Circus & Baby Circus – Ermont Youth and Culture Center

The MJC of Ermont, in Val-d'Oise, offers weekly Circus and Baby Circus workshops for children and teenagers aged 2 to 15 .

The activity allows children to start very young, with a first group specifically for 2-3 year olds . A second group welcomes 4-5 year olds , before continuing with 6-11 year olds and then teenagers aged 11-15 .

This structure allows us to support young practitioners across a wide age range and adapt the session length to their development. The youngest children have one-hour sessions, while classes gradually lengthen to reach one and a half hours for teenagers.

The MJC presents circus arts as a particularly enriching learning activity. The sessions allow participants to work on motor skills and dexterity while integrating a genuine artistic dimension .

The children discover several characters and major practices emblematic of the circus world. They are led to become, in turn, clowns , jugglers and acrobats .

• Juggling allows one to gradually develop dexterity and coordination in the manipulation of objects.
• Acrobatics engages the body more and contributes to the development of motor skills.
• Working with clowns adds a complementary dimension to the practice: it allows theatrical expression to be integrated with the physical and technical learning of the circus.

This association between motor skills, dexterity and expression allows us to approach circus arts as a complete practice , both physical and artistic.

For toddlers, Baby Circus offers a first encounter with this world. The sessions allow them to gradually experience different motor skills and become familiar with a group activity.

Older children can then explore the various techniques in greater depth within age-appropriate groups. A specific time slot for 11-15 year olds also allows them to continue their circus activities into adolescence.

Classes are held weekly at the Maison de la Vie Associative in Ermont . Children's groups meet on Wednesdays and the teenagers' group on Thursdays .

The Circus and the Baby Circus are part of the Performing Arts section of the Ermont Youth and Culture Centre, alongside theatre, improvisation, music and dance.

Although not an independent circus school, the activity provides a regular and structured opportunity for amateur practice. The possibility of starting as young as 2 and continuing until age 15 offers a particularly valuable continuity for young practitioners in Ermont and the surrounding area.