CLAP – Scuola di Circo e Teatro

CLAP is an association and school of circus and performing arts based in Arona , in the province of Novara, Piedmont.

The association develops activities combining circus, sport, theatre and arts education .

His educational project considers the performing arts as tools for personal and collective development .

The objective is therefore not limited to the technical learning of a discipline.

CLAP also seeks to develop creativity, autonomy, confidence and the ability to evolve with others .

The association emphasizes an environment in which everyone can experiment without judgment and without performance pressure .

A team with diverse backgrounds

The team brings together artists, educators and circus instructors from diverse backgrounds.

• Pasquale Di Palma is an artist, educator, theatre teacher and circus instructor.
• Laura Cantù works as an educator, facilitator and circus instructor.
• Sara Pocovaz is a circus artist and instructor.
• Elisa Moriggia is also an artist and circus instructor.

This combination of artistic and educational skills characterizes the way CLAP operates.

Places of activity in Arona

In Arona, the association has two separate spaces .

This separation allows for spaces adapted to different practices.

A new location in Gozzano

Since September 2026 , CLAP also has a new location in Gozzano.

The activities take place at SOMSI, Piazza San Giuliano.

This new branch also offers circus and theatre classes.

The opening of Gozzano therefore marks a new stage in the territorial development of the association.

A gradual path from early childhood

CLAP welcomes practitioners from early childhood .

Micro Zone – Nursery School

The Micro Zone group is aimed at children in preschool.

Children discover the circus mainly through movement and play .

• The activities allow us to explore balance .
• They develop knowledge of the body.
• Coordination is being worked on gradually.
• Trust games also introduce relationships with others.

The learning process remains adapted to the psychomotor development of the youngest children.

Junior Zone – Primary School

The primary school children then continue in the Junior Zone group. The program becomes more broadly circus-oriented.

Juggling is one of the major disciplines taught. Students learn to manipulate different objects.

• The balls are part of the equipment used.
• Clubs are also used in CLAP teaching.
• Other juggling objects help to develop coordination and precision.

Balancing acts constitute a second important theme. Students discover different unstable situations.

• The work can notably be carried out using ropes .
• Balance balls are also among the equipment used.

These activities help to develop posture, concentration and proprioception .

Floor acrobatics complements this training. Students gradually learn to use their bodies in more dynamic movements. Strength, mobility, and coordination are developed simultaneously.

The trampoline is also part of CLAP's technical offering. It allows for the exploration of jumps and acrobatic movements in a more aerial dimension.

Aerial disciplines constitute another important component of the school.

• Aerial silks are explicitly taught.
• The aerial hoop is also among the available apparatus.
• The trapeze completes this offering.

Students gradually discover the suspension techniques and movements specific to each apparatus.

Young Zone – college

The Young Zone group is aimed at young people in colleges. The teaching gradually becomes more technical.

Teenagers continue juggling, balancing and acrobatics. They can also delve deeper into aerial acrobatics .

The work nevertheless retains a significant creative dimension. Technique is not presented as an isolated end in itself. It gradually becomes a means of expression .

Teen Zone – high school (new for 2026-2027)

For the 2026-2027 season, CLAP also created Teen Zone . This new group is for high school students. It complements the progression between Young Zone and adult activities.

This organization now makes it possible to follow a continuous path from kindergarten to adolescence .

Circus Zone – Adults

Adults have their own Circus Zone group. Classes are accessible from age sixteen and are open to all skill levels.

Adults can practice juggling, balancing, and acrobatics. The goal can be to discover the circus, develop new skills, or simply engage in a physical and creative activity.

There is no upper age limit announced.

AcroYoga

CLAP also offers AcroYoga for adults. This discipline combines balance, acrobatics, and cooperation. Participants build poses together, making trust between partners essential.

Open training for experienced practitioners

The school also offers open training for practitioners with some prior experience. This space allows jugglers and circus performers, in particular, to continue their practice in a group setting .

