Hakasirkus

Hakasirkus – Community Circus School in Hyvinkää, Finland

Located in Hyvinkää, in southern Finland, Hakasirkus is a non-profit school dedicated to teaching and practicing circus arts. It primarily welcomes children and teenagers, but also offers activities for toddlers accompanied by their parents and for adults.

Located in the former Villatehdas textile factory, the association has several training spaces and offers a particularly varied program. Students can discover the fundamental disciplines of circus arts, then specialize in the techniques that interest them.

An association dedicated to circus arts for young people

Hakasirkus is a youth circus association, called nuorisosirkus in Finnish.

It has approximately 280 members, the majority of whom are between 6 and 17 years old. Its organization includes 36 training groups and a team of 26 teachers and assistants.

This structure allows us to offer activities adapted to different ages, levels and interests.

The association places great importance on the collective dimension of the circus. Students learn to progress together, to encourage each other and to develop their self-confidence.

Introductory groups to discover the circus

Beginners can join Hakasirkus' generalist groups, recognizable by their names inspired by precious stones.

These courses allow you to discover several disciplines throughout the year, without having to immediately choose a specialty.

Floor acrobatics forms an important basis of the teaching. Students gradually learn rolls, balances, acrobatic movements and movements that will later be used in other disciplines.

The sessions also include juggling, balance exercises, aerial acrobatics and group figures.

Warm-ups often take the form of age-appropriate games for the participants, supplemented by muscle strengthening and mobility exercises.

A wide variety of circus disciplines

Hakasirkus offers a particularly rich program, covering many families of circus arts.

Students can practice juggling with balls, rings, clubs, diabolos, flower sticks and poi.

Balance disciplines include unicycling, stilts, balance ball, rola-bola and tightrope walking.

Acrobatics also plays an important role, with floor exercises, hand balances, duo figures and human pyramids.

The school also offers more specialized disciplines such as Chinese pole, Korean plank and various aerial techniques.

This diversity allows practitioners to discover very different disciplines within the same school.

Aerial acrobatics

Aerial acrobatics is practiced by several specialized groups, organized according to the experience of the participants.

Students can practice trapeze, aerial hoop, aerial silks and other suspended apparatus, including rope, straps and hammock.

The beginner groups allow you to discover the fundamentals: basic positions, climbs, suspensions and first sequences.

The intermediate groups gradually delve deeper into the techniques and transitions between figures.

Advanced students can work more on their preferred apparatus and develop more complex sequences.

The teaching combines physical preparation, technical precision, and artistic expression.

Unicycling and balance disciplines

Unicycling occupies an important place among the activities offered.

Beginners learn to get on their unicycle, find their balance and make their first movements.

More experienced practitioners can develop their mastery of the apparatus and explore more complex movements.

Balance classes also allow you to discover other equipment such as the balance ball, stilts, rola-bola and tightrope walking.

These disciplines develop concentration, coordination, and precision of movement.

Floor acrobatics and handstands

The school offers specialized ground acrobatics courses for students who already have some basic skills.

Participants work specifically on reversals, dynamic movements and various acrobatic figures.

Advanced courses are intended for young people over 10 years old who have the necessary prior skills.

Hakasirkus also offers sessions dedicated to hand balancing.

Students learn to control their position, strengthen the necessary muscles, and improve their stability.

These disciplines require regular and progressive work, adapted to each individual's abilities.

Acrobatic duos and human pyramids

Group acrobatics are among Hakasirkus' specialties.

Acrobatics classes for two allow you to learn how to carry a partner, perform balances together, and build figures requiring precise coordination.

The exercises begin with positions close to the ground before progressing to more complex lifts and balances.

Human pyramid groups allow us to work on collective figures, in which each participant plays a role.

These disciplines particularly develop trust, communication, and responsibility towards others.

The Korean board for experienced practitioners

Hakasirkus also offers a discipline that is rarer in amateur circus schools: the Korean plank, called vipulauta in Finnish.

This device allows several acrobats to propel themselves into the air using a large seesaw board.

The students work on impulses, rotations and receptions, while developing very precise collective coordination.

This discipline is reserved for practitioners who already possess solid acrobatic skills.

The group is intended for young people aged 12 to 20 and requires, in particular, mastering certain somersaults independently.

Learning begins with appropriate safety devices before progressing to more complex movements.

The family circus for toddlers

Hakasirkus offers a family circus activity called Perhesirkus .

It welcomes children aged 1 to 5 years accompanied by an adult.

The sessions allow participants to discover circus arts through physical games, balance exercises, simple movements and shared activities.

The goal is to promote the enjoyment of movement and the discovery of the child's motor skills.

The participation of an adult also helps to strengthen interactions and to share an artistic activity as a family.

Courses for adults

Adults can also discover circus arts at Hakasirkus.

The association offers groups for people over 18 years of age, with activities mainly devoted to acrobatics and aerial disciplines.

The sessions are adapted to the level of the participants, whether they are beginners or already experienced.

The content can evolve according to the interests of the group and the skills of each individual.

These courses help develop strength, flexibility, balance and coordination while discovering circus techniques.

Performances created by students

Performing arts play an important role in Hakasirkus's life.

The association notably organizes the Hakafestarit , an annual event allowing students to present their acts in front of an audience.

The performances are prepared with the support of the teachers.

They allow participants to discover the stage, work on their artistic presence and share the results of their training.

Hakasirkus can also offer shows and entertainment on demand, depending on the availability of artists and the characteristics of the event.

Internships during the holidays

In addition to weekly classes, Hakasirkus organizes workshops and training courses during school holidays.

These activities allow you to practice circus arts over a more intensive period or to discover new disciplines.

The association notably offered summer internships, clown workshops and specialized sessions led by guest speakers.

These formats allow students to meet other teachers and explore different artistic approaches.

A training facility in the former Villatehdas factory

Hakasirkus is housed in the buildings of Villatehdas, a former textile factory in Hyvinkää that has been