Circaso – Circusschool Den Haag

Circaso is a circus school located in The Hague (Den Haag), the Netherlands . It offers regular circus arts instruction for children, teenagers and adults, with a pedagogical approach combining technical learning, physical development, creativity and teamwork.

The school distinguishes itself through the diversity of its activities and the organization of genuine progression pathways . Students can discover the circus from a very young age, continue their learning in groups adapted to their level, and then delve deeper into certain disciplines within specialized courses .

Circus arts for children aged 4 and up

Circaso welcomes children from the age of 4 to its circus arts initiation classes. These sessions allow the youngest children to discover the different families of circus disciplines through fun exercises adapted to their development.

Early childhood education relies heavily on play and imagination . Children learn to throw and catch objects, run, jump, roll, balance, and coordinate their movements.

This initial approach helps develop fundamental motor skills while gradually familiarizing children with the world of the circus.

The general "Basis" courses (ages 6 to 16)

For children aged 6 to 16 , Circaso offers general courses called " Basis ". These form the foundation of the training and allow participants to discover different circus techniques.

Students practice juggling , balancing , and various forms of acrobatics . The diversity of disciplines allows each student to experiment with different exercises and gradually discover their preferences.

The groups are organized according to the age and academic level of the participants. This distribution allows the exercises to be adapted to the physical abilities and experience of the students.

Basic classes last approximately 75 minutes and are held weekly during the season.

The goal is to develop regular practice rather than offering only a one-off introduction. This allows students to progress over several years and acquire increasingly solid skills.

The “Circus Werkplaats” improvement workshops

After approximately two years of practice , students can join the advanced groups called " Circus Werkplaats ".

These workshops are aimed at young people wishing to deepen their practice and begin to develop a specialization in certain disciplines.

The teaching retains a multidisciplinary dimension but gives more space to physical preparation and individual technical work .

The students continue to practice juggling and acrobatics while devoting more time to the disciplines in which they wish to progress.

Werkplaats groups are organised according to several age groups and levels, including 8 years and over , 10 years and over , 12 years and over and 16 years and over .

The sessions last approximately 90 minutes and gradually require more autonomy from the participants.

One of the important objectives of these workshops is to learn to work independently while maintaining a strong collective dimension.

Students develop their own acts and learn to organize the techniques acquired to construct a proposal intended to be presented in front of an audience.

This artistic dimension constitutes an important step in Circaso's educational journey.

The school believes that learning circus arts is not limited to mastering technical skills. Students are also encouraged to think about how to present their skills and to develop their creativity .

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines occupy an important place in Circaso's offering.

Specific aerial acrobatics courses allow students to learn and deepen their practice of aerial silks .

These sessions are offered to young people from the age of 8 , with different levels to accommodate beginners as well as more experienced practitioners.

Learning aerial silks requires a progressive development of strength , flexibility , and coordination .

Students learn different techniques for climbing, hanging and moving before working on more complex figures and sequences.

Specialized courses allow more time to be devoted to aerial work than in general circus sessions.

Practitioners can therefore take only a technical course or add it to their multidisciplinary training.

Tumbling, trampoline and juggling

Circaso also offers activities dedicated to tumbling , trampolining and various acrobatic techniques.

These disciplines allow for a deeper exploration of rotations , impulses , and body control .

Juggling also receives special attention. Specific training cycles can be organized around a discipline, particularly diabolo .

The offer is aimed at adults

The school is also developing a program for adults .

Weekly partner acrobatics classes allow participants to discover and deepen their knowledge of lifts, group balances, and various figures performed with multiple people.

Participants learn to work together and develop the confidence needed to perform acrobatic feats.

Emphasis is placed on the quality of execution but also on learning parrying and assistance techniques to allow working in good conditions.

Adults can also take aerial silks classes.

These sessions allow beginners and intermediate practitioners to gradually develop the skills necessary for practicing aerial acrobatics.

Courses dedicated to hand balances complement this offering.

They allow you to work on body placement, alignment, strength and stability necessary to achieve different balance positions.

Circaso also offers short courses dedicated to specific disciplines, including acroyoga , acrodance , Cyr wheel and juggling .

This formula allows adults to discover new techniques without necessarily committing to an additional year-long course.

Free training sessions are also organized for people wishing to practice independently.

Parent-child activities

The school also offers activities involving parents and children .

These courses allow families to discover circus disciplines together through exercises in acrobatics, juggling, balance and cooperation.

A specific formula is offered to toddlers aged 2 and a half to 4 years accompanied by an adult.

The sessions are adapted to their development and emphasize play, body exploration and the discovery of new sensations.

For slightly older children, parent-child workshops offer the opportunity to discover acrobatics, ball walking, tightrope walking and different forms of juggling.

These activities promote intergenerational exchange and allow adults to participate directly in their children's circus experience.

The creation of shows

The creation of shows plays an important role in the functioning of Circaso.

The general course groups regularly present their work to an audience, notably during an annual performance .

Students in the advanced groups, meanwhile, develop their own acts and participate in more elaborate artistic projects.

Approximately every eighteen months to two years , Circaso organizes a large circus-theatre production bringing together its students.

These shows allow different disciplines to be combined in a collective creation and to develop the artistic skills of the participants.

The young artists then learn to work on their stage presence , their coordination with other performers and the construction of an act.

External events and interventions

Circaso also participates in external events .

The school can offer presentations of acrobatics, juggling, unicycling and aerial disciplines at cultural events, neighborhood festivals or community events.

Walks and parades can also be organised with the students.

In addition to its regular educational activities, Circaso works with schools , associations and businesses .

The school organizes, in particular , circus discovery days allowing groups to learn about different disciplines.

Participants can discover juggling, balancing, acrobatics and object manipulation in supervised workshops.

These interventions help to make circus arts accessible to a wider audience.

A progressive and collective pedagogy

Circaso's pedagogy is based on a progressive and collective approach.

Students are encouraged to develop their autonomy while learning to work with others.

Partner acrobatics and collective creation play a particularly important role in the development of trust and cooperation .

The diversity of disciplines also allows everyone to find a practice that matches their abilities and interests.

Some students favour physical and acrobatic disciplines, while others are more oriented towards juggling, balancing or aerial techniques.

Circaso thus offers an environment that allows you to discover the circus in its entirety and to gradually delve deeper into certain specialties.

With its weekly program, courses for all ages, advanced workshops and stage productions, Circaso constitutes a true amateur circus school within the city of The Hague.

It offers children, teenagers and adults the opportunity to regularly practice circus arts, develop their technical and artistic skills and participate in collective experiences around live performance .