El Circódromo – Escuela de Circo de Alcorcón

El Circódromo is a circus school and company located in Alcorcón, in the Community of Madrid.

The project develops circus arts through training , creation , shows and various actions aimed at the general public.

A school open to all ages

The school welcomes children from the age of 4 , teenagers and adults.

His teaching is based on a conception of the circus as a tool for personal and collective development .

Technical learning is associated with confidence , cooperation , creativity , and the pleasure of practicing.

The teaching approach seeks to respect each student's pace and to promote progress without comparison or competition between participants.

Mini Circus (ages 4 to 6)

The youngest children can start with the Mini Circo group, intended for children aged 4 to 6.

This initial approach relies heavily on play .

Children discover their bodies, movement and different circus disciplines in an environment adapted to their age.

The practice contributes to the development of motor skills and social abilities .

Activities include aerial acrobatics, object balancing, ground acrobatics, mini-trampoline, AirTrack and juggling.

Courses for children aged 7 and up

From the age of 7 , children can continue along different paths.

The school notably offers multidisciplinary groups combining acrobatics and aerial disciplines.

Groups more specialized in aerial work also allow for a gradual deepening of skills in working at height.

• Aerial silks constitute one of the important disciplines of the school.
• The trapeze is also one of the apparatuses that are regularly practiced.
• The aerial hoop complements this training.
• The rope allows us to explore another vertical technique and to enrich the students' aerial vocabulary.

Children aged 7 to 9 can join the Kids groups.

Young people aged 10 to 13 have Junior groups.

Teenagers aged 14 to 18 continue their progression in the Teens groups.

This organization makes it possible to offer content corresponding to the different stages of physical and artistic development.

Acro Tela 360º Groups

The Acro Tela 360º groups maintain a multidisciplinary approach.

They combine aerial disciplines with ground acrobatics, trampolining, object balancing, and various technical and creative workshops .

Young people gradually develop strength , flexibility , coordination and autonomy .

The technical work is accompanied by a collective creative process.

Aerial Groups

Aerial groups allow for a greater focus on aerial disciplines.

Fabrics, trapeze, hoop and rope are the main apparatus used.

Students gradually learn the specific techniques necessary for their practice.

Physical development accompanies this progression.

Strength and flexibility are developed to allow for practice adapted to the requirements of the apparatus.

The school also places great importance on body awareness .

Students learn to better understand their movements and to progress in a controlled manner.

Progression and creativity in adolescents

For adolescents, teaching continues to combine technical progress and creativity.

Young people can work individually, but also in pairs or in groups.

Group acrobatics helps develop trust and cooperation .

Artistic creation offers the opportunity to use acquired techniques to construct personal or collective proposals.

A non-competitive philosophy

El Circódromo explicitly advocates a non-competitive practice.

Each person's progress is considered according to their own pace.

The goal is not to compare students but to enable them to gradually overcome their own difficulties.

Adult classes

This philosophy also applies to courses intended for adults.

Adults can start circus training without prior experience .

The school presents its activities as accessible to people motivated by the discovery of movement and circus disciplines.

The classes allow you to work on your physical fitness in a way that differs from traditional sports activities.

Aerial disciplines develop strength , mobility , coordination and body awareness .

Free training

Adults can also participate in free training sessions.

These unstructured sessions allow students to continue exploring the techniques covered in class.

They are offered occasionally throughout the year.

Open training is also available to young people from the age of 13 under the conditions defined by the school.

Training locations

Regular training takes place mainly in several establishments in Alcorcón.

• The CEIP Párroco Don Victoriano hosts a significant portion of the groups.
• The CEIP Miguel Hernández also hosts regular courses.

This organization allows El Circódromo to develop a program spread over several days of the week.

Beyond the weekly classes

The discovery workshops

The school does not limit its activity to weekly classes.

It also offers introductory workshops .

These workshops allow participants to practice different techniques during a single session.

They can be a first step before a year-long registration or simply offer an occasional circus experience.

Circus camps

Circus camps are another important part of the project.

