Sophie and Virgile
From Circopedia
Acrobatic Adagio
By Dominique Jando
Paris-born Sophie Ferrero was raised in the French city of Grenoble. As a child, she enrolled in a local circus school, where her schedule gradually intensified from one to five days a week. Eventually she decided to pursue a career as a circus artist.
She auditioned for, and was accepted by, the French state circus college, the Centre National des Arts du Cirque in Châlons-en-Champagne. There, she met her future partner, Virgile Peyramaure. Born in Châteauroux, France, Virgile entered the Centre National des Arts du Cirque in 1986, at age fifteen. He came from the circus: His father ran a small circus company.
Under the expert guidance of their teacher, Claude Victoria, Sophie and Virgile spent four years developing their act. In 1995, they won a Gold Medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris. Their act has been featured in such prestigious venues as Circus Knie in Switzerland, Circus Roncalli in Germany, Berlin's WinterGarten and Friedrichstadt Palast, TigerPalast in Frankfurt, and the Lido of Paris.
They appeared twice in the United States with the Big Apple Circus, in 1996 and in 2000, when they made their farewell performance. Then Sophie and Virgile separated. Sophie returned to France to get married, while Virgile stayed with the Big Apple Circus and became a member of its permanent company. He later graduated to Artistic Coordinator of that circus.
See Also
- Biography: Virgile Peyramaure
- Video: Sophie & Virgile in the Big Apple Circus production of Clown Around Town (2000)
Image Gallery
Sophie & Virgile at the Big Apple Circus (1996)
Sophie & Virgile (1996)
