Circus Luna – Langendorf

Circus Luna is a circus arts education center primarily for children and teenagers, located in Langendorf , Bavaria. The project has existed since 1993 and is directed by Claudia Bethäuser-Roos and Peter Bethäuser .

Origins and development of the project

Its origins date back to the late 1980s. Peter Bethäuser, then training to be an educator, became interested in methods that fostered children's autonomy and participation. A stay with the Benposta educational community in Spain and the discovery of its Circo los Muchachos greatly contributed to the pedagogical approach that would later give rise to Circus Luna.

The project gradually developed until it officially became Circus Luna in 1993.

The Circus-Luna-Hof in Langendorf

Since 2003 , the association has had its own circus center, the Circus-Luna-Hof, located in Langendorf in the Franconian Saale Valley.

The site is arranged around a former property comprising historic buildings, accommodation spaces and various facilities intended for circus practice.

A real big top allows children and teenagers to train and then present their creations in the conditions of a circus show.

Educational philosophy

Circus Luna's philosophy is not based on the pursuit of spectacular performances or technical feats at all costs. The team prioritizes artistic development , individual progress , the joy of practice , and the building of a genuine collective life .

Children are encouraged to choose objectives that match their abilities and interests. Participation and taking responsibility play an important role in this pedagogy.

A diverse range of circus arts offerings

The circus arts scene offers a particularly diverse range of activities. It is divided into several major categories of disciplines.

• Acrobatics includes, among other things, floor work, jump rope, mini-trampoline, human pyramids and Icarian games.
• Aerial arts allow you to discover the trapeze, the aerial hoop, the aerial silks and the swinging rope.
• Balance disciplines include, among others, the tightrope, the balance ball, the rola-bola and the slack wire.
• Object manipulation is also widely represented with juggling, diabolo and various swinging techniques.

Circus Luna complements this approach with fakir and illusion techniques, as well as theatre and clowning . Participants can thus discover a wide range of disciplines before choosing those they wish to explore further.

Summer camps

Summer camps are one of the main components of the activity. They welcome children and teenagers aged 9 to 21, depending on the session. Each camp brings together approximately fifty participants .

After an initial discovery phase, each participant chooses two training groups corresponding to the disciplines they wish to practice. Over several days, participants gradually develop acts with the guidance of circus educators, artists, coaches, and young instructors trained by Circus Luna.

The various acts are then integrated into a common story to create a true circus show. Each camp concludes with two public performances under a big top .

School projects and external interventions

Circus Luna also develops significant activities with schools . Classes can stay at the Circus-Luna-Hof or participate in day programs. These programs are primarily aimed at students from grades 3 to 8 in the German school system.

After exploring the disciplines, students choose their areas of practice before collectively preparing a public performance . School projects systematically combine several major categories: acrobatics, aerial arts, balance, manipulation, fakir techniques, and clowning.

Circus Luna also works directly in schools, towns and neighborhoods. Depending on the project, the team can travel with its full big top , with a lighter setup , or transform a gymnasium into a circus space with a ring and equipment.

The team has extensive experience in projects conducted with specific audiences, in neighborhoods facing social difficulties, and with schools wishing to use the circus as an educational and collective tool .

Regular classes and workshops

During the winter period, Circus Luna also organizes regular classes and workshops at the Circus-Luna-Hof. Weekly classes take place between the autumn holidays and the Easter holidays.

Children can discover different disciplines through a progressive , playful approach, without any pressure to perform . Further training options are also available for older children and teenagers who have already participated in the camps or have circus experience.

Training young practitioners

One of Circus Luna's key features lies in its training of young practitioners . Since its inception, the organization has encouraged experienced teenagers to gradually become assistants and then instructors .

Since 2011 , Circus Luna has offered, among other things, the qualification of Circus-Jugendübungsleiter (Circus Youth Instructor) according to the program of the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Zirkuspädagogik (Federal Working Group for Circus Education ). More than one hundred young people have already completed this training.

It combines pedagogy, didactics, knowledge of different disciplines, safety, first aid, and supervised practical experience. Young people can then pursue a Circus-Jugendtrainer qualification, allowing them to gain greater autonomy in leading groups.

A journey from discovery to transmission

Circus Luna thus develops a genuine pathway from the discovery of the circus to its transmission. A child can participate in an initial class or camp, continue their practice for several years, and then, in adolescence, train to in turn guide new participants.

With more than thirty years of activity , its own circus center, its courses, camps, school projects, shows and facilitator training, Circus Luna is today an important structure for circus education for children and teenagers in Bavaria.