on his family, he was soon placed in apprenticeship to a blacksmith.
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The founder of the dynasty, Gabriel Aragón Gomez, was a former seminarian who had “run away and joined the circus,” and eventually became a clown under the name of Pepino. Gabriel married the equestrienne Virginie Foureaux (?-1930), daughter of the equestrian Jean-Philippe Foureaux, who came from one of France’s oldest circus dynasties: the Grand Cirque Foureaux had been established by Jacques Foureaux in 1805, and her family had been playing the fairgrounds long before the modern circus was created by Philip Astley in 1770. Gabriel and Virginie had fifteen children—and four sons among them. Little has been recorded of Arturo, the elder, who was probably significantly older than his more famous brothers: Emilio (later known as Emig—?-1946), Teodoro (later known as Thedy—1885-1974), and José-María (later known as Pompoff—1886-1970).
  
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In 1853, a small traveling equestrian circus came to Villeréal. It was a modest affair owned by William Tagg (1822-1884), and his wife Elizabeth, née Woodley, a couple of British traveling performers who had long settled in France. The Taggs needed a blacksmith to reshoe their horses, and his boss sent seventeen-year-old Jean Bureau, a horse lover, to do the job. Jean was immediately fascinated by these people whose horizon seemed limitless; he asked William Tagg if he could join the company as a groom—and the Taggs, whose human resources were probably wanting, left Villeréal with Jean in tow.
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At the end of the nineteenth century, Gabriel Aragón created a successful clown duet with his elder son Arturo. As Pepino y Tonino (Arturo’s stage name), they acquired a strong reputation in Spain and all over Europe. Gabriel’s other sons participated in their father’s act as they grew up (the act was sometimes billed as the Aragón Family), but in 1909, José-María and Teodoro decided to take their independence and create a clown act of their own. They flopped: At twenty-four and twenty-two respectively, they probably still lacked the maturity necessary to carry a comedy act by themselves—especially in a country that appreciated good clowning, and where great clowns were aplenty!
  
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Thus, Jean Bureau had started his circus career. Young, athletic, and interested in horsemanship, he trained in trick-riding and quickly became a proficient bareback rider. Having become a full-fledged performer in the company, he began to pay attention to the young Anna Tagg (1840-1913), the director's daughter, who was born in Paris and was four years his junior. Apparently, the feeling was mutual—to the extent that, in 1862, Anna gave birth to their first child, Françoise Elizabeth (known as Elizabeth, b.1862). It was time indeed to legalize their union: The young couple was married on March 6, 1863, in Cenon, in the outskirts of Bordeaux. By then, Jean was twenty-seven and Anna, twenty-three.... ([[Cirque Bureau|more...]])
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The brothers split, and Teodoro went to the United States, where he worked in an acrobatic act. José-María became a small-time circus producer, and toured a modest show in neighboring Morocco, then under the joint rule of Spain and France. In 1912, Morocco became a French protectorate, and José-María ended his circus tours in that country. The following year, Teodoro returned from his engagement in the United States, and he and José-María decided to revive their clown act.They debuted in 1913 in Valencia, and this time, the Hermanos Aragón (the Brothers Aragon), as they were originally known, who had apparently gained valuable life experience and maturity, met with unmitigated success.... ([[The Aragón Family|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==

Revision as of 00:31, 1 March 2026


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Circopedia is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

THE ARAGON FAMILY

Pompoff Thedy Emilio Zampabollos.jpeg

The Aragón family is one of Europe’s most prolific clown dynasties. A Spanish family with French circus ancestry, it has produced five generations of funnymen, some of whom have become major circus stars in Spain as well as abroad: Pompoff y Thedy, arguably the greatest Spanish clown duet of their generation, which morphed into The Pompoff Thedy Family with the third and fourth generations and have enjoyed an outstanding international career; and Gaby, Fofó y Miliki, from the fourth generation, and their children of the fifth generation, who became major stars on Spanish television.

The founder of the dynasty, Gabriel Aragón Gomez, was a former seminarian who had “run away and joined the circus,” and eventually became a clown under the name of Pepino. Gabriel married the equestrienneA female equestrian, or horse trainer, horse presenter, or acrobat on horseback. Virginie Foureaux (?-1930), daughter of the equestrian Jean-Philippe Foureaux, who came from one of France’s oldest circus dynasties: the Grand Cirque Foureaux had been established by Jacques Foureaux in 1805, and her family had been playing the fairgrounds long before the modern circus was created by Philip Astley in 1770. Gabriel and Virginie had fifteen children—and four sons among them. Little has been recorded of Arturo, the elder, who was probably significantly older than his more famous brothers: Emilio (later known as Emig—?-1946), Teodoro (later known as Thedy—1885-1974), and José-María (later known as Pompoff—1886-1970).

At the end of the nineteenth century, Gabriel Aragón created a successful clown duet with his elder son Arturo. As Pepino y Tonino (Arturo’s stage name), they acquired a strong reputation in Spain and all over Europe. Gabriel’s other sons participated in their father’s act as they grew up (the act was sometimes billed as the Aragón Family), but in 1909, José-María and Teodoro decided to take their independence and create a clown act of their own. They flopped: At twenty-four and twenty-two respectively, they probably still lacked the maturity necessary to carry a comedy act by themselves—especially in a country that appreciated good clowning, and where great clowns were aplenty!

The brothers split, and Teodoro went to the United States, where he worked in an acrobatic act. José-María became a small-time circus producer, and toured a modest show in neighboring Morocco, then under the joint rule of Spain and France. In 1912, Morocco became a French protectorate, and José-María ended his circus tours in that country. The following year, Teodoro returned from his engagement in the United States, and he and José-María decided to revive their clown act.They debuted in 1913 in Valencia, and this time, the Hermanos Aragón (the Brothers Aragon), as they were originally known, who had apparently gained valuable life experience and maturity, met with unmitigated success.... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

  • The Kims, comedy acrobatics (1963)
  • Kolfe Troupe, Risley/teeterboardA seesaw made of wood, or fiberglass poles tied together, which is used to propel acrobats in the air. act (2026)
  • The Koziaks, Russian barreFlexible pole, held horizontally by two catchers, or under-standers, with which they propelled a flyer in acrobatic figures from and to the pole. (1987)
  • The Segura Family, trampoline & Risley combination (1980)
  • The Kaylicoas, perch-poleLong perch held vertically on a performer's shoulder or forehead, on the top of which an acrobat executes various balancing figures. balancing (c.1980)

New Oral Histories

Circopedia Books

A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. Keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to contact us: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.

Dominique Jando
Founder and Curator
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