Circo Libre – Scuola di Circo

Circo Libre is a circus school based in Florence and active in teaching circus arts to children, teenagers and adults.

The association develops a playful , educational and artistic approach to the circus.

Activities are organised in the form of annual courses, internships, workshops, school interventions, holiday centres and artistic projects.

The Mini Circus course

Children can start from the age of four .

The Mini Circo course welcomes the youngest visitors.

For four to six year olds, teaching is based primarily on psychomotor skills and the discovery of movement.

• Children gradually learn to better understand their bodies.
• Motor skills courses allow the development of fundamental movement patterns.
• Coordination and manual dexterity are developed.
• The group also forms an important part of the learning process.
• Children learn to interact with others and to respect common rules.

The first circus disciplines are introduced in a form adapted to their age.

• The children discover, among other things, human pyramids .
• Balance is tested using the pedal boat and other equipment.
• Trampolines and balance beams help develop coordination and balance.
• Juggling is approached using scarves and balls.
• Expression games complement this initial discovery.

The Piccolo Circo route

The Piccolo Circo program then allows children to explore the different families of circus arts much more broadly.

Ground acrobatics and acrobalancing

• Ground acrobatics is one of the main focuses.
• The students discover the basics of gymnastics and acrobatics.
• Human pyramids allow for the introduction of collective work.
• Acrobalance develops both trust and cooperation.

Balancing act

Balancing acts constitute a second major category.

• The students learn to move around on the balance ball .
• The roller and the rola-bola are used.
• Tightrope walking is one of the disciplines taught.
• Stilts are also available.
• The unicycle allows one to approach a particularly demanding form of balance.

Juggling

Juggling also holds a very important place.

• The bullets are being used.
• Scarves make early learning easier.
• Chinese plates allow for another form of manipulation.
• Kiwidos and bolas are also present.
• Students can learn how to handle clubs .
• The rings are part of the available equipment.
• The diabolo completes this offer.
• Hula-hooping is also practiced.

Aerial disciplines and theatrical expression

• Circo Libre also integrates aerial disciplines into its youth programs.
• Aerial fabric is notably part of the program.
• Theatrical expression constitutes another area of focus.
• Children discover the clown through the red nose and various stage games.
• Circus is therefore not considered solely as a physical activity.
• Students also learn to use their bodies as a means of expression.

The Circo Mix route

From around eleven years old , Circo Libre offers the Circo Mix course.

It is aimed at middle and high school students.

The program becomes more in-depth while remaining multidisciplinary.

• Acrobatic gymnastics plays an important role there.
• The young people are continuing their work on human pyramids and acrobalancing.
• They are developing different balancing techniques in parallel.
• Unicycle, ball, roller, rola-bola, wire and stilts are among the apparatus used.
• Juggling also remains very diverse.
• Balls, scarves, Chinese plates, kiwidos, clubs, rings, diabolo and hula-hoop can be practiced.
• Aerial disciplines complement this training.
• Aerial silks are clearly integrated into the curriculum.
• Body language also has its own place.

Teenagers are not only being asked to accumulate techniques.

• Part of the year is devoted to more creative work.
• They learn to transform acquired skills into artistic ones.
• The group is thus preparing for a final performance.
• This creation allows us to explore the relationship with the public and stage construction.

The offer for adults

Circo Libre also has a particularly well-developed offering for adults.

Aerial dance

Aerial dance is one of the major specialties.

• The curriculum notably combines aerial silks and trapeze .
• The first two years allow students to discover both apparatus.
• This approach avoids premature specialization.
• From the third year onwards, practitioners can choose the apparatus they wish to study in more depth.
• They can then specialize further in trapeze or aerial silks.
• Several levels allow students to continue for several years.
• Beginner courses are offered.
• Intermediate and advanced groups then allow for the development of more complex techniques.

Aerial work includes specific physical preparation.

• Students develop strength , mobility and body awareness .
• Circo Libre also offers courses dedicated to flexibility and strengthening for aerial disciplines.
• This preparation allows progress while working on the physical qualities necessary for the practice.

The aerial hoop

• Aerial hoop also has its own teaching methods.
• The course provides the essential technical skills for using the equipment.
• Students gradually learn different positions and transitions.

Circus acrobatics

Circus acrobatics is another specialty offered to adults.

• The acrobatic gymnastics class allows you to work on different floor movements.
• The roundabouts are discussed.
• The reversals are practiced.
• Flick-flacks can be introduced.
• Practitioners gradually progress towards somersaults .
• The progression is adapted to each individual's level.

