BALOU – Zirkuskurse Dortmund

BALOU is a cultural center located in the Brackel district of Dortmund . Its highly diverse programming includes a significant focus on movement, dance, theatre and circus arts.

Children and teenagers can regularly practice various circus disciplines through courses organized throughout the year. Circus instruction is primarily developed through acrobatics and juggling classes.

Several groups allow activities to be adapted to the age and experience of the participants. Children can start from the age of 7. Groups are then offered for children from 8 years old and for young people from 11 years old . An advanced group allows practitioners with prior experience to continue their progress and delve deeper into certain disciplines.

A multidisciplinary program

Programming is truly multidisciplinary. Juggling is one of the main areas of learning. Students also discover the diabolo and different forms of object manipulation.

Balance techniques play an important role in the courses. Participants can learn to move on a tightrope and experience walking on a balance ball .

The trapeze allows for an initial introduction to aerial disciplines. More advanced students can also work on aerial silks .

Floor acrobatics complements this training and helps develop coordination, strength, mobility, and body control. Clowning is also part of the program, adding an expressive and theatrical dimension to the technical learning.

In advanced groups, students can deepen their acrobatic and aerial work and combine different techniques with dance. This diversity allows young practitioners to gradually discover the different branches of circus arts before further developing the disciplines that suit them best.

A suitable teaching method

Instruction is provided in particular by Andrea Kruck , an educator specializing in circus and theatre. The teaching method emphasizes an active exploration of techniques and allows children to test their abilities in an age-appropriate environment.

Regular classes form the core of this circus activity.

Weekly groups in autumn 2026

For autumn 2026 , BALOU is offering several weekly acrobatics and juggling groups, including classes for children aged 7 , 8 , and 11 , as well as an advanced group for those 11 and older . The sessions take place in the gymnasium of the BALOU cultural center in Dortmund-Brackel.

The courses are organized in cycles of several weeks , which allows for genuine educational progression and distinguishes them from a simple one-off activity.

Circus workshops during the holidays

BALOU also organizes circus workshops during school holidays. The Zirkussommer program, for example, allows children to dedicate several consecutive days to circus arts.

During these workshops, young artists can experiment with and perfect ground acrobatics and juggling . Participants wishing to discover aerial disciplines can also try the trapeze . Tightrope walking completes this immersion in the world of the circus.

Circus-themed activities for birthdays

Circus activities can also be offered as part of birthday parties organized by BALOU. These sessions allow participants to experience human pyramids , acrobatics , tightrope walking , balance ball or trapeze, depending on their age and experience.

One advantage: BALOU's cultural environment

BALOU's cultural environment is also an asset for the students. The center simultaneously develops activities in dance , theater , movement , music , and visual arts . Children practicing circus arts thus develop in a space more broadly dedicated to artistic and cultural education.

BALOU is therefore not a school exclusively dedicated to circus arts. However, the existence of several weekly groups, a progression according to age and level, a specialized teacher and workshops dedicated to circus arts allow its offering to be considered as a genuine regular circus education .

For families in Dortmund, and especially in the Brackel district, BALOU is an interesting place to discover and then deepen their knowledge of juggling , acrobatics , balances and aerial disciplines in a multidisciplinary cultural setting.