Circus Rotjeknor

Circus Rotjeknor is a circus school located in Rotterdam , the Netherlands. Founded in 1992 , it has been developing for over thirty years an important educational and artistic project dedicated to the discovery, learning and transmission of circus arts.

The association was founded on October 6, 1992, to develop circus activities for children and teenagers in Rotterdam. The first classes began in March 1993 and gradually gave rise to a structure that now offers a wide range of training courses, workshops, and performances.

Circus Rotjeknor's project is based on the idea that circus arts are a powerful tool for personal and collective development . The school aims to offer everyone the opportunity to discover their abilities, take on new challenges, and develop their confidence in a supportive environment.

The teaching is aimed at a particularly wide audience, from 3-year-old children to adults, with groups adapted to the age and level of the participants.

Regular classes are organized during the school year, generally from September to June , with about thirty weekly sessions per season for each group.

Classes for younger children

Even the youngest children can discover the circus from the age of 3 thanks to Mini Circus classes. These sessions emphasize play, physical exploration, and the manipulation of small props.

Children gradually learn to develop their coordination , balance and motor skills while discovering the world of the circus.

Parent-child classes also allow families to practice together. Participants discover juggling, balancing, acrobatics, and certain aerial disciplines through adapted exercises.

General circus courses

From the age of 5 , children can join general circus classes. These groups form the basis of Rotjeknor's teaching and allow them to discover different families of circus disciplines.

The students practice juggling, acrobatics, balancing, and various forms of object manipulation.

Juggling

Juggling helps develop coordination , concentration , and precision . Children learn to control their movements and gradually perform more complex tricks.

The balances

Balance disciplines also occupy an important place. They allow practitioners to develop their stability , concentration and body control .

Acrobatics

Acrobatics is another essential element of the learning process. Students discover different floor techniques, work on their flexibility and strength, and gradually learn to perform individual figures.

Group acrobatics also plays an important role in the classes. Children learn, in particular, to build human pyramids and to perform various figures requiring cooperation and mutual trust .

This collective dimension directly reflects Circus Rotjeknor's educational philosophy. Students discover what they can achieve individually, but also what becomes possible when they work together.

The organization by age groups

General courses are organized according to several age groups.

• Group A mainly accommodates children aged 5 to 8 years .
• Group B is for children aged 8 to 12 .
• Groups C and D are intended for practitioners aged approximately 12 to 21 years .

This organization allows students to progress over several years and gradually deepen the techniques learned.

Specialized courses

Circus Rotjeknor also offers many specialist courses.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines are one of the school's major specialties. Students can practice aerial silks , trapeze , and aerial hoop, among other things.

Aerial silks classes allow you to progressively learn the techniques of climbing, suspension, positioning and linking.

Students develop their strength , flexibility and coordination while discovering the artistic possibilities offered by this apparatus.

Specific groups are offered for children aged 7 to 12, as well as for teenagers and young adults.

More general aerial acrobatics courses also allow exploration of several apparatus, including the trapeze and the hoop.

Adults can also take aerial courses adapted to their level.

Dynamic acrobatic techniques

The school also offers courses dedicated to dynamic acrobatic techniques.

Springles sessions allow young people to work on different jumping and rotation techniques.

More experienced practitioners can join the Hard Train Acro courses, which allow them to delve deeper into swinging, acrobatics and airtrack techniques.

These training sessions are aimed at teenagers and young adults wishing to further develop their physical and technical abilities.

Artistic creation

Artistic creation constitutes another essential dimension of the Circus Rotjeknor project.

The school believes that circus arts are not limited to learning tricks. The techniques acquired can also become elements of an artistic creation intended to be presented to an audience.

Several groups are thus specifically dedicated to stage work.

POP Up Circus

The POP Up Circus program welcomes young people from the age of 9 who already have some initial circus experience.

Participants continue to deepen their techniques while learning to build acts and develop their stage presence.

They work collectively to create short artistic pieces that can then be presented at various events.

Young artists participate in performances organized during cultural events and festivals.

The creative group for teenagers

Circus Rotjeknor also offers a creative group for teenagers aged 12 and up.

Under the guidance of a visiting artist, participants develop a genuine performance project combining circus techniques, stage expression and collective creation.

These projects allow students to discover the different stages of creating an artistic production.

