Circus Initiation – Brussels / Ixelles

Initiation-Cirque is a circus school based in Brussels and primarily active in Ixelles . It offers a wide range of regular courses , workshops and activities allowing children, teenagers and adults to discover or deepen their knowledge of different circus disciplines.

The school was created in 2011 by Simon Saintmard , a juggler, educator and passionate about circus arts.

Since its creation, Initiation-Cirque has gradually developed and surrounded itself with a team of professional artists and facilitators.

Today, around twenty people participate in the various activities offered by the organization.

The teaching is aimed at very diverse audiences and allows children to discover the circus from childhood.

Circummotor skills, in particular, constitute a first approach adapted to the youngest children.

She uses the world and equipment of the circus to develop motor skills , coordination , balance and body awareness .

Older children can join the multidisciplinary circus classes .

These courses allow you to explore several major families of circus arts instead of immediately specializing in a single technique.

Juggling is one of the key aspects of this learning.

Students gradually discover different ways of manipulating objects and develop coordination , precision , concentration and perseverance .

Balance techniques also play an important role.

Participants learn to control their posture and movements through various exercises and equipment.

Acrobatics complements this discovery and allows one to work on body control, strength , flexibility and coordination .

Initiation-Cirque also offers courses specifically dedicated to acrobatics .

These sessions allow for a deeper exploration of the technical work and physical preparation necessary for this discipline.

Aerial arts are represented in particular by aerial silks .

The school offers different levels allowing both those who discover this discipline and those who continue a practice already acquired.

The courses combine technical learning , flexibility and specific muscle strengthening to allow progress adapted to the level of each participant.

This level-based organization allows us to welcome beginners as well as intermediate or advanced practitioners.

Trial courses are offered in most disciplines to allow new students to discover the activity and meet the teaching team before committing.

The school also allows students to join certain courses during the year when places remain available.

The teaching method aims to respect the pace of progress of each participant.

Professional supervision and safety are important elements of the school's operation.

The teaching materials and equipment needed for the activities are provided on site .

Children participating in regular classes also have the opportunity to showcase their learning.

An end-of-year demonstration is organized so that they can show their loved ones the progress made in juggling , acrobatics and aerial disciplines .

The internships constitute the other major component of the activity of Initiation-Cirque .

They are organised during the different school holiday periods and allow for more intensive circus practice over several days.

The offer includes, in particular, multidisciplinary circus workshops, circus motor skills workshops, aerial silks and hula-hoop workshops .

Circus workshops allow participants to experience juggling , acrobatics and various object balancing techniques .

Other more specialized options allow you to delve deeper into a single practice, such as aerial silks or hula-hoop .

These internships are organised in several Brussels municipalities .

In addition to its main location in Ixelles , Initiation-Cirque also organizes activities in Etterbeek and Schaerbeek , as well as occasionally in other locations in Brussels .

The school also intervenes directly in educational institutions .

Projects can be organized from kindergarten to secondary school to introduce students to juggling , acrobatics , balancing , and clowning .

These interventions use the circus as a tool for motor , artistic , creative and collective development.

Initiation-Cirque thus has a fairly broad identity: a school offering regular courses, an organizer of workshops, an instructor in schools and a structure capable of developing circus activities for different audiences.

All of these proposals are legally supported by the non-profit organization " École de Cirque près de chez vous ", while Initiation-Cirque is the name under which the activities are presented to the public.

With its regular courses, numerous workshops, professional team and various locations in Brussels, Initiation-Cirque is today a true school for amateur practice of circus arts in Brussels.