Adult students can also benefit from supervised free training areas.

This allows for an increase in practice time and helps to consolidate the techniques learned during classes.

Internships and workshops

The school regularly organizes internships and workshops .

These meetings allow us to welcome external artists and to explore certain disciplines more specifically.

• For example, tightrope walking is the subject of specialized training courses.
• Participants can then work not only on walking but also posture, breathing, rhythm and more complex movements.
• The trapeze has also been the subject of specific training programs.

This workshop policy allows us to complement the annual offering without artificially multiplying the number of permanent courses.

Interventions in schools

Circo Libre is also developing a significant activity with schools.

The " A scuola di circo! " project brings circus arts directly into schools.

• Juggling , balancing and ground acrobatics are used as teaching tools.
• Aerial dance can also be integrated depending on the projects and technical conditions.
• The goal is to develop coordination and concentration .
• Self-confidence is also a key factor.
• The activities are designed in a fun and creative way.
• The projects can be adapted to different school levels.
• They can be integrated into the educational programming of the institution.

Activities for families and holiday centers

Circo Libre also organizes activities for families.

Circo in Famiglia allows an adult and a child to practice together.

• Acrobatics, juggling and balance then become tools for play and relationship.
• The exercises are based on mutual trust .
• Further sessions were organized in 2026 .

The association also develops holiday centers .

Children can discover or deepen their knowledge of circus arts during periods outside of school.

In 2026 , Circo Libre notably participated in the summer centers organized with Lumen in Florence.

The approach retains a strong educational dimension.

Play, creativity, physical activity and socialization are linked.

A national network of fun and educational circus activities

Circo Libre also belongs to a national environment of playful-educational circus schools.

The association participated in the Re-Play project with several important structures in the sector.

Partners included Antitesi Teatro Circo , BadaBam , Circo Libera Tutti , Spazio Circo Bergamo , Spazio Kabum , Campacavallo , Accademia Materiaviva and Circo Svago .

• This participation demonstrates Circo Libre's links with the Italian network of circus pedagogy.
• The Re-Play project is particularly interested in the relationships between generations and the educational function of the circus.
• This approach aligns well with the pedagogy of Circo Libre.

A non-competitive pedagogy

The organization is not seeking a competitive practice.

The circus is used to allow everyone to progress according to their abilities.

• The diversity of disciplines offers several points of entry.
• A child who has difficulty juggling may discover a particular aptitude for balance.
• Another might prefer acrobatics or aerial work.
• This diversity allows for the appreciation of different skills.

Working together also strengthens socialization.

• Human pyramids and acrobalancing require genuine cooperation.
• Participants learn to trust their partners.
• They also discover the responsibility involved in carrying or securing another person.

Preparing for the performances adds an artistic dimension.

• The techniques learned during the year are gradually organized.
• Young people learn to create rather than simply reproduce exercises.
• Movement and body expression allow us to connect different disciplines.
• The clown provides another way to develop stage presence.

2026-2027 Season

For the 2026-2027 season, Circo Libre continues its activities in Florence.

• Youth courses are notably offered at Circolo Il Progresso .
• The Mini Circo welcomes children from four to seven years old, depending on the group.
• Piccolo Circo continues the multidisciplinary journey of children.
• Circo Mix welcomes young people from around eleven years old.
• The association continues in parallel its various training activities and educational interventions.

Circo Libre, Passe-Passe and InStabile

Circo Libre thus represents a particularly comprehensive circus school in the Florentine area.

It differs from Passe-Passe , also located in the region, and from InStabile , which functions more like a big top and multidisciplinary cultural center.

Circo Libre has its own association, its own team and its own courses.

It therefore deserves its own separate entry.

Main disciplines for the NetJuggler directory

For the NetJuggler directory, the main disciplines that can be included are:

• juggling
• the diabolo
• the clubs
• the rings
• Chinese plates
• the hula-hoop
• the unicycle
• stilts
• the thread
• the balance ball
• the rola-bola
• ground acrobatics
• the human pyramids
• the acrobalance
• aerial fabric
• the trapeze
• the aerial hoop
• the clown

The school offers a progression from the psychomotor skills of the youngest children to advanced adult practices.

Her interventions in schools and her participation in national networks of playful-educational circus further reinforce her interest.

Circo Libre is therefore today one of the circus schools to be referenced for Florence and its region.