They are aimed at children and teenagers aged 4 to 16 .

Participants discover different techniques such as acrobatics, juggling, aerial disciplines, balancing and clowning.

The activities are adapted to the age and level of the participants.

The camps combine technical learning, play, movement and creativity.

Confidence and personal expression are among the educational objectives.

Group dynamics also help to develop cooperation and respect.

The organization favours small groups and an environment adapted to the practice.

Camps can be organised during different school holiday periods.

The performing arts activity and the company

El Circódromo also develops a significant entertainment activity .

The structure operates as a professional company alongside its school activities.

His creations combine different disciplines of contemporary circus.

Ground acrobatics, aerial acrobatics, verticals, contortion, juggling, balances and movement can be incorporated into the shows.

Some creations also give an important place to humor .

Juggling, magic, balancing acts and theatrical performance can then be combined in a single offering.

Other shows use hula hoops , acrobatic lifts and various forms of acrobatics.

This professional activity allows the school to maintain a direct link with live performance .

Students can thus develop in an environment in which the circus is simultaneously taught , created and presented to the public.

The Muaca Fest

This relationship becomes particularly visible during the Muaca Fest .

The Muaca Fest is the Muestra de Alumn@s Circódromo Alcorcón .

Each year, the students of the school participate in this event with their end-of-course show.

The event allows the public to see the work done during the year.

Families, friends and residents of Alcorcón can attend the students' creations.

The festival uses a large-scale outdoor performance format.

The students discover the conditions of a real performance with set design, structures, lighting and staging.

Invited professional artists are also participating in the event.

The encounter between students and professionals strengthens the link between learning and live performance.

Preparing for the Muaca Fest gives an artistic purpose to the work done during classes.

The techniques learned do not remain isolated exercises.

They gradually become elements of a creation intended for the public.

This dimension promotes expression and creativity.

It also allows us to discover the collective workings of a show.

A teaching method that links technique and creation

El Circódromo thus develops a pedagogy in which technique and creation remain closely linked.

Acquiring an aerial figure, an acrobatic movement or a manipulation constitutes a step.

The student then learns to integrate this skill into a sequence or an artistic proposal.

Collective work plays an important role in this process.

Students learn to observe others and to build together.

Cooperation is particularly important in acrobatic exercises performed in pairs or groups.

Confidence then becomes a skill as important as technique.

Circus arts also help to develop concentration .

• Juggling requires precision and repetition .
• Balance requires control and attention .
• Acrobatics requires a good understanding of movement.
• Aerial disciplines develop a particular relationship with space and height .

This diversity allows for the use of numerous physical, cognitive, and artistic qualities.

An educational network and over twenty years of experience

El Circódromo belongs to the Federación Española de Escuelas de Circo Socio Educativo .

This affiliation places the school within the Spanish network of structures using circus arts from an educational perspective.

The school is thus participating in a national dynamic of reflection on circus pedagogy and training.

Its coordinator also participates in work dedicated to improving and recognizing circus training in Spain.

This involvement helps to link the local activity developed in Alcorcón to the broader reflections of the sector.

El Circódromo also has over twenty years of experience in the circus field.

The institution has welcomed a significant number of students throughout its history.

This experience is reflected in the diversity of formats offered today.

Regular classes, open training sessions, workshops, camps, shows and events allow circus arts to be approached in different ways.

A possible path from age 4 to adulthood

1. A child can start from the age of 4 with a playful discovery.
2. He can then join a Kids group and explore several techniques.
3. As he grows up, he can join the Junior and then Teens groups.
4. Progression can become more specialized in aerial disciplines.
5. In adulthood, the practice can continue in dedicated groups.

This continuity allows circus arts to be practiced for many years without imposing a competitive logic.

El Circódromo is thus developing a project in Alcorcón in which the teaching of circus arts combines technical progression , physical development , creativity , cooperation and artistic experience .

The school also serves as a meeting point between amateur practice and professional performance through the activities of its company and the events organized throughout the year.