AS Beziers Gym

Presentation

ASB Gym , the Béziers Sports Association for Gymnastics and Acrobatic Sports, is a historic organization in Béziers dedicated to gymnastics, acrobatics, and the performing arts. The club celebrated its 90th anniversary in June 2026 with a grand show retracing its history and bringing together the different generations and disciplines within the association. Throughout its development, ASB Gym has forged a unique identity at the crossroads of high-level sport, circus arts, and live performance.

Performing Arts Section

This circus dimension is now clearly structured around the Performing Arts section. ASB Gym offers a particularly wide range of disciplines: aerial silks, aerial hoop, Korean cradle, Russian bar, juggling, acrobatics, trampoline, hand-to-hand, object balancing, dance, and stage direction. The objective is therefore not solely to acquire physical skills: technical practice is directly linked to interpretation, creation, and stage presence.

Aerial and acrobatic disciplines

Aerial disciplines play a significant role. Aerial silks allow for the development of suspensions, figures, sequences, and movement skills at height, while aerial hoop cultivates strength, flexibility, positioning, and choreographic expression. The school also boasts a strong acrobatic tradition thanks to its gymnastic history.

Some specific disciplines

Some of the disciplines offered are relatively rare in amateur schools. The Korean cradle, for example, is a staple of acrobatic circus arts and allows two or more artists to propel themselves alternately through the air. The Russian bar is also a specialized acrobatic discipline requiring teamwork between bases and flyers.

• Aerial fabric
• Aerial hoop
• Korean rocking chair
• Russian bar
• Juggling
• Acrobatics
• Trampoline
• Hand-to-hand
• Balances on objects
• Dance and staging

Hand-to-hand acrobatics allows for the exploration of lifts and partner balances. Trampolining complements this work by developing momentum, spatial awareness, rotations, and control of aerial phases. Balancing on objects and juggling simultaneously open the learning to other major branches of circus arts.

Complementarity with gymnastics

This complementarity with gymnastics is one of the defining characteristics of ASB Gym. The club has a long history in artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, with athletes competing at the national level. Circus arts thus benefit from an environment where physical conditioning, acrobatics, and technical mastery are particularly well-developed.

Artistic mission and statutory framework

But the association specifically aims to go beyond the realm of athletic performance. Dance, interpretation, and staging are integrated into the program to transform technical skills into genuine artistic expressions. ASB Gym defines its artistic mission as supporting each talented individual in developing their artistic, technical, and stagecraft skills, with the goal of enabling them to find their place in the world of entertainment.

This orientation is even enshrined in the association's legal purpose. The statutes provide for the organization of recreational and professional circus arts training, in accordance with the educational project and quality approach of the French Federation of Circus Schools , as well as the organization and production of amateur and professional shows.

ASB Gym joined the French Federation of Circus Schools in 2022 , confirming the development of this circus aspect alongside its historical affiliation with the gymnastics network.

Gym Production and Training

The creation of Gym Prod reinforced this focus on live performance. The project was designed to allow gymnasts and artists to extend their careers beyond competitive sports and to utilize their acrobatic skills in an artistic and professional context. A training center, initially called Gym Prod Academy , developed a program geared towards careers in the arts and entertainment industry.

This bridge between gymnastics and performance is particularly relevant for young athletes nearing the end of their competitive careers. The qualities developed over several years of gymnastics—strength, flexibility, coordination, aerial control, discipline, and the ability to repeat—can be applied to circus arts, choreographic creation, and stage performance.

Creation and production

Creativity naturally plays a significant role in the organization's operations. ASB Gym and Gym Prod produce shows combining artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatics, circus arts, dance, and visual storytelling. The show Baeterrae , in particular, exemplifies this desire to unite gymnastics, acrobatics, and poetry in a single stage production.

The association also has a dedicated space for its artistic activities, Gym Prod Studio , which hosts rehearsals, creations, and performances. Shows by students from the Performing Arts section are organized there, offering participants real-life stage experience in front of an audience.

Cultural activities and calendar

ASB Gym also develops introductory programs in partnership with local cultural organizations. For example, a new introductory workshop to acrobatic arts is scheduled for February 17, 2027, as part of the Rendez-vous de Riquet festival in Béziers. The workshop will introduce participants to hand and cane balancing, aerial silks and hoop, as well as various acrobatic fundamentals.

Acro Freestyle Gym

Acro Freestyle Gym also offers another interesting bridge to contemporary circus. This discipline blends acrobatics, gymnastics, and free movement, with jumps, flips, twists, balances, and sequences performed on mats, air tracks, trampolines, and in the pit. Although it constitutes a distinct section of the Performing Arts, it shares the same acrobatic environment.

Regional position and hybridization

ASB Gym thus occupies a rather unique position among the circus structures of Occitanie. It is not a traditional circus school born exclusively around the ring and juggling: it is a historical sports structure that has gradually built a true artistic pathway from its gymnastic expertise.