This is not a structured professional training program. However, it offers more independent practitioners the opportunity to maintain and improve their skill level .

The theatre, the second major pillar

Theatre constitutes the second major pillar of CLAP. The association offers physical theatre.

• Clowning is part of the teaching.
• Improvisation is also practiced.
• Comic theatre complements this approach.

Teenagers can develop a form of theatrical intelligence and learn to use their bodies, voices, and stage space. Adults also have access to a theatre workshop . No prior experience is necessary. The work focuses on expression, imagination, and improvisation.

This strong theatrical presence allows for a direct link between circus training and the performing arts . CLAP thus does not consider the circus solely as a sporting activity. The association cultivates a genuine culture of live performance . Technical skills can become tools for creation .

Educational projects in schools

This philosophy is also reflected in the association's numerous educational projects. CLAP has been working directly in schools for several years.

Its area of operation is relatively large. The association states that it has worked with schools located between Verbania and Novara .

School projects use circus practices as educational tools .

• The exercises help to develop coordination .
• Balance is another objective.
• Self-confidence is also worked on.

The approach remains intentionally playful . Theatre adds a second dimension: it allows for the development of creativity and communication skills . Group work fosters cooperation among students.

Teacher training courses

CLAP also offers training for teachers. The aim is to provide education professionals with tools from theatre and circus arts . These techniques can then be reused in their own teaching practices.

Campus and holiday activities

The association also develops significant activities during school holidays . CLAP has been organizing its own campuses for over ten years .

• Summer campuses are offered.
• Winter experiences can also be organized.

Participants live in a communal environment for several days or weeks. Activities combine circus and theatre.

• Acrobatics and juggling are part of the program.
• Balancing skills can also be practiced.
• Clowning and physical theatre complete the experience.

Community living is intentionally an important part of the project. Participants live in self-managed houses with the educators. This allows them to develop autonomy and a sense of responsibility . The daily organization itself becomes an educational experience.

Interventions in leisure centers

The association also works in the area's summer leisure centers .

• She offers acrobatics workshops there.
• Juggling workshops are being organized.
• Scarves, balls and clubs can be used.
• These interventions are complemented by comic and physical theatre activities.

CLAP thus has an activity that goes far beyond its weekly classes in Arona . The association functions as an artistic and circus education structure on the scale of its territory.

The 2026-2027 season

The 2026-2027 season further confirms this development.

Programming in Arona

In Arona, the Sport & Circo classes continue at Clapalestra.

• Micro Zone welcomes kindergarten children.
• Junior Zone is intended for primary school children.
• Young Zone is for middle school students.
• Teen Zone now welcomes high school students.
• Circus Zone is intended for adults.
• AcroYoga complements this offering.

The theatre continues in parallel with the Clapannone.

Programming in Gozzano

The big news for 2026 is the opening of Gozzano . At the SOMSI in Gozzano, CLAP also offers:

• Micro Zone
• Junior Zone
• Young Zone
• Teen Zone
• A theatre laboratory

The headquarters and main center of activity remain in Arona .

• Clapalestra is the main location for circus classes.
• Clapannone is primarily home to the theatre.
• Gozzano is now the second location.

In summary

CLAP thus represents a particularly interesting playful and educational circus school in northern Piedmont . It allows children to start from kindergarten and continue throughout childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood.

• Juggling , balancing , acrobatics , trampoline and aerial disciplines constitute the main technical families.
• Aerial silks , hoop and trapeze are explicitly taught.
• AcroYoga , physical theatre , clowning and improvisation further enrich this offering.

The association also possesses considerable experience in school-based programs . Its circus camps, organized for over ten years, reinforce its educational dimension. Finally, the opening of Gozzano in September 2026 confirms that CLAP is currently in a phase of development .

For the NetJuggler directory, CLAP therefore deserves a listing as an amateur circus school and artistic education structure , with Arona as its main location and Gozzano as its second branch.