Espacio La Rota – Escuela de Circo de Badajoz

Espacio La Rota is a circus school, an artistic company and a socio-educational project located in Badajoz , Extremadura.

The project is led in particular by the artists José Ángel Vacas and Cristina Oliva .

Both are artists, clowns and educators trained in various circus disciplines.

The artistic company behind the project was founded in 2007 .

Since then, Espacio La Rota has been developing professional creation , shows , teaching and projects around the transmission of circus arts.

Regular classes

The school offers regular courses from September to June .

Children can start from the age of three .

For younger children, learning is primarily built around psychomotor development .

The circus then becomes a way to explore the body , movement , space and coordination .

From the age of six , teaching gradually becomes more technical.

The students discover several major families of circus disciplines.

• Floor acrobatics helps develop coordination, mobility and body control.
• Juggling helps develop concentration, rhythm, and object manipulation.
• Balances constitute another important aspect of the training.
• Body expression complements this learning and allows us to explore the artistic dimension of the circus.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines also occupy an important place in the school.

Specific regular training is offered from the age of eight up to adulthood.

• The trapeze is one of the main apparatuses used.
• Aerial silks allow you to work on rigs, figures and sequences while suspended.
• The aerial hoop complements this training.
• Rope climbing is also among the disciplines offered.

These courses allow for steady progress throughout the school year.

The school supports students from the discovery of disciplines to a more technical and artistic practice.

Creation and presentation to the public

Learning is not viewed solely as a series of physical exercises.

Creation and presentation to the public also occupy an important place.

The students participate in shows that bring together the different disciplines they have worked on during the year.

Acrobatics, juggling, balancing, trapeze and aerial silks can thus be integrated into a single collective creation.

These shows allow young practitioners to discover the stage and the relationship with the public .

They also contribute to the development of their artistic autonomy .

A socio-educational approach

Espacio La Rota develops a socio-educational approach to circus arts.

The school is a member of the Spanish Federation of Socio-Educational Circus Schools .

She actively participates in the projects and meetings developed by this network.

This involvement allows young students to meet other schools and other practitioners from different regions of Spain.

Espacio La Rota notably hosted the federation's Circo Joven Festival in Extremadura.

This gathering brings together young practitioners accompanied by their trainers for workshops, discussions and performances.

The project thus seeks to use the circus as an educational , social and cultural tool.

Practicing in a group allows for the development of cooperation and trust.

Circus disciplines also present students with progressive challenges.

They learn to persevere , to progress , and to support other members of the group.

Activities during the holidays

The school also offers activities during the holidays.

A summer circus school complements the regular classes.

Occasional activities also allow participants to discover different circus techniques.

A professional performing arts activity

The project also has a genuine professional entertainment activity in parallel.

The company performs in festivals, theatres, halls and public spaces.

His world combines clowning , juggling , balancing , hula-hoop , aerial acrobatics and street arts .

This professional activity maintains a direct link between school pedagogy and live performance.

The founders themselves continue to work as artists.

The students therefore develop within a project where transmission and professional creation coexist.

A contemporary circus performer in Extremadura

Espacio La Rota also contributes to the development of contemporary circus in Extremadura.

Its membership in national socio-educational circus networks allows the students of Badajoz to connect to a wider community of young circus performers.

The school regularly participates in national youth circus events.

It thus constitutes a space for discovery for the youngest, a place for progression for teenagers and a space for practice for adults.

The coexistence of regular classes, aerial disciplines, stage creation, socio-educational circus and professional activity constitutes one of the main characteristics of Espacio La Rota .