Cirq'Amande – Acrodanse Circus School

Cirq'Amande is the circus arts section of the Acrodanse school, located in Mende, Lozère.

Since 1990, Acrodanse has been developing a project dedicated to artistic education in two main areas: classical dance and circus arts. The school places artistic practice and interaction with the stage at the heart of its operation.

The Cirq'Amande section welcomes participants from age 5 and up , regardless of their age or skill level. It allows them to discover the circus arts as well as gradually develop a more advanced practice.

The teaching is intentionally multidisciplinary. Students explore different families of circus techniques through both individual and group work.

The subjects taught

• Acrobatics : practiced on the ground but also using elements such as chairs and tables. Students can also discover hand-to-hand acrobatics, human pyramids, and different types of jumps.
• Trampoline : complements this acrobatic work and allows exploration of other forms of propulsion and movement.
• Aerial disciplines : notably represented by the trapeze.
• Juggling and object manipulation : the school places particular importance on the object as an instrument of circus techniques and as a support for research.
• Clown : complements this technical training with an approach focused on play and artistic expression.

One of the characteristics of Cirq'Amande lies in the importance given to collective work . Some disciplines, such as hand-to-hand acrobatics or pyramids, directly require cooperation between students, while stage work allows the different techniques to be brought together in common creations.

The stage at the heart of the project

Presenting to an audience is an important component of the Acrodanse project.

Each year, all the students in the association participate in a grand gala organized in June at the Mende Municipal Theatre . This show represents the culmination of the work done during the year and allows the students to experience performing on stage in real performance conditions.

Acrodanse also participates in various shows and events throughout the year.

A team and a story

The circus school was created by Louis Malavielle . Its teaching is now provided by a team of several instructors.

Cirq'Amande is thus part of a larger artistic project combining circus and dance . The coexistence of these two disciplines within Acrodanse creates an environment particularly focused on movement, physical practice, and performance.

With over thirty years of existence for the Acrodanse association, courses accessible from age 5 , a multidisciplinary practice and a real place given to stage performance, Cirq'Amande constitutes an amateur circus school well established in Mende and in the cultural landscape of Lozère.