Pirouette – Circus School of Noisy-le-Roi / Bailly

Pirouette is an amateur circus school located in Noisy-le-Roi , in the Yvelines department, near Bailly and Versailles . Founded in 1996 , the association has been developing a circus arts practice for thirty years based on technical learning, creativity, cooperation and individual development.

The story of Pirouette begins when Jacques and Éric Péricat , two young residents of Noisy-le-Roi with a passion for juggling, were asked by the town to lead circus workshops during school holidays. The success of these initial events gradually led to the development of weekly classes and the creation of a full-fledged circus school.

Over the years, Pirouette has developed numerous projects: regular courses, holiday workshops, interventions in schools and leisure facilities, amateur shows, activities, solidarity projects and cultural exchanges.

Today, the association's activity is mainly focused on its circus school , with weekly classes for children aged 4 to 14 and workshops organized during school holidays.

Pirouette's pedagogy

Pirouette's teaching method is based on a multidisciplinary approach to contemporary circus. The goal is to allow each child to experiment with several disciplines in order to gradually discover their preferences and abilities.

Juggling

Juggling is approached with many objects: balls, scarves, rings, clubs, Chinese plates, devil sticks and diabolos.

Ground acrobatics

Floor acrobatics include rolls, cartwheels, handstands, and lifts. They help develop physical abilities while gradually introducing partner work.

Balances on objects

Balancing on objects also plays an important role in teaching. Students can practice with balance balls, tightropes, rollers and boards, unicycles, stilts, or various other balancing supports.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines complement this practice with the trapeze and aerial silks.

The expression

Pirouette also considers expression as a true family of circus arts. Mime, dance, storytelling, theatre, oral expression, music and percussion can thus accompany technical learning and contribute to the construction of an artistic universe.

A non-competitive and collective pedagogy

This diversity allows for working in very different situations: alone, in pairs, in threes, or in groups. Cooperation plays an essential role in the functioning of the workshops.

The school advocates a non-competitive pedagogy. Mutual support, tolerance, self-respect and respect for others, trust and creativity are considered as important as learning the figures.

Particular attention is also paid to each child's place within the group. Pirouette explains, for example, that a child who does not wish to physically participate in an activity at that moment can become an observer. Watching and understanding the work of others is then considered another way to participate and learn.

This conception of the circus leads the association to present circus arts as a tool for accessing citizenship . Collective practice should allow participants to find their place in a group, develop their confidence, and be able to imagine and create.

Courses and internships

Classes are organized by age group to adapt the duration and content to the children's abilities. The 2026-2027 season welcomes young practitioners aged 4 to 14 in several time slots spread across Mondays , Wednesdays , and Saturdays .

Workshops are the second major focus of the school. Pirouette organizes workshops during each school holiday period, generally for children aged 6 to 14. Several options are available, allowing participation for half-days or full days.

These workshops follow the multidisciplinary philosophy of the courses and provide more time to discover, experiment and delve deeper into the different circus techniques.

A history of diverse projects

Historically, Pirouette has also developed a significant activity in schools. Educational programs have been organized in schools with the support of the municipality of Noisy-le-Roi and the DRAC (Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs).

The association has also carried out activities in leisure facilities, street entertainment, shows and several social and solidarity projects.

These include Pirouette in Bolivia , a social and cultural exchange project between French children and villages in the Lake Titicaca region. The association also developed Pirouette Solidaire , in which young people organized activities and shows to benefit local causes.

These historical projects demonstrate a conception of the circus that goes beyond mere technical practice. Since its creation, Pirouette has used circus arts as a means of developing self-confidence , trust in others , creativity , autonomy and cooperation .

Today, weekly classes and holiday workshops form the core of the activity. Pirouette thus remains a firmly established amateur circus school in the Noisy-le-Roi and Bailly area, allowing children to discover and then deepen their knowledge of circus arts in a collective, creative and non-competitive environment.