Dobbelino Zirkus & Zirkusschule – Braunschweig

Dobbelino Zirkus & Zirkusschule is a school and educational circus based in Braunschweig , Lower Saxony. Founded in 2006 by Roman von Dobbeler , the project combines regular circus arts instruction, workshops for children, performances, and traveling interventions in schools and educational institutions.

A concept of the circus where children become artists

Dobbelino developed a concept of the circus in which children and teenagers themselves become the artists. His principle is summarized by the motto " create yourself, become active yourself, experience things yourself ".

Participants are therefore not simply spectators of a show: they experiment, choose disciplines, train and then build their own acts.

The educational dimensions of circus practice

The organization places great importance on the educational aspects of circus arts. Circus arts are used to promote physical activity , creativity , imagination , and personal expression .

Learning also allows children to experience progress concretely. A skill that seems difficult at first can be broken down, repeated, and then gradually mastered. The performance then allows them to publicly present the results of this work.

This stage experience is used to boost self-confidence . Children discover that they are capable of learning something, participating in a group project, and then presenting their work to a real audience.

Individual guidance plays a significant role in the teaching approach. The diversity of circus arts allows each participant to find a discipline that matches their abilities and interests.

Regular classes at the Zirkuspädagogisches Zentrum

Dobbelino's regular classes are held at the Zirkuspädagogisches Zentrum Braunschweig . Approximately 120 children and teenagers currently practice circus arts there each week under the guidance of a specialist team.

The Flohzirkus (4 to 6 years old)

The youngest children can start with Flohzirkus, designed for children aged 4 to 6. The first techniques are approached in a playful way with a significant emphasis on creativity, movement and elements from psychomotor skills .

The Kinderzirkus (for ages 7 and up)

From the age of 7 , the Kinderzirkus offers the opportunity to discover a much wider range of disciplines. Children participate in activities such as:

• thread
• aerial fabric
• trapeze
• juggling
• trampoline
• acrobatics
• balance ball

As they progress, children can choose a main subject that better suits their interests. The teaching staff can then provide them with more in-depth support in that specialization.

The program is not limited to circus techniques. Theatrical games, movement activities and fundamental elements of gymnastics are also part of the teaching.

The Jugendzirkus (ages 11 to 18)

The Jugendzirkus welcomes teenagers and young practitioners aged 11 to 18. They work on the same major families of disciplines but have more time to develop their techniques and creations.

The teenagers are directly involved in the design of the acts. They think about how they are structured, rehearse them and then present them together during performances.

Aerial acrobatics plays a significant role, particularly the trapeze and vertical silks. The school also offers:

• juggling
• ground acrobatics
• unicycle
• thread
• balance ball
• trampoline

Circus weeks during school holidays

In addition to weekly training sessions, Dobbelino organizes circus weeks during school holidays. These camps are generally aimed at school-aged children between 7 and 13 years old .

For a week, the children discover several disciplines and then rehearse like a real troupe . The project ends with a performance for parents, families and friends.

These weeks can allow participants to become jugglers, acrobats, trapeze artists, tightrope walkers, or plate-spinning artists. Games and physical activities complete the circus program.

The traveling educational circus

Another major component of Dobbelino is its traveling educational circus . The team travels throughout Germany and also internationally to organize projects in schools and various educational institutions.

Dobbelino arrives with its own big top , circus equipment, and a team of artists and educational professionals. The partner institution can thus be transformed into a real circus for several days.

The children are divided into different disciplines, learn their techniques, and then collectively prepare a performance. This experience allows the entire school to work together on a single artistic project.

These projects are supervised exclusively by qualified artists and professionals in the field of education. Dobbelino places particular importance on the quality of this support .

Inclusion and principles

Inclusion is also part of this approach. The organization has experience with projects that welcome children with different abilities and needs, and seeks to enable everyone to find a suitable place in the circus.

Dobbelino is also an animal-free circus . The project is entirely focused on children, teenagers, artists, and the various circus disciplines.

The management team

The team is led by Roman and Mirjam von Dobbeler .

The team includes other artists and professionals from fields including social work, special education and various circus disciplines.

Circus pedagogy training

This expertise is also used to train adults. Dobbelino organizes circus pedagogy training courses aimed particularly at teachers, educators and professionals wishing to integrate these practices into their own work.

These training courses cover:

• juggling
• acrobatics
• balance
• unicycle
• thread
• fire arts and fakir
• theatrical performance

They focus not only on technique but also on how to transmit these disciplines to a group .

A show activity: the Braunschweiger Wintermanege

Dobbelino is finally developing a genuine performance activity. The Braunschweiger Wintermanege, in particular, is an annual event during which young artists present different forms of contemporary circus and artistic performances under a big top.

With its regular classes, educational center, internships, training courses and touring projects, Dobbelino thus has a much broader range of activities than a traditional circus school.

Since 2006 , the organization has used circus arts as a tool combining physical activity , artistic creation , education , and collective experience . It allows children from Braunschweig to practice every week, as well as schools located much further away to organize their own circus projects.