Circus-Schule Balluna – Merzhausen Circus School

Circus-Schule Balluna is a circus school located in Merzhausen, in the immediate vicinity of Freiburg im Breisgau, in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Founded in 2002 by Tina Velter , an artist, dancer and circus educator, it has occupied an important place in the local cultural and artistic landscape for more than twenty years.

The school has gradually welcomed several thousand children and teenagers, while developing a pedagogy based on the discovery of movement, creativity and collective learning.

A multidisciplinary school

Balluna offers weekly classes for young people aged 3 to 18 , with an organization adapted to their age and development.

One of the great distinctive features of his teaching is its deliberately multidisciplinary approach.

All courses are designed as general training courses allowing students to explore all the major circus families, without obligation to specialize immediately in an apparatus or technique.

The subjects taught

• Acrobatics : trampoline, gymnastics, floor acrobatics, duo acrobatics and human pyramids.
• Aerial disciplines : trapeze, aerial silks and aerial hoop.
• Balance : unicycle, penny-farthing, balance ball, high wire, rola-bola, stilts and balance ladder.
• Object manipulation : juggling, Chinese plates, hats, diabolo, devil stick and cigar boxes.
• Artistic expression : improvisation, theatre and clowning.

This diversity allows for the simultaneous development of motor skills, coordination, concentration, creativity and self-confidence.

A child-centered educational project

Balluna indeed considers the circus to be a formidable tool for personal development .

Its educational project seeks to allow each child to assert their personality while learning to evolve within a group.

The teaching prioritizes solid motor training, multiplying bodily experiences rather than seeking early technical specialization.

An experienced team

The school is now run by Tina Velter and Luisa Daub , two generations of educators with a long experience in teaching circus arts.

Luisa Daub has a career that is particularly representative of the spirit of Balluna: a former student of the school, she started circus there during her childhood before becoming a street artist, circus educator and then head of classes.

The team also includes several contributors from circus training, acrobatics, early childhood education and street arts.

Beyond the weekly classes

In addition to its weekly classes, Balluna regularly organizes special days dedicated to circus practice, called Circus-Samstage.

These meetings allow students to extend their training and invite their friends to discover the activities offered by the school.

Camps are also organised during school holidays for children aged 5 to 12 .

The establishment also offers specialized workshops at affordable prices, called Taschengeld-Workshops, allowing participants to discover or deepen their knowledge of certain techniques.

Activities for schools and kindergartens

Balluna also develops a significant business with schools and kindergartens.

For the 2026-2027 school year, it offers, in particular, themed introductory days for classes and groups of children from the age of three .

These sessions provide a fun way to discover the trapeze, trampoline, acrobatics, tightrope walking, balance ball, aerial silks, hoop and juggling.

The school thus seeks to make circus arts accessible beyond just its regular students.

It also accepts German educational and social participation assistance schemes (Bildungs- und Teilhabegutscheine), facilitating access to activities for some families.