Acrofolies
64230 Lescar
Acrofolies — Circus School of La Cité des Arts de Lescar
Acrofolies , the circus school at La Cité des Arts in Lescar , offers circus arts training from age 4 to adulthood. Located in Lescar , near Pau in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, the school boasts a fully equipped big top for circus instruction, set up on the Plaine du Liana . It allows students to take their first steps into the world of circus arts as well as to gradually develop their technique over the years.
The school is recognized by the FFEC and holds the Amateur Practice quality accreditation. Its teaching is based on the discovery and learning of the five major families of circus arts, offering students a particularly comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach.
The five families of circus arts
The teaching covers the following major categories, with concrete examples of proposed practices:
- Acrobatics — ground acrobatics, human pyramids, mini-trampoline, Chinese pole.
- Object manipulation and juggling — balls, hoops, diabolos, Chinese plates and other juggling objects.
- Balancing on objects — wire, balance ball, American roller (rola-bola) and unicycle.
- Aerial disciplines — trapeze, aerial silks and aerial hoop.
- Acting — work on expression and interpretation to complement technical practice.
This educational structure allows for a multidisciplinary and progressive approach, promoting the acquisition of varied skills over the years.
Course organization
Weekly classes take place from Monday to Friday , excluding school holidays.
- Teaching team : Éléonore Bruel, Thierry Castell, Sylvain Cazaban, Anne Deloffre, Isabelle Farci, Jessica Masseing and Pablo Morvan, according to the list published by the City of Lescar.
Acrofolies isn't limited to regular classes. Circus discovery workshops are organized during school holidays, allowing newcomers to learn about different disciplines. Advanced workshops and masterclasses are also scheduled throughout the year to delve deeper into specific techniques or meet other artists and instructors.
Artistic dimension and stage projects
The artistic and performance aspects play a significant role in the curriculum. Students participate in circus shows organized at the end of the school year and can also be involved in other cultural events organized by La Cité des Arts and the City of Lescar. The school thus creates a link between technical training, creative expression, and stage experience.
This approach is reinforced by the integration of Acrofolies into La Cité des Arts , a public cultural institution that brings together the artistic schools of Lescar. The unique aspect of the Lescar project is its combination of circus, dance, and music within a single structure, with a clear commitment to fostering connections between disciplines and collaborative creations.
Circus students may thus be led to work with other artistic disciplines. The 2025-2026 cultural season notably provided an example of this with a collective creation bringing together circus, dance and guitar students from La Cité des Arts and the Pau Conservatory.
2025-2026 Season and Performance Dynamics
For the 2025-2026 season, several shows were organized under the Acrofolies big top, illustrating the continuity of the practice offered, from the discovery of the circus among young children to groups of teenagers and adults.
- " First steps " shows for 4-11 year olds.
- Group A shows for 12-16 year olds.
- Group B shows for those over 16 years old.
With its dedicated big top, FFEC accreditation, multidisciplinary teaching, and integration into an institution encompassing several artistic practices, Acrofolies – La Cité des Arts de Lescar is a particularly comprehensive school for discovering and practicing circus arts in the Pau metropolitan area. Acrobatics, juggling, diabolo, unicycle, balancing, Chinese pole, trapeze, silks, and aerial hoop are offered alongside acting and creative projects, with opportunities for practice ranging from childhood to adulthood.
