Zoppé, an Italian Family Circus, is scheduled to perform a series of shows on the grounds of the Largo Central Park Performing Arts Center this weekend. The shows, which will feature dog acts, traditional Italian equestrian routines and classic circus clowning, run from Thursday, March 16, through Sunday, March 19, with two shows each day plus three on Saturday.

According to family spokesperson Jeanette Zoppé, who is married to sixth-generation circus performer Giovanni Zoppé, their shows feature a style and atmosphere different from most American circuses. “Giovanni’s younger sister, Tosca, is an equestrian ballerina, which is an older and more traditional style of horse riding that’s very poetic and almost sad, but evokes many emotions,” Jeanette Zoppé said by phone March 13, as the family prepared for its second series of shows in Largo.