ABOUT US

"Circus is a form of Art, an Education, and a Profession"

Philippe Goudart - "L'école en piste. Les arts du cirque à la rencontre de l'école"

Presentation & history of Ecole de cirque Zôfy

Founded over twenty years ago by Zygmunt Biegaj and Sophie Albasini, the Zôfy circus school is a pioneer in promoting circus arts in Switzerland. It tends to develop a "circus" culture through multidisciplinary and versatile education, integrating from an early age the main circus disciplines, theatrical performance, bodily expression and musicality. We aim to provide an apprenticeship that begins with play, and progresses over time towards high-level athletic and artistic performance, where everyone gives of their best in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect.


The Zôfy Circus School offers a range of levels of training that evolve depending on the age and the interest of its students. From 2003, Zôfy was one of the first Swiss schools to welcome students in vocational training for circus artists, thus helping to launch the careers of many young people, and to prepare many others to join the great international circus schools. Some 90 artists and 17 seasons later, the founders of the school, fulfilled by their influence and their impact on the development and recognition of contemporary Swiss circus, put an end their professional course , to focus on teaching youngsters from recreational to advanced level. Always faithful to its principles of versatility and creativity, the school thus continues to transmit its passion, up to pre-professional level training.


The management of the school is taken over in 2021 by Solange and David Widmer Bagutti. The couple has been “cruising” within the circus world for 20 years. Solange brings with her skills and knowledge in promotion, and events / projects management in community and cultural circles. David is a circus artist and acrobat issued from the Zôfy vocational training, and has more than 10 years of experience in teaching circus arts in various local schools.

Disciplines enseignées en arts du cirque - École de cirque Zôfy

Disciplines taught:


  • Trampoline: practice of acrobatic movements and coordination
  • Silks - fixed and swinging trapeze - aerial cradle - aerial rope - aerial hoops
  • Teeter and Hungarian board - Russian bar and swing
  • Juggling and object manipulation
  • Equilibristics - on a ball - on a ladder - on a tightrope
  • Tumbling : practice of jumps and floor acrobatics
  • Monocycle and Cyr wheel
  • Hand-to-hand


Several levels of training: recreational, performing group, circus-studies, 5 days camps at Easter and throughout the summer, hosting artists for residence or workshops.

Recreational training


 Classes for children and adults wanting to explore circus arts, open to anyone during the school year, from 3 to 77 years of age, as weekly workshops lasting up to an hour and a half, aiming towards an end-of-year public performance. All main disciplines are taught during each class, at a level adapted to the students. Classes are organised according to age.

 

pecialised classes are offered, depending on demand and disponibility:


  • For adults wanting to explore aerial skills: trapeze, silks, rope, hoop (no public show at the end of the season
  • Specialised acrobatics and trampoline classes, open to all
  • Flexibility/contorsionism, from age 10
  • Swinging trapeze, from age 14


All classes begin with a general and a specific warm up session

Performing group


This team of highly motivated young students aged between 8 and 18 train all year (evenings, weekends, sometimes during the holidays) to create individual or group acts that they produce on demand as public or private performances or entertainments, (business functions, village fêtes or sports events, private parties, etc…).


These young people are selected through auditions or noticed during the recreational training courses for their physical aptitude, motivation, charisma and general behaviour. They must all follow at least eight hours of coaching a week. Some of tem will go onto professional level circus schools. 

Circus studies course (Sports-Arts-Course)


This course is designed for students who have finished mandatory school and who want to continue their studies while practising circus arts in a semi-professional way, in order to participate in the various festivals and performances that take place in Switzerland or abroad. This training requires twelve hours of coaching a week. It can only work if there is close collaboration between the interested parties (parents, instructors and school management) in order to obtain the necessary dispensation for the hours of coaching. It enables students to attain a strong physical level, wide experience in practising circus arts and a qualification in circus arts instruction issued by Zôfy Circus School and perhaps the schools involved.

