Circus Santelli

Circus Santelli is a circus school located in Groningen , in the north of the Netherlands . Founded in the 1960s, it is one of the oldest youth circuses in the country and has been developing a significant activity dedicated to the learning, creation and transmission of circus arts for over sixty years .

Today, around 200 children, teenagers and adults regularly practice at Santelli. The school relies on a team of about thirty trainers, volunteers and speakers who provide a particularly rich program of classes, training sessions, workshops and artistic projects each week.

Children can start regular classes from the age of 5. The youngest discover the circus in groups adapted to their age before gradually increasing their training volume and delving deeper into certain disciplines.

The basic courses are intentionally multidisciplinary . They allow students to discover the different major families of circus arts rather than having to immediately choose a specialty.

Juggling

Juggling plays an important role in this learning process. Santelli has a particularly wide range of equipment allowing work with balls, scarves, rings, clubs, poi, diabolos, plates, devilsticks, flowersticks, cigar boxes and various other objects.

Students gradually discover the fundamental principles of manipulation: trajectories , coordination , rhythm , precision and the ability to combine several movements.

Balance techniques

Balance techniques constitute another major focus of the teaching. Practitioners can discover unicycles, rola-bola, tightrope walking, stilts, balance balls, pedal boats and various unusual cycles or objects.

These disciplines help develop balance , concentration , coordination , and confidence . They also offer numerous opportunities for specialization for students wishing to deepen their practice.

Acrobatics

Floor acrobatics is another essential component of the classes. Students work individually but also with partners to develop strength, mobility, coordination and body control.

Tumbling allows students to develop dynamic acrobatic techniques. They progressively learn different elements and sequences adapted to their age and skill level.

Handstands and various forms of individual acrobatics complement this preparation.

Group acrobatics also plays an important role. Students learn to work together, build human pyramids, and perform partner figures requiring trust, precision, and cooperation.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines are one of Circus Santelli's major specialties. Several courses are entirely dedicated to them and are offered to different ages and levels.

The trapeze is one of the apparatuses taught. Students gradually learn to move on the apparatus and to transform the different technical positions into sequences.

Aerial silks is also an important discipline. It allows you to work on climbs, positions, suspensions and sequences while developing strength, flexibility and body control.

The aerial rope completes this offering, as does the aerial hoop . Santelli also has other structures and apparatus allowing for the exploration of different forms of suspended acrobatics.

Specialized courses

Specialized courses allow students who have acquired the basics to devote more time to a particular family of disciplines.

Specific training sessions are thus devoted to juggling , balances , acrobatics , tumbling or aerial disciplines .

To join some of these groups, a certain level of prior learning is required. Students can then discuss this with their instructor to determine if a specialization matches their level and goals.

This organization allows us to maintain the spirit of an amateur school accessible to all while offering a much more in-depth course for particularly motivated young people.

Some practitioners can thus move from a single weekly class to several sessions and reach up to six hours of training per week .

The Young Talents program

Santelli is developing a program specifically for young talents. Selected children benefit from additional technical training and genuine creative work.

The Jong Talent group currently brings together young artists who train several times a week and each specialize in a particular discipline, for example tightrope walking, trapeze or juggling.

These young people don't just focus on training. They work together to create a show and then perform in front of real audiences.

Artistic training and performances

Artistic training thus occupies an essential place in Santelli's educational project. The objective is not only to learn how to successfully perform a figure but also to know how to present it.

Theatre, dance, and music can therefore be integrated into circus work. These disciplines allow students to develop their stage presence and understand how to construct an act or a show.

Circus Santelli also has a full-fledged performance troupe made up of advanced performers. Joining this group requires an audition and allows participation in more ambitious productions.

Performances have historically been a major dimension of the project. Approximately every eighteen months , Santelli produces a large-scale production created, directed and performed by its instructors and members.

The school also develops various artistic companies and groups within its educational environment. This allows the most experienced students to extend their practice into much more advanced artistic projects.

This continuity between learning and creation is one of Santelli's distinctive features. A child can begin by discovering the circus in a general course, gradually specialize, and then join a group of young talents or a production.

Adult classes

The school also welcomes adults. Several weekly courses are specifically designed for them.

Adults can practice aerial acrobatics at different levels, from initiation to advanced training.

Aerial choreography classes allow experienced practitioners to further develop the sequence and artistic dimension of aerial techniques.

Duo acrobatics and partner acrobatics also have specific courses for adults, including groups accessible to beginners.

Free training time is offered to advanced practitioners so that they can develop their own techniques and projects.

School internships and interventions

In addition to weekly classes, Santelli organizes numerous workshops and short courses . These allow participants to discover the circus without immediately becoming a member of the school or to delve deeper into a specific discipline.

Programs are organized specifically for young children, adults and families, including parent-child workshops .

The school also works with other schools. Its projects allow entire classes to discover different techniques and then collectively build a real circus show.

A pedagogy based on cooperation and creativity

Santelli's pedagogy places great importance on cooperation , enjoyment , and trust . Circus arts are considered a way to develop not only physical abilities but also social skills and creativity.

Students are encouraged to experiment and use their imagination. Learning a technique gradually becomes a tool for creating and presenting something personal.

The collective dimension is particularly important. Partner acrobatics, show creation and group training teach practitioners to trust each other and work together.

The school aims to provide an environment where everyone can progress at their own level. Some practice simply for pleasure once a week, while others develop an intensive practice and participate in numerous performances.

This diversity of backgrounds is one of Circus Santelli's strengths. The school remains accessible to beginners while offering advanced students a true environment for specialization and creation.

With over sixty years of existence , around 200 members , some thirty trainers and an offering covering virtually all the major families of circus arts, Circus Santelli is today a major structure for amateur circus education in the north of the Netherlands .