A family circus brings an old-school thrill – and Italian heritage – to the big top.

People have mixed feelings about circuses these days. But there are ways to satisfy all concerns, as an Italian family circus – Zoppé – has been proving since the beginning of December at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center.

Their Carnevale di Venezia show is cordial, acrobatically ambitious and as family-oriented as a circus show can be. That’s because Giovanni Zoppé and Jeanette Prince-Zoppé, with their children, are the heart of the show.

“We don’t force anyone to perform,” Prince-Zoppé says on the day the Zoppé circus arrives in Monterey. She adds that all the performing members, including dogs and horses – the only animals involved – are having fun.

“Illario, as every great toddler, likes to copy,” she observes, pointing to her son, a seventh-generation performer who is furiously coloring in the family RV. “We are very old-fashioned,” Prince-Zoppé says. “Not fast and furious – it’s an ancient form of art.”

Founded 1842 in Italy, the Zoppé family circus lost Alberto Zoppé to the New World – the U.S. of the 1950s – where other family performers have been continuing a family tradition. The circus now thrives on two continents.

That’s 180 years of a family tradition, and nothing indicates an end any time soon. Giovanni’s sister runs Piccolo Zoppé, a boutique circus, performing in Arkansas and Texas. Offspring of Alberto’s brother, Luigi, perform and produce a circus in Italy.

The current show, Carnevale di Venezia, is all about family, filled with Italian music. The audience on opening weekend in Monterey is mainly composed of children, and watching their reactions to the miracles happening in front of them is a joyful part of the experience. Their eyes light up and mouths pop open for a man on gigantic stilts, Puddles the dog jumping through rings, as well as truly daring acrobatic feats and a cyclist flying around an airborne track – there’s a lot going on.

Even the most grumpy child in the audience seems mesmerized. Some appear ready to break out to the arena and join the fun. Some do when invited, speaking with very silly clowns.

The performance is half-English, half-Italian, making the audience feel like true Venetians. The carnival shares some elements with Italian Commedia dell’arte, an early form of a professional Italian theater.

This aspect is particularly visible at the initial part of the show, which begins in front of the entrance to the tent, with each character introducing themselves to the public. By the end of the performance – two 45-minute segments with an 11-minute intermission – even adults seem to forget they are not actually Italian, screaming “Bravo, bravissimo!” Among the most impressive tricks that can frighten or delight an adult are: backward flips from gradually higher platforms, the bicycle ring trick and the strong man act by a performer from Belarus, balancing on a cello.

There are no evident safety harnesses, adding to the thrill. That being said, the whole team works hard to keep the circus as safe – and as human – as possible. Performers double as roadies, setting up and tearing down set pieces as the show progresses.

The performance comes with an intimate seating arrangement. Those in the VIP section can don golden-hued Venetian masks they receive at the entrance.

Circus is a culture, Prince-Zoppé explains, holding a puppy on her lap – a dog still in training, but a very good jumper. And while most young people don’t want to follow their parents’ steps, those raised in circus culture and lifestyle become very attached to it.

“It’s almost impossible to find anywhere else this sense of a living community,” she says. “And this feeling of getting to the ring and giving your heart to the audience… The circus culture is so different from anything else, that sometimes we joke that we all should move to a commune.”

ZOPPÉ FAMILY CIRCUS performs at 6pm on Dec. 7 and 8, then at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm on Dec. 9 and 10, and 6pm on Dec. 11 at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center. $29.99/general admission; VIP and family packages available. 372-5863, zoppe.net