Gymnastics Hope

Why Not Us! — Introduction

Pourquoi Pas Nous! is the circus school of the L'Espoir Gymnastics Association of Châlons-en-Champagne. Created in September 1998, it has been developing amateur circus arts education for over twenty-five years at the Nicolas Appert Gymnasium, rue Oradour, in Châlons-en-Champagne.

History of the association

The school is part of the much longer history of L'Espoir , an association founded in July 1941. Initially focused on gymnastics, the organization has gradually diversified its activities and now encompasses several sports, arts, and leisure sectors. The circus school is one of the main artistic components of this association, which welcomes an average of around 300 members each year.

Educational project

Pourquoi Pas Nous! advocates a multidisciplinary approach to circus arts. Its educational project does not only seek to transmit technical figures: practice should allow students to discover their bodies, experiment with different disciplines, gradually acquire new skills and develop their creativity.

Teaching for younger children and beginners

For younger children and beginners, instruction focuses on floor acrobatics and balance disciplines. Play, obstacle courses, and imagination are used to support the discovery of the body and circus techniques. Artistic expression is also integrated from the earliest stages of learning.

Progress and safety

As students progress, the training becomes more multidisciplinary. They experiment both with their bodies and with various objects, strengthening their acrobatic foundations and gradually developing new technical skills. Safety principles are integrated directly into the learning process so that everyone understands the risks, learns to use equipment correctly, and practices in optimal conditions.

Acrobatics at the heart of pedagogy

Acrobatics holds a particularly important place in the school's educational identity. It is considered a fundamental discipline that complements other circus arts. The training includes static and dynamic floor acrobatics, group acrobatics, and mini-trampoline or trampoline work. This training develops physical qualities, coordination, body control, and the ability to progressively build sequences of movements.

Organization of the 2026-2027 season

The 2026-2027 season marks a significant evolution in the organization of classes. Pourquoi Pas Nous! now offers several groups corresponding to different profiles of practitioners.

• Ini'Cirko : welcomes children born in 2017 and 2018.
• Flic Flac : is aimed at children born in 2015 and 2016.

Specialized course: unicycle

The school also offers a course specifically dedicated to advanced unicycling . Open to riders born in 2016 or earlier, this weekly workshop allows for a much more in-depth exploration of the discipline. Unicycling thus benefits from a truly dedicated course, rather than just occasional introductory sessions.

Adult courses

Since the 2026-2027 season, Pourquoi Pas Nous! has also offered a course for adults. This new offering expands the association's reach beyond its traditional audience of children and teenagers, allowing adults to discover or regularly practice circus arts in Châlons-en-Champagne.

Professional development and personal project

Advanced training has historically been part of the school's educational approach. For students who have already acquired a foundation, the goal is to strengthen their physical abilities and technical skills, and then to explore new challenges within their chosen discipline. At this level, students are encouraged to develop a personal project, combining technical research and creative work. Several individual projects can then be combined to create a collaborative piece.

Creation, shows and galas

Creativity and performance play a significant role in the life of Pourquoi Pas Nous! The school organizes galas, allowing students to present their work to an audience. These events represent the culmination of some of the work done throughout the year and give students their first experience on stage, preparing an act and performing.

In June 2026, the school notably organized its circus gala at the Daniel Cabot Gymnasium in Châlons-en-Champagne. The association also organizes specific presentations for its advanced groups, demonstrating the importance placed on the creative work of its most experienced practitioners.

Internships

Workshops are another regular part of the activity. Pourquoi Pas Nous! offers workshops during school holidays, generally lasting several days. They allow children and young people to discover circus arts or to deepen their practice in a more intensive format than weekly classes.

• Season 2025-2026: internships during the All Saints', winter and summer holidays.
• Some camps welcomed children from the age of 5 , while the summer camp of 2026 was intended for 7-14 year olds .
• Several sessions were very successful, some of them fully booked.

Local actions and discovery

The school also participates in local events and outreach activities. In particular, it has offered circus workshops as part of the Châlons Plage festival and organizes open house days. These activities allow people who are not yet attending regular classes to discover circus arts.

Local cultural ecosystem

Pourquoi Pas Nous! benefits from a particularly favorable cultural environment. Châlons-en-Champagne occupies a unique place in the French circus landscape thanks to the presence of the National Circus Arts Centre, the PALC – National Circus Centre , the Furies festival and the Historic Circus.

The school is part of this local ecosystem, and L'Espoir highlights its participation in the project developed by the City of Châlons-en-Champagne around circus arts, in collaboration with these various stakeholders. For an amateur arts school, this proximity provides a particularly enriching environment.

Complementarity with the municipal offer (September 2026)

The 2026-2027 season further reinforces this momentum: starting in September 2026, the City of Châlons-en-Champagne is developing a new municipal recreational circus program to complement the activities of Pourquoi Pas Nous! Residents will thus have two complementary locations: the new municipal program at La Marnaise and the L'Espoir classes at the Nicolas Appert Gymnasium.

This complementary approach broadens access to circus arts in the city, with activities for children, teenagers, adults, and families. Pourquoi Pas Nous! maintains its own associative and educational identity while participating in this broader local policy.

Affiliations and educational principles

The school is affiliated with the French Federation of Circus Schools and the Regional Federation of Circus Schools of the Grand Est region . This affiliation aligns with its educational approach, which adheres to the federation's principle: circus arts are taught with respect for the individual . Furthermore, students hold a federation license.

The educational approach places particular emphasis on respecting each individual's pace . Learning should allow for the development of physical qualities without prioritizing performance over the individual. Group work is encouraged, and collective rules promote progress, respect for others and equipment, and a sense of responsibility among participants.

Safety is a key focus: students are gradually introduced to the rules specific to the disciplines they practice and learn to operate in an environment where equipment, space, and other participants must be respected. This approach supports experimentation and the development of independence without separating technical learning from prevention.

Conclusion

With over twenty-five years of history, Pourquoi Pas Nous! is now a well-established amateur circus school in Châlons-en-Champagne. Its affiliation with a long-standing association, its multidisciplinary teaching methods, its focus on acrobatics and balance, its specialized unicycle course, its groups of varying skill levels, its workshops, and its performances allow it to offer a comprehensive program: from discovery to advanced training and creation. Children, teenagers, and now adults can experiment, progress, create, and present their work to the public in an environment that values the joy of practice, teamwork, safety, self-expression, and respect for each individual's pace.