Piccolo Circo dei Sogni di Paride Orfei – Milano

General presentation

The Piccolo Circo dei Sogni di Paride Orfei is an important school and academy of circus arts located in Peschiera Borromeo , in the Milan metropolitan area.

The Academy was founded in 2005 by Paride Orfei and Sneja Nedeva with the aim of passing on to new generations the techniques, values and culture of circus performance.

Paride Orfei belongs to one of the great historical families of the Italian circus. He is the son of Nando Orfei , a major figure in the 20th century Italian circus, and thus continues a family tradition deeply linked to the big top show.

However, the school claims an approach that blends this tradition with contemporary forms of teaching and circus performance.

Remarkable growth

In its first year, the Academy had only 26 students . It has grown considerably since then and now welcomes more than 300 children, teenagers and adults .

This growth has made it one of the most important circus arts teaching structures in the Milan region today.

The pathways and the teaching

Teaching begins as early as age 3 with Baby classes, designed for children aged 3 to 5.

At this age, students discover a mix of basic circus disciplines in a format adapted to their motor development and concentration capacity.

From age 6 onwards, the offering becomes much more specialized and allows children and teenagers to explore a very wide variety of techniques.

The groups are organized progressively. Children aged 6 to 10 move up to the Junior groups while older children join the Young groups .

These two courses are themselves divided into beginner , intermediate , and advanced levels. The teachers make the necessary groupings to create balanced classes that correspond to the students' technical level.

The subjects taught

Acrobatics

Floor acrobatics forms one of the foundations of the training. It allows the development of strength, coordination, flexibility, body control and preparation for other disciplines.

Acrobatics performed in pairs is notably represented by hand-to-hand acrobatics. Students learn to work with a partner and develop confidence, precision, and cooperation.

Verticals also have their own teaching methods and allow for a gradual deepening of hand balances.

Contortion is one of the disciplines offered to certain groups and allows the students concerned to develop specific work around flexibility and body control.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines occupy a particularly important place in the Academy.

• The trapeze is taught in different forms, including individual trapeze and double trapeze.
• Aerial silks allows students to work on climbs, figures, sequences and choreographic creation at height.
• Aerial rope is another specialty offered in several time slots.
• Aerial hoop is also very popular and exists in several forms, including individual hoop and double hoop.
• Aerial straps complete this extensive range dedicated to aerial work.

Balance disciplines

The school teaches several balance disciplines in parallel.

• The thread allows young artists to develop stability, concentration, and precision.
• The globo, or large balance ball, is regularly used in classes and allows you to work on movement and body control on an unstable surface.
• Rullo, corresponding to rola-bola, complements the balance disciplines offered by the school.

Handling and accessories

The hula hoop is also very present in the programs. It can be practiced as a manipulation discipline but also as a true artistic specialty intended for the stage.

Bolas are also among the accessories offered in some groups.

This great diversity allows students to experiment with several disciplines before gradually developing their preferences and specializations.

A practice without age limits

The practice doesn't stop at 18. The Piccolo Circo dei Sogni offers a Senior group for adults, in which different circus disciplines are practiced.

The school also has professional courses reserved for experienced artists wishing to continue their training.

The presence of these different levels makes it possible to build a path ranging from the first discovery of the circus to a very advanced artistic practice.

The teaching staff and the stage

The teaching team is made up of circus arts professionals with different specializations.

The teaching is rooted in a family circus tradition but also draws on artists and educators from different disciplines and professional experiences.

Stage experience naturally occupies a particularly important place in the project.

The Piccolo Circo dei Sogni does not function solely as a school: it produces numerous shows each year, blending professional artists and advanced students from its Academy.

These creations combine the tradition of the Italian circus with more contemporary forms of performance.

Some particularly advanced students can thus gradually develop in an environment similar to that of professional artists.

Festivals and awards

The young people from the school also participate in festivals and competitions. Several students have received awards or been selected for events dedicated to young circus talent.

In 2026 , a student from the Academy, Federica Solinas , notably won the New Talents prize at the Stresa International Circus Festival .

Activities during the holidays

The school also develops significant activities during the holidays.

The Circus Summer Camp welcomes children and teenagers from the age of 4 and allows them to discover or deepen their knowledge of circus arts for several weeks during the summer.

These workshops combine circus arts practice, group activities and discovery of the performing arts environment.

Inclusion and openness

The Piccolo Circo dei Sogni also carries out occasional actions around inclusion.

The school has notably welcomed young people accompanied by specialized structures in order to offer them juggling activities and circus discovery in a suitable environment.

This desire for openness is more broadly aligned with the idea that the circus can allow people with very different profiles to find a discipline and a mode of expression that corresponds to their abilities.

A unique infrastructure

The school has a particularly large infrastructure.

It has two big-top theatres that allow for both teaching and the creation and hosting of shows.

The large big top offers approximately 700 m2 and can accommodate up to 500 people . Its maximum rigging height of 10 meters allows for the practice and presentation of aerial disciplines.

The second marquee has approximately 400 m2 , a maximum capacity of 250 people and a hanging height of up to 7 meters .

These spaces are equipped to host shows, rehearsals, events and various activities related to the Academy.

The Piccolo Circo dei Sogni thus possesses a relatively rare feature among urban schools: the students actually evolve in the environment of a circus under a big top.

This close connection with live performance allows for a direct link to be created between technical learning, rehearsal, staging and performance in front of an audience.

The Academy also develops Circus Experiences , workshops, private events and interventions for businesses.

A major structure in circus education

More than twenty years after its creation, the Piccolo Circo dei Sogni has become an important structure for circus education in the Milan region.

With over 300 practitioners , courses from age 3 , a very wide range of disciplines, several levels up to experienced artists, internships, two big tops and a significant performance activity, the school offers a particularly complete path from the discovery of circus arts to high-level practice.