Pro & More Corner


Artist residency : 

Nous accueillons en résidence dans notre espace de 630 m2 et nos installations,  des compagnies de cirque et artistes confirmés, à tarifs préférentiels, selon demande.


Occasional or annual workshops : 

Nous partageons notre espace pour des entraînements ou ateliers divers selon entente.


"Discovery" workshops:

Introductory workshops for children: birthday parties or other fun group activities. Discovery workshops for adults: corporate or other group parties...

Our space


Our school is located in the town of Charrat in Valais, in an industrial hall on the county road to Simplon, with parking spaces. This hall is at a 15 mn walk from the local train station. Our 630m2 and 9 meters heigh space contains all the specific circus gear and installations for practising all main Circus Arts disciplines, a fitness space, an office space, changing rooms and sanitaries, and a dining / relaxation space. The hall modulats into a performance hall with chairs on podiums that can accommodate a public of 200.

WHO ARE WE?

SOLANGE WIDMER-BAGUTTI


General director & Children's sport and Parent-Child instructor 

 

Solange Widmer-Bagutti is certified by the Swiss Gymnastics Federation as a parent-child instructor and certified for Youth and Sport in "children's sport".

 

She graduate in History and Art History, has worked in community and cultural circles with various museums as well as within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Professionally active in the fields of sustainable development, human rights as well as performing arts, Solange has skills in projects and events management, promotion and communication as well as contacts with artists and partners.

 

Solange also developped skills in animation, venues and group management, through her experience in the museum environment and as a mountain guide. She takes over the management of the circus school in 2021, with her husband, David Widmer-Bagutti.

DAVID WIDMER

Technical and artistic director & Circus Arts Instructor

 

Graduate from vocational training at the Zôfy circus school in 2010, David taught for several years in the circus schools of Artscénik, Ollon, and Fun'ambule, before joining the Zôfy teaching team in 2016, within his professional training. Specialized in acrobatics, hand-to-hand, balances and juggling, but also a theater and dance enthusiast, David continues his continuing education with the FEDEC. David is certified as a Youth and Sport instructor for "youth sport" and "children's sport".

 

He always performs in parallel as an independent artist for various companies (Compagnie de Qui, Makadam, Compagnie Néo).

 

He takes over the management of the circus school in 2021, with his wife, Solange Bagutti-Widmer.

SIMON PROGIN

Acrobatics and trampoline teacher


At 15, Simon became Swiss saber vice-champion. At the age of 16, Simon discovered his passion for circus arts at the Zôfy Circus School and a few years later obtained his Professional Diploma in Circus Arts.


After discovering the trampoline within the circus School, he decided to compete in trampoline with a dazzling progression. He won a bronze medal at the European Championships in 2014, then fifth place in the World Cup held in Arosa, the same year. He went on to trampoline competitions until 2019, became coach of Crans-Montana snowboarder Pat Burgener, halfpipe specialist between 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic. Even if he never stopped training, his qualification for the 2022 edition of the Europeans is a feat after 2 years of Covid, without competitions. But above all, this year, Simon wins the gold medal with the "elite" title during the national games,


After a 2-year break as a circus arts teacher, Simon returns to his first loves, acrobatics and trampoline, to share his passion as professor and inspire his students within Zôfy School.

ADELINE COMTE


Aerial teacher


Bathed in sport since her childhood, Adeline practiced Rhythmic and Sports Gymnastics, apparatus and climbing, before falling in love with circus in 2013. Since then, she has continued to expand her field of practice through the circus, but also dance, theatre, acroyoga, yoga, meditation and Shiatsu. Through her various trainings, Adeline wants to create a atmophere of listening closely to bodies, feelings and thoughts.

ESTELLE ROUZEAU


Aerial teacher


Since 2012, Estelle is choreographer and artist within NEO Compagnie. She fell in love with the stage very early on. After 10 years of circus in a school in France, followed by a bachelor's degree in circus arts in London (National Center for Circus Arts), she performed in England, France, Morocco and Switzerland.

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