They learn to work on their stage presence, to build a dramatic structure and to use their technical skills to tell a story or convey an emotion.

The intensive "Sold to the Circus" course

The school also develops a particularly interesting program for young people wishing to practice circus arts intensively.

Entitled "Sold to the Circus" , this course is aimed at teenagers from the age of 14 who are passionate about circus arts.

It offers an intensive six-hour training session on Saturdays , in addition to the other courses taken by participants.

This program is developed in collaboration with several actors in circus education and creation, including Tall Tales , Fontys and Codarts .

It allows young people to discover the demands of more intensive practice and to develop their technical and artistic skills.

This course may be of particular interest to teenagers considering continuing their training in a professional circus school.

Links with Codarts Circus Arts

Circus Rotjeknor also maintains links with Codarts Circus Arts , a higher education institution for circus arts located in Rotterdam.

Students and alumni of Codarts are involved in some of Rotjeknor's educational activities.

Young artists can also be directed towards preparatory courses when they wish to further develop their professional project.

This proximity to higher education is an important characteristic of the school, even though Circus Rotjeknor remains primarily an amateur teaching structure.

Adult classes and open training

Adults also have access to regular classes.

They can discover different circus disciplines, including juggling and acrobatics , in groups adapted to their age and level.

The school also offers open training sessions for practitioners wishing to work independently.

These time slots allow experienced amateur artists and professionals to have an equipped space to continue their practice.

Unlike weekly classes, open training sessions do not constitute structured instruction.

The locations and the site in Rotterdam

Circus Rotjeknor has its own training space in the Katendrecht district of Rotterdam.

This room hosts a large part of the classes, specialized training sessions and artistic activities.

The school also develops courses in different neighborhoods of Rotterdam in order to make circus arts accessible to more children.

Groups are offered in particular in the Oude Westen and Schiebroek districts.

This presence in several neighborhoods reflects Rotjeknor's desire to promote access to circus arts.

Interventions with schools and businesses

The school also carries out numerous activities with other educational institutions.

It organizes discovery workshops, circus days and educational projects allowing entire classes to discover circus disciplines.

Interventions can be adapted to primary schools, secondary schools and facilities that accommodate children with special needs.

The activities offered help to develop coordination , balance , cooperation and self-confidence .

The children discover different techniques before possibly being able to participate in a group presentation.

The school also organizes workshops for businesses and groups.

These activities use circus disciplines as a support to develop communication , confidence , and teamwork .

Internships and one-off activities

In addition to regular classes, Circus Rotjeknor offers workshops during school holidays and various one-off activities.

These courses allow children to discover the circus or to deepen their knowledge of certain disciplines without necessarily following a year-long curriculum.

The school also organizes circus-themed birthday parties during which participants discover several techniques before presenting their creations.

The place in Rotterdam's cultural life

Circus Rotjeknor actively participates in the cultural life of Rotterdam.

The organization collaborates in particular with Rotterdam Circusstad , a network bringing together several important players in the circus and live entertainment industry.

This collaboration promotes exchanges between amateur teaching, artistic creation and the professional world.

It also allows young practitioners to discover different forms of contemporary circus and to meet experienced artists.

Circus Rotjeknor's pedagogy

Rotjeknor's pedagogy emphasizes enjoyment , experimentation , and personal development .

Students are encouraged to try new techniques, gradually overcome their apprehensions and discover their own abilities.

The school also places great importance on cooperation . Group exercises allow participants to develop mutual trust and their ability to work together.

The diversity of disciplines is another essential element of the project.

Each child can discover different techniques before possibly choosing those they wish to explore further.

Some students favor juggling and balancing, while others develop a passion for acrobatics, aerial disciplines, or creating shows.

This diversity allows everyone to build their own path.

An important structure for teaching circus arts in Rotterdam

With over thirty years of existence , a particularly developed weekly program and collaborations with several contemporary circus players, Circus Rotjeknor is today an important structure for teaching circus arts in Rotterdam.

The school offers an environment in which children can start circus training from a young age, progress over several years, specialize and participate in real artistic projects.

For the most motivated young people, it also provides an initial space to discover the demands of intensive practice that can lead to professional training.

Circus Rotjeknor thus combines amateur teaching, technical improvement, artistic creation and openness to the professional world, while maintaining a pedagogy based on cooperation , pleasure and self-confidence .