Ballabulle

Presentation

Founded in 2004 , the Ballabulle Circus School is a non-profit organization (under the French law of 1901) located in Biarritz , just a hundred meters from the SNCF train station. Today, it is a well-established institution for discovering and learning circus arts in the Basque Country, with activities for children, teenagers, and adults.

Approvals and affiliations

Ballabulle is accredited by the French Federation of Circus Schools (FFEC) under number 64224 and belongs to FREC Aquitaine . The school also holds a Youth & Popular Education accreditation and a PAC (Artistic and Cultural Project) Class accreditation from the Ministry of National Education. Furthermore, it is part of RAP 64 – Parent Support Network . These various commitments reflect a project that goes beyond the purely technical learning of circus disciplines.

Pedagogy

Ballabulle's pedagogy views circus arts as a physical activity, a means of artistic expression, and an educational tool. The school aims to develop motor skills , creativity , and expression while fostering socialization , tolerance , responsibility , confidence , and interaction among participants. Progress is tailored to each individual's abilities: the school emphasizes desire , motivation , and the journey itself rather than a systematic pursuit of performance.

By age group

For regular classes, Ballabulle distinguishes several educational stages according to age.

• 4-6 years: the circus is first considered as an educational tool: motor skills, play, exploration, cooperation and learning to live together occupy a central place.
• 7-9 years: practice becomes more of a learning tool promoting curiosity, perseverance and success.
• From 10-12 years old, then among teenagers and adults: the creative dimension takes on greater importance, with work on body awareness, self-esteem, effort, sharing, mutual support and transmission between practitioners.

Teaching and materials

The teaching is multidisciplinary. The annual courses explicitly mention acrobatics, contortion, trapeze, aerial silks, object balancing, unicycle , and juggling . The internship programs allow for even more specific training on the equipment used.

• Manipulation: scarves, balls, Chinese plates, devil stick and diabolo.
• Balances: spool, balance ball, American roller, low wire and unicycle.
• Acrobatics: floor acrobatics, mini-trampoline and small lifts.
• Aerials: trapeze and silks.

Workshops (from age 3) and parent-child program

Even the youngest children can start as early as age 3 thanks to the (grand)parent-child workshops, which focus on motor skills, building rapport, and interaction between the child and the accompanying adult. This format provides a playful introduction to space, movement, and circus equipment before joining the regular groups.

Inclusion: Disability and Parenthood

Ballabulle has developed a program focused on disability and parenthood, offering parent-child workshops for people with disabilities. These sessions emphasize discovery, play, sharing, learning, and the development of skills. This approach aligns with the school's overall philosophy, which aims to welcome participants regardless of their age or physical abilities.

Internships and holidays — All Saints' Day 2026

In addition to weekly classes, the school organizes numerous circus workshops during school holidays. For the 2026 All Saints' Day holiday, two weeks are currently scheduled: from October 19th to 23rd and from October 26th to 30th, 2026 .

• 4-6 years: psychomotor course, discovery of juggling objects, ground acrobatics and mini-trampoline.
• From age 7 up to teenagers: more technical courses with acrobatics, small lifts, trapeze, silks, juggling, diabolo, devil stick, unicycle, tightrope and various balance objects.
• Aerial workshops: sessions specifically dedicated to the trapeze and the silks.

External activities and anniversaries

Ballabulle's activities extend beyond its premises: the school develops outreach programs for a wide range of audiences, particularly in schools, early childhood centers, and specialized institutions. For young children, circus arts are introduced through gross motor skills and the playful use of equipment to stimulate imagination, creativity, motor skills development, and socialization.

The school also organizes birthday parties with a circus arts theme. These sessions take place on Saturdays from 2 pm to 4 pm and offer children and their friends a fun introduction to circus disciplines set to music.

Team

• Educational and artistic direction: Oyhan Latxague, circus teacher and contact referenced with the FFEC.
• Speakers: Camille Mougnos (teacher specializing in aerial disciplines) and Émilie Loustau (specialized educator).
• Chair: Claire Larrouture.
• Ballabulle also collaborates with various artists and technicians, particularly from the fields of dance, video and live performance.

Registrations — 2026-2027 season

Registration is now open for the 2026-2027 season. Registration days are scheduled for September 5th, 12th, and 16th, 2026 , and classes will resume on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026. A 2026-2027 registration form is also available on the website.

However, be aware of a small typo on the course page, where a sentence still mentions "start of 2025-2026" when the title, the file, the dates and the news all relate to 2026-2027.

Regarding the 2026-2027 fees, I couldn't find a clearly displayed price list on the indexed public pages of the website. The registration form is available for download, but the fees don't appear in the search results. It's advisable to confirm the fees directly with Ballabulle . The school also indicates that it accepts holiday vouchers .

regional network

Ballabulle actively participates in the regional network of circus schools. The school was one of the seven structures present at the FREC Aquitaine regional meeting on May 30 and 31, 2026 in Ondres.

• Acrofolies
• AFCA
• Alex Galaprini
• Bordeaux Circus School
• Cirquenbul
• Pole Circus
• Ballabulle

Conclusion

With over twenty years of activity, Ballabulle is a major circus school in Biarritz and the Basque Country, particularly noteworthy for the diversity of its audiences. The association combines technical training, artistic creation, family activities, circus arts for people with disabilities, workshops, school programs, and specialized interventions.

According to the NetJuggler directory, it is also a clearly relevant school for research around juggling and diabolo , these practices being explicitly present in its workshops and teaching.

Disciplines offered

• Juggling
• Diabolo
• Devil's stick
• Balls
• Scarves
• Chinese plates
• Ground acrobatics
• Small items carried
• Mini-trampoline
• Contortion
• Trapeze
• Aerial fabric
• Unicycle
• Low thread
• Balance ball
• Coil
• American Roll
• Balance on objects

2026-2027 Season

September registrations are scheduled for Saturday 5 September , Saturday 12 September and Wednesday 16 September 2026 , with classes resuming on Tuesday 29 September 2026. Year-long courses then continue until June.