Cirqu'en Retz – School of Circus Arts and Unicycle

Founded in 2004 in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins , Cirqu'en Retz is a circus arts school and a training center for sport unicycle. Accredited by the French Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Popular Education , the association offers accessible programs for children, teenagers, adults, and families, from beginner to advanced levels.

The school offers a multidisciplinary introduction to circus arts, allowing younger children to gradually develop motor skills , coordination , balance , creativity and autonomy .

Circus-based activities allow 4 and 5-year -olds to take their first steps into the world of the circus through age-appropriate programs. They can then join the various recreational circus groups, organized according to age and progress.

Students wishing to further their practice can join advanced groups . This structure allows them to build a path from discovering circus arts to more advanced technical and artistic practice.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines play a significant role at the school. Cirqu'en Retz offers courses in aerial silks , trapeze , and aerial hoop . Several levels allow students to progress from recreational practice to advanced training.

An advanced training group for aerial artists aged 16 and over also benefits from additional free training time.

Juggling

Juggling also has its place in the school. A free time slot is offered to adult practitioners to allow them to train and share their skills.

The sport unicycle, a unique feature of Cirqu'en Retz

One of the great special features of Cirqu'en Retz, however, is its work around the unicycle .

The association has a fully-fledged training school for sport unicycling . Beginners can discover the discipline from childhood, while a family session allows parents and children to practice together.

Practitioners can then specialize in different unicycle disciplines, including freestyle and trial.

The sports section supports young people towards high-level practice. Members of Team Cirqu'en Retz participate in French and international competitions, including the UNICON World Championships.

Specific training courses also allow riders to deepen their trial skills. These courses bring together unicyclists from different regions and allow them to work on obstacle crossing techniques , balance , skill level assessment , safety , and practice on different types of obstacles.

Artistic practice and performances

Artistic practice is closely associated with the sporting dimension.

The students participate in shows and events organized by the association. Cirqu'en Retz notably organizes its end-of-year show , cabarets and various seasonal events.

The association also has a troupe of young artists as well as a professional company , Aérial Play , which helps to create links between amateur practice and professional performance.

Arts education and external interventions

Cirqu'en Retz also develops a significant artistic education activity outside of its school.

The team works in schools, during extracurricular and extracurricular time, in leisure centers and with specialized structures.

Projects can take the form of a one-off intervention, an internship, or a program developed over a whole year.

The association can travel with its own equipment, including mats , circus equipment , aerial structures as well as sound and lighting equipment when the project involves the creation of a show.

Educational projects aim in particular to promote personal development , self-confidence and confidence in others , creativity , concentration , body awareness , perseverance and teamwork .

Cirqu'en Retz also offers entertainment at public and private events. The public can then discover different practices such as juggling , tightrope walking , balance ball , or unicycling .

The association also organizes several events that punctuate the year: shows , cabarets , seasonal activities and unicycle competitions .

With its regular classes, aerial disciplines, advanced training program, sports unicycle school, internships, shows and numerous external interventions, Cirqu'en Retz is developing a particularly broad project combining amateur practice , artistic creation , popular education and the sporting practice of unicycling .