South China Morning Post.
World-famous Quick-change artists Sos & Victoria perform their renowned ‘International Quick Change Show’ of lightning-fast changes and hip dance moves. This is sure a spectacular event! Sos and Victoria have appeared in acclaimed international shows and their performance is nothing short of breathtaking. Their modern interpretation of traditional art has won them many prizes at international magic competitions.
“It sounds like a model’s dream come true: being able to slip effortlessly into one glamorous outfit after another in seconds. Quick Change Artists Sos & Victoria Petrosyan have updated the traditional performance art of Transformation by combining fashion, stage-craft, and sleight of hands in a display that has dazzled audiences the world over.”
Styled as “The New Generation of Quick-Change”, Sos & Victoria revitalised the form by pumping it up with fashion, modern dance moves, and upbeat music. Their shows feature an assortment of couture gowns fitted with quick-change devices. Although some artists are keen to show as many characters as possible, quantity does not interest the Petrosyns.
“We don’t want to just show how quickly we can do the changes of costumes. We want to tell a story with a combination of movement, dance, and magic tricks. It’s important to make it interesting for the public,” says Sos Petrosyan, a former ballet dancer.
The Petrosyans’ mastery of the craft is as much in their wardrobe techniques as their agility and timing. The pair spends hundreds of hours adjusting their costumes to ensure the switches are super smooth. “I have to make sure it looks good,” Sos Petrosyan says. “We pay attention to the details. A thousand small things have to be changed so they all work well in sequence.”
Each costume is discarded after six to seven months to keep its presentation fresh.
With the high turnover of costumes, Sos & Victoria have become proficient designers and tailors. “We’re always shopping for good fabrics… we travel all over the world with a sewing machine,” Victoria Petrosyan says.
Sos Petrosyan, who was born in Armenia, learned juggling and quick-change transformation from his father, a circus and variety performer.
“(Quick-Change Transformation) is about doing everything in sequence and it’s the interesting part of the magic,” Sos Petrosyan says. “They inspired me to do always something new with the genre.”
He was determined to create a total quick-change experience complete with choreography, lighting, and special effects. It’s not just an act.
Sos made his debut as a quick-change artist in 1991. Five years later, his act became a double act when he met Victoria and the couple fell in love. “I got interested because of him,” says Victoria Petrosyan, who was pursuing a law degree at the time and knew little about magic acts.
Now based in Germany, Sos & Victoria has performed in more than 38 countries. When they’re not performing, they attend prestigious magic festivals and competitions. The pair has won top prizes at events such as Paris Magic Festival, International Festival in Budapest, Stage Competition in Moscow, and more. They appeared at the number 1 Gala Show in the World Championship of Magic (FISM).
Such crises demand quick wits and improvisation. But it takes more than that to stay in the business, he says. “You have to love it. If you don’t and only treat it as a job, it won’t get you anywhere.
– says South China Morning Post. Friday 06.04.2007