The Citric Elastic – Nyon Circus School

L'Élastique citrique is an associative circus school and cultural living space located in Nyon, in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland.

Founded in 1994 by François and Nini Pythoud, the association has been developing an artistic and educational project for over thirty years dedicated to the discovery, learning and transmission of circus arts.

Established in 2003 in the former Nyon fire station, it brings together in one space a circus school, an artistic company and a venue hosting various cultural events.

In 2023, after nearly three decades of leadership by the founders, their children Juliette and Valentin Pythoud took over the co-direction of the association, thus continuing the family and artistic history of the structure.

Education for all ages

The school welcomes a particularly wide audience, from toddlers aged 3 to adults.

His teaching is based on a progressive and multidisciplinary discovery of circus arts, where technical learning is accompanied by work on creativity, self-confidence, coordination and body expression.

The courses are organised by age groups in order to adapt the exercises to the physical, motor and artistic abilities of the participants.

• Ages 3 to 4 : Children can discover the world of the circus accompanied by a parent. This first approach emphasizes movement, play, physical exploration, and the bond between child and adult.
• From age 4 : children can participate in the sessions on their own. They begin to develop their agility, coordination and balance through the use of various circus tools.
• 5 to 7 years old : students discover more broadly the major families of the circus, including juggling, balancing, ground acrobatics and the first aerial techniques.
• 8 to 11 years old : the courses then allow students to deepen their technical foundations and devote more time to practicing each discipline.
• Teenagers : they also have groups adapted to their age and experience, in which they can continue their progress and develop a more personal practice.
• Adults : L'Élastique citrique also offers courses allowing you to discover the circus or to pursue a physical and artistic practice in a collective environment.

A multidisciplinary approach

Particular attention is paid to versatility .

Juggling, acrobatics, balancing and aerial disciplines constitute the major technical families around which teaching is organized.

This diversity allows participants to discover different approaches to movement before developing affinities with certain disciplines.

The Advanced Group

For young people wishing to deepen their practice, the school also offers an Advanced Group for 10-18 year olds who already possess technical basics.

Set up in this new form at the start of the academic year in August 2026, this group replaces the former Spectacle Group.

It offers more demanding training, aimed at strengthening regularity, technical mastery and individual progress while retaining the multidisciplinary approach characteristic of the school.

Transmission and values

Transmission occupies a central place in the educational project of L'Élastique citrique.

Beyond the acquisition of figures and physical skills, the association considers the circus as a means of developing confidence, mutual respect, creativity and mutual support.

Internships and workshops

The activity is not limited to weekly classes.

During school holidays, L'Élastique citrique organizes workshops allowing children to discover or deepen their knowledge of different circus disciplines.

Led by professional teachers, these workshops combine technical learning, artistic experimentation and collective practice.

The association also offers occasional workshops , particularly around acrobatics, to allow participants to work more intensively on certain techniques.

A school and a cultural venue

One of the distinctive features of L'Élastique citrique lies in its dual identity as a school and a cultural venue.

The association develops an artistic program including shows, events and meetings with the public.

It also hosts artists in residence and thus participates in the development of contemporary circus arts.

This close relationship between amateur teaching and professional creation allows students to develop in an environment where the circus is considered as much as a physical activity as a true form of artistic expression.

The family and community dimension also constitutes an important element of its identity.

Since its creation, L'Élastique citrique has championed the idea of an open, intergenerational space where encounters and exchanges fully contribute to the circus experience.