CIRQUE MA'CEO: THE YEAR OF THE HORSE!
CIRQUE MA’CEO: MAY THE MAGIC ENCHANT YOU!
When publicist Elizabeth McCall reached out, again, to cover the Cirque Ma’Ceo (www.CirqueMaCeo.com ), I knew that my sons and I were up for another magical and enchanting event. One we had experienced when we went last year in Santa Barbara. This year, Olissio Zoppe, founder, decided to put his Big Top in Santa Maria. Cirque Ma’Ceo is a mesmerizing live production under an intimate 650-seat Big Top, with a captivating mix of dressage. It also used the process of “liberty” (a method where a horse and trainer communicate without physical restraints, like a halter or lead rope), This fosters a deep bond and trust through body language, cues, and positive reinforcement. There were also trick riders and bareback riders, together with aerialists. This year, the mesmerizing acrobat and rider, Eliza Pulco, was in a breathtaking aerial performance called ‘Volente’. She is literarily flying, with some cables, while Olissio Zoppe is riding under her, like a love bond between two souls reaching out to each other. The show is called ‘The Year of the Horse’. More than ever there are breathtaking horses and riders’ performances and you should get your tickets before it is sold out. Cirque Ma’Ceo will be from Sept 11 until Oct 4 at the Ingalls Event Center, 3737 Crestview Drive, Norco, California. Truly, one has to experience this unique show where you feel “one” with the horses and you get into this “communion” of souls. My boys and I are still under the spell of this magical night when we rode wild and free into the universe of Cirque Ma’Ceo.
Olissio Zoppe and Eliza Pulco were kind enough, after the show and after so much work, to indulge us with a little interview:
Olissio Zoppe:
Q: How did it start?
Zoppe: As an acrobat and a rider, you have a limited shelf life. I wanted to create something for me and my family to have an infinite career. The idea was to perform but also to produce and direct various shows. And have a traveling show until our later years.
Q: Why the name Cirque Ma’Ceo?
Zoppe: “Ma’Ceo” is an ancient Latin name. It translates to “Gift of God”. I thought this was very suitable because it reflects my feelings about horses.
Q: What is the biggest challenge of putting on a show like this one?
Zoppe: There are so many challenges. Logistics is, maybe, the biggest one. Moving a small village from week to week, from place to place. And when you are doing this, you always run out of time. Being able to have time for yourself is very rare. We always look forward to going home after a long tour like this one to finally relax (Note: they have been on the road since January, non-stop crossing America from Florida to, now, the West Coast) But in spite of everything, we love our work, and we are passionate about our performances.
Q: What is different this year with your show?
Zoppe: You can see different acts such as aerial combined with a horse. We have new horses doing new acts. New breeds and couple of import horses from Spain. It’s also a brand-new cast except to myself and Eliza Pulco.
Q: Tell me more about the new aerial horse act?
Zoppe: It’s called the ‘Volente’ act. I had this idea of combining a flying girl with a man on a horse. We just started to work on it, and the act revealed itself, like a sculpture. It’s a verry beautiful intimate romantic act.
Q: What do you hope people get when they come to your show?
Zoppe: I think people don’t know what to expect. I think that when they come to our show, they are pleasantly surprised and if not, blown away. When they see our show, they realize they were missing something for a long time. I hope they see the magic we put in our show.
Eliza Pulco:
Q: Where are you from and how did you end up in this show?
Eliza: I’m from Sarasota, Florida, which is a big Circus city. I grew up there, riding. My parent got close to the woman who was training me in the circus. And then through her I met Olissio Zoppe family. I started training with him. And in 2019 I started traveling with the show.
Q: What are the essential skills you need to do what you do?
Eliza: You need a solid base to ride a horse. And a little background of gymnastic and dance. And of course you need to learn the aerial.
Q: What do you think is different this year with this show?
Eliza: I think we wanted to show more of the horses. The main new act is the flying act: ‘Volente’. It’s dramatic and it tells the story of this man and his horse having a moment with this woman.
Q: Who are your favorite horses?
Eliza: I like ‘Skeef’ because I have been training with him for a long time. He is my partner since I started. I trust him a lot. I like so many of them. They all are so sweet and so smart.
Q: What do you like about this circus lifestyle?
Eliza: I like travelling and I like seeing some of the same people coming to see the show, years after years; that’s nice. I love learning and creating new acts as we go…
Q: What do you hope people get when they experience your show?
Eliza: I hope they get the connection between horses and riders. And the care we have for these horses. I hope they feel the moment when they see us so close and talking to the horses. I hope they feel they are in with us, connected to the horses. I hope they feel the bounding with the horses.
