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

In The Spotlight

THE REVERHOS

Reverhos - Scala.jpg
From the early 1930s through the late 1950s, The Reverhos were major circus and variety performers; however, they didn't leave the same mark in circus history as other, less talented performers may have. The reason is probably that their act was difficult to classify: It mixed juggling, acrobatics, and hand- and head-balancing, some of it performed on a slack wireA Tight Wire, or Low Wire, kept slack, and generally used for juggling or balancing tricks.—and the sheer difficulty of their vast repertoire prevented imitations. The fact that they worked principally on variety stages is perhaps another factor. Nonetheless, their act was extremely spectacular and has remained unique to this day.

It was created by two French brothers who were not born in the circus, nor in the entertainment business for that matter: They began their professional lives as brick masons. Gustave Revereau (1902-1969) was born on February 8, 1902, in Bressuire, a small town in the Deux-Sèvres department, in the Poitou province. His brother André (1906-1996) followed him there four years later, on June 2, 1906. Their father, Adrien, was a Master Brick Mason, and they were destined to follow in his footsteps—which they did. Or did at first…

Predictably, the brothers were very physical and, in their spare time, they joined a local gymnasium where they learned the basics of acrobatics, mostly by imitating their elders—among whom circus artists who trained there to improve their act or create new ones during their off time between seasons, as it was customary then: Many a circus career at the time began in one of these gymnasiums. There, Gustave and André must have seen some jugglers practice, and they began to learn juggling by themselves, developing in time a solid foundation.

Performers who trained along them were duly impressed by the brothers' skills, and they eventually suggested they build a juggling act. Thus, so did Gustave and André, juggling with tennis rackets at first. However, they quickly began to add a few spectacular acrobatic elements to their act: André juggled upside-down, head-balancing, while passing clubs with Gustave, and Gustave performed a one-arm stand, twirling hoops on his balancing cane, his free hand, and his feet: Traditional juggling increasingly became just an appetizer to the rest of the act. It was highly original, and through their gymnasium connections, they soon attracted agents' attention.... (more...)

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A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. 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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