Esprit Cirk

Esprit Cirk is a circus school located in Les Achards, Vendée, between La Roche-sur-Yon and Les Sables-d'Olonne. Situated in the heart of nature under a permanent big top, it offers amateur circus arts activities accessible from the age of 3 to adulthood.

Two professional circus performers are behind the project.

The school was born from the meeting of two professional circus artists, nicknamed Jaja and Binz , who come from different but complementary backgrounds. Jaja's background is in traditional circus, while Binz has experience in street circus. Both are state-certified and hold the BPJEPS Circus Activities qualification.

They met in 2012 and gradually developed the project that would become Esprit Cirk. The first classes were organized in 2014 in a room in Château-d'Olonne.

Faced with the development of the activity and the growing number of students, the project is evolving towards the creation of a true place dedicated to circus arts.

In 2018 , Esprit Cirk set up its permanent big top at the place called La Barre, in Les Achards.

A permanent circus tent in the heart of the school

Located in a rural and green setting, the marquee now forms the heart of the school. It is equipped with a floor entirely covered in EVA foam , allowing it to accommodate the youngest children in good conditions.

High rigging points allow for the practice of aerial disciplines and a heating system ensures the operation of the school during the winter.

When conditions permit, some practices can also take place outdoors.

Weekly classes and teaching methods

Esprit Cirk now welcomes children from 3 years old , older children, teenagers and adults.

The weekly classes are organized into several time slots in order to adapt the practice to the age and level of the participants.

A session generally consists of a warm-up , two or three technical workshops , and then a quieter period that can be devoted to flexibility or games.

The teaching is intentionally multidisciplinary.

The major circus families taught

• Juggling is one of the major disciplines offered by the school.
• Balancing on objects forms a second area of practice.
• Acrobatics also plays an important role and is complemented by trampolining .
• Finally, aerial disciplines constitute one of Esprit Cirk's major specialties.

The trapeze is an integral part of the teaching and the school is developing in particular the practice of the swinging trapeze .

Esprit Cirk also has a large outdoor flying trapeze installation.

This spectacular discipline, rarely accessible in an amateur school, is offered to practitioners wishing to discover the sensations of flight and aerobatics.

The school claims to want to make these disciplines accessible to everyone, including people with no prior experience.

Three fundamental values

Esprit Cirk's pedagogy is based on three values put forward by its founders: sharing , mutual support and success .

Teachers seek to adapt situations to each practitioner in order to allow individual progress within a group setting.

Internships during school holidays

Esprit Cirk also offers workshops during school holidays.

These workshops allow children to discover circus arts or to further develop techniques already practiced during the year.

Specific training courses can also be organised around certain disciplines, particularly aerial arts or fire arts .

The workshops may lead to a presentation or a small show allowing participants to present the work done during the week.

School interventions and training

The school's activities extend far beyond weekly classes.

Esprit Cirk works with schools on educational projects ranging from kindergarten to preparatory classes.

Projects can range from a simple introduction to circus arts to the creation of a full-fledged show.

The team also offers training courses for trainers .

Since the instructors are state-certified, Esprit Cirk indicates that it is authorized to operate within the framework of the National Education system .

Leisure centers and camps

The school also works with leisure centers and activity centers.

The interventions can take the form of a discovery activity, a themed week or a project leading to the creation of a show.

Groups can be accommodated directly under the big top or speakers can move around within the structures.

In partnership with Camping de la Bergerie , located in the immediate vicinity of the big top, Esprit Cirk also hosts camps during school holidays.

This option allows for the creation of stays entirely dedicated to circus arts, combining accommodation and daily practice.

Adapted circus: an important aspect of the project

Adapted circus arts constitute another important aspect of the project.

Esprit Cirk works with people with disabilities as well as with people experiencing social difficulties or engaged in reintegration programs.

The teaching methods and exercises are adapted to the abilities and pace of each participant.

The circus is then used as a tool to develop self-confidence , sharing , individual abilities and self-improvement .

The personal experience of those involved in working with people with disabilities also contributes to the place given to these groups in the school's project.

Esprit Cirk thus intervenes in the medical field and in various specialized structures.

One-off services and entertainment

In addition to these educational activities, there are various one-off services.

The school can organize birthday parties around circus arts and make its big top available for the snack.

It also offers activities for communities, businesses, works councils and other organizers.

This diversity allows Esprit Cirk to function simultaneously as an amateur practice school , a place for internships and camps , an artistic education structure and a service provider specializing in circus arts .

A strong educational identity

The school nevertheless retains a very strong educational identity.

The courses are led by state-certified professional teachers and regular practice remains central to the project.

Juggling, balancing on objects, acrobatics, trampoline and aerial disciplines allow students to gradually build a diverse practice.

The presence of the swinging trapeze and especially the large flying trapeze gives Esprit Cirk a special identity among amateur circus schools.

A child can therefore start from the age of 3 , gradually discover the different families of the circus, continue their practice during adolescence and then continue into adulthood.

Holiday camps, specialized camps, circus camps, school projects, adapted circus and external interventions complement this weekly practice.

Located under a permanent big top in a natural environment in Les Achards, Esprit Cirk combines amateur practice , qualified professional supervision , accessibility to different audiences and the discovery of aerial disciplines rarely offered in leisure schools.