We are sad to report that Viviane Chabre of the well known husband and wife juggling duo Les Dougalls has passed away. She was preceded in death by her husband and partner Erwin Steiner, who passed away in 1984 from cancer.
Viviane, who was born February 4, 1943, was from Belgium and was a seventh generation circus artist and the daughter of the famous clown and juggler Joseph “Jojo” Chabre. Jojo had been a member of the juggling troupe Les 3 Readyyng, shown below.
In 1962, Erwin left the famed juggling act The Villams to form Les Dougalls with Viviane. Together, Erwin and Viviane presented a fast-paced tempo act that combined top-level juggling with acrobatics. Following Erwin’s death, Viviane retired from performing and moved back to Belgium. She passed away on August 23, 2017. Below are two videos and ten photos showcasing Viviane and Erwin’s great act and career. Our condolences go out to Viviane’s family and friends.
David Cain
David Cain is a professional juggler, juggling historian, and the owner of the world's only juggling museum, the Museum of Juggling History. He is a Guinness world record holder and 15 time IJA gold medalist. In addition to his juggling pursuits, David is a successful composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and singer as well as the author of sixteen books. He and his children live in Middletown, OH (USA).