Boulazac Circus School – Cirquième Sens

The Boulazac Circus School is a non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery, learning, and development of circus arts . Run by the Cirquième Sens association, it is located in Boulazac Isle Manoire, near Périgueux in the Dordogne region, within the Chap'Cirque de la Plaine de Lamoura .

The school operates in an environment particularly focused on circus arts, as it is located on the site of Agora – Pôle National Cirque Boulazac Aquitaine . Chap'Cirque is also used for training professional artists, thus situating the school's amateur practice within a territory strongly linked to contemporary circus creation .

A very wide audience

The Boulazac Circus School welcomes a very wide audience . Children can start from the age of 4 and continue their training throughout childhood and adolescence. Classes are also offered to adults , from beginners to experienced practitioners.

The youngest children discover the circus through sessions specifically adapted to their age. Groups for children as young as 4 and 5 offer a first physical and playful introduction to circus disciplines.

From the age of 6 , children benefit from longer sessions, allowing them to gradually develop a multidisciplinary approach. Several time slots are offered each week so that families can choose a schedule that suits their availability.

From the age of 8 , the duration of lessons increases and the work can gradually become more in-depth. Several weekly sessions are offered to accommodate the large number of participants in this age group.

Teenagers have their own specific groups. This allows them to continue their practice in a setting that better suits their age, physical abilities, and experience.

The school also welcomes adults . Several levels and time slots are offered, from a course accessible to all to sessions intended for intermediate or advanced practitioners.

This organization allows you to start circus without prior experience, but also to continue practicing for several years and to gradually access more demanding courses.

The subjects taught

Juggling is one of the disciplines taught. Documents published by the city and the school specifically mention the practice of juggling balls and diabolo.

Balancing acts on objects are also featured, including the unicycle. These disciplines help develop coordination, concentration, movement control, and the constant search for balance.

Acrobatics is another important aspect of the teaching. It can be practiced in general courses but is also the subject of a true specialization course .

Aerial disciplines also occupy an important place. The trapeze is one of the documented apparatuses, and the school now offers a slot specifically dedicated to aerial specialization.

This diversity allows students to discover several families of disciplines before, for those who wish, developing a more personal practice.

Three areas of specialization

The 2026-2027 educational offerings particularly reflect this commitment. In addition to courses organized by age group, the school now offers three clearly identified specialization slots : acrobatics, aerial arts, and juggling.

• Acrobatics
• Air
• Juggling

A practitioner attracted to a particular family of techniques can thus devote more time to deepening their knowledge without leaving the framework of the amateur school.

The existence of these specializations distinguishes the Boulazac Circus School from a simple weekly introductory activity. The structure allows for the development of a genuine progression path over the years.

Adults benefit from the same approach. One course is open to all levels, while other time slots are aimed at practitioners with more experience.

The Show Troupe

The school also offers a performance troupe . This group provides practitioners wishing to go further with the opportunity to approach creation and performance more directly.

The presence of a troupe allows technical learning to have an artistic purpose . Circus is no longer seen simply as a series of tricks to master, but as a language that can be used to create a performance for the public.

This articulation between amateur practice, technical development and creation is particularly consistent with the environment in which the school operates.

A cultural environment dedicated to the circus

Chap'Cirque is indeed at the heart of the circus project developed by Agora in Boulazac. The venue also hosts individual training for professional artists.

Agora – Pôle National Cirque Boulazac Aquitaine also carries out important work supporting creation, hosting artists, disseminating shows and providing artistic and cultural education.

The students of Cirquième Sens therefore practice circus arts in a territory where contemporary circus is strongly present, even if the school and Agora remain two separate structures .

The Boulazac Circus School also affirms a respectful approach to knowledge transmission. Its listing in the municipal directory reminds us that " circus is an art " and that its teaching must be done with respect for the individual.

This dimension is important for understanding the project: circus disciplines are not only considered as physical or sporting activities, but as artistic practices that call upon the body, technique, perseverance and expression.

Several levels of investment

Progress can therefore take different forms depending on the students. Some come mainly to discover several disciplines and practice a leisure activity, while others choose to increase the number of sessions, to specialize or to join the troupe.

The pricing structure also reflects this possibility of gradually increasing the intensity of one's practice. Members can take one, two, or three classes per week .

The proximity to professional artists is another interesting feature of the site. Chap'Cirque is a space identified by Agora for the professional training of circus artists.

The school therefore benefits from a cultural context in which amateurs, contemporary creation, shows and professional artists gravitate around the same arts, even if their respective activities are clearly differentiated.

Internships during the holidays

In addition to regular classes, the Boulazac Circus School organizes occasional workshops during school holidays.

These workshops offer the opportunity to discover circus arts or to perfect an existing skill. They complement weekly learning by providing more intensive periods .

The school has extensive experience with these holiday formats. Weekly courses, in particular, have been documented for several years at the Plaine de Lamoura.

A busy week

The 2026-2027 season confirms above all the importance taken by the school in local amateur practice: courses are offered six days a week , from Monday to Saturday, with several groups on certain days.

A child can start with an introduction to the circus at age 4, continue in general courses, then deepen their knowledge of a particular discipline and possibly join a group focused on creating shows.

Teenagers and adults can also continue this path and maintain a regular practice beyond childhood.

Finally, the location under a big top contributes significantly to the school's identity. Students practice in a space specifically dedicated to circus arts rather than in a multipurpose room used only occasionally.

Through its location at Chap'Cirque, the diversity of its courses and its different levels of practice, the Boulazac Circus School occupies an important place in amateur circus learning in Dordogne .

It offers a particularly comprehensive program: discovery from age 4 , multidisciplinary courses for children and teenagers, adult practice, technical development, specializations in acrobatics, aerial arts and juggling, performance troupe and holiday workshops.

This richness allows it to welcome both people wishing to simply discover the circus and practitioners eager to build a regular and in-depth practice, while remaining within the framework of an amateur circus school .