BadaBam – Scuola di Circo di Siena

BadaBam is a contemporary circus school located in Siena, Tuscany.

Created in 2016 as a sports association, it presents itself as the first circus school in Siena .

Its objective is to develop and promote contemporary circus in the Sienese territory through regular courses , workshops , training , shows and various cultural and educational projects.

BadaBam considers circus arts as a practice that is simultaneously physical , artistic and relational .

The body is used as a means of expression but also as a tool to develop relationships with others.

This philosophy applies equally to children and adolescents as well as adults .

• In younger children, motor development and cognitive development are closely linked.
• For adults, circus disciplines allow them to rediscover their body, their abilities and new forms of movement.

The school welcomes practitioners with very different levels and motivations.

The annual courses are organized over a period of approximately nine months , generally from September to May .

An end-of-year show or event allows students who wish to do so to present the work they have done.

Juggling

Juggling is one of the major technical families taught by BadaBam.

• The students use balls, among other things.
• Clubs allow for a deeper understanding of object manipulation.
• The diabolo is also part of the equipment used.

The different disciplines help to develop coordination , concentration , precision and creativity .

Balancing act

Balancing acts constitute another important aspect.

• Tightrope walking is practiced in circus workshops.
• The balance ball allows you to work on another form of stability.
• The rola-bola is also among the apparatus used.
• Stilts complement this work around balance and movement.

Acrobatics

Ground acrobatics also plays an important role.

It can be practiced individually but also in groups .

The students thus discover forms of collective acrobatics.

• Acrobalance allows, in particular, the exploration of lifts, counterweights and figures performed by several people.
• Human pyramids also appear in activities offered to families and groups.

Aerial disciplines

BadaBam is also developing a significant offering around aerial disciplines.

• Aerial silks are taught.
• The trapeze is another apparatus that is regularly practiced.
• The aerial hoop completes the offering.
• The school also offers aerial hammocks .

Aerial dance classes allow you to go beyond simply performing technical figures.

Movement , creativity and the search for a stage presence then take on an important role.

Some training courses allow you to simultaneously develop expertise in several apparatus.

Students can thus experiment with fabric , trapeze and hoop and gradually find their own way of moving in the air.

The Chinese pole and acrobatic preparation

The Chinese pole is another particularly interesting discipline present at BadaBam.

The school offers specific courses dedicated to this apparatus.

The mast also appears in the team's professional creations .

Vertical exercises and hand balance work complete the acrobatic preparation.

Physical conditioning and flexibility also have their own training areas.

A multidisciplinary practice

This diversity allows BadaBam to offer a truly multidisciplinary practice.

• For example, a beginner adult can participate in a general circus course . They will then discover juggling, balancing and aerial disciplines in a fun environment.
• Other practitioners, on the contrary, choose to specialize in a specific discipline.

The school also offers free training time.

These sessions allow independent practitioners to continue their work in a suitable space.

Private lessons and workshops complement the regular activities.

Teenagers can benefit from more intensive projects.

Some courses combine aerial dance , ground acrobatics , juggling , balancing and Chinese pole .

Artistic work then takes on a more important role.

Participants are encouraged to experiment , improvise and find their own way of using the equipment.

The Family Circus

BadaBam is also developing the Family Circus.

These workshops allow children to practice with a parent or other family member.

The sessions combine games , movement , juggling , balance , acrobalancing and aerial disciplines .

Participants can perform jumps, balances, rolls, small acrobatics and human pyramids together.

This formula exists in particular for children aged two to five and six to ten years accompanied by an adult.

Summer activities

The school also organizes summer activities.

Circus centers and training courses allow children and teenagers to discover aerial disciplines , juggling , balancing and acrobatics .

A specialized teaching team

The performers are specialists in circus arts.

Several have undergone specific pedagogical training in educational circus in Italy or have trained in Italian and foreign circus schools.

This educational dimension is particularly important in the identity of BadaBam.

The social circus

The association does indeed carry out significant social circus work.

The projects aim in particular to promote inclusion and active participation .

Technical learning then becomes a means rather than an end.

The exercises are used to develop self-esteem , autonomy , creativity , communication and relational skills .

Intercultural respect is also one of the objectives sought.

A territorial anchor

BadaBam works in schools in Tuscany.

The association also builds projects in collaboration with public administrations , social services , support structures , associations and communities .

The projects can be adapted to the specific needs of the groups involved.

The IN-CIRCO project

The inclusion of people with disabilities is a particularly important focus.

The IN-CIRCO project makes it possible in particular to support people with disabilities or referred by social services towards regular school courses.

The project is aimed in particular at young people aged eleven to seventeen .

It can also support families seeking a structured activity that promotes socialization and personal development.

This approach is a particularly concrete example of inclusive circus .

Street education projects

BadaBam also develops street education projects.

Street Circus

Street Circus, for example, made it possible to set up workshops directly in places frequented by young people in Siena.

Participants were able to discover aerial disciplines , juggling and balancing .

The project notably used cooperative pedagogy and Peer Education.

The circus thus became a way to create relationships and encourage youth participation.

Constituency

The Circumcision project developed a similar approach on a larger scale.

Created with InStabile , it combined social circus and other performing arts in different peripheral territories of Florence and Siena.

The project received support from the Italian Ministry of Culture as part of a three-year program.

An artistic and professional activity

BadaBam is also developing a genuine artistic activity.

The association produces and distributes several contemporary circus and street theatre shows.

The artists are directly linked to the school and have been working together for several years.

The shows use certified aerial equipment and structures provided by the association.

The disciplines presented may include acrobatics , juggling , aerial disciplines and Chinese pole .

The Verticali show, for example, combines Chinese pole, duo acrobatics and juggling.

This professional activity allows for a direct link to be maintained between teaching and artistic creation .

The students thus attend a structure whose teachers and artists also have stage experience.

The Corona Circus Fest

BadaBam also participates in the cultural activities of its territory.

The association notably created the Coroncina Circus Fest .

This event brings together workshops , circus performances , theatre , music and other artistic offerings.

• Students from the school can also present their work there.
• Professional companies are invited.

This event helps to make contemporary circus visible to the inhabitants of Siena.

It also contributes to a broader desire to create cultural activities in outlying neighborhoods .

A comprehensive community project

This relationship with the territory is an important characteristic of BadaBam.

School is therefore not simply a place where one comes to attend a weekly class.

It constitutes an associative project bringing together amateur practice , pedagogy , artistic creation , shows and social action .

After ten years of activity in 2026 , BadaBam thus occupies an important place in the development of circus arts in Siena.

• Its offering allows both a first discovery of the circus as a family and regular and specialized practice .
• The diversity of disciplines is another of its strengths: juggling, balance, acrobatics, aerial disciplines and Chinese pole can be practiced within the same structure.
• Finally, her involvement in social circus and inclusion gives her a particularly strong identity.

BadaBam truly uses circus arts as a tool to create encounters , develop autonomy , and allow different audiences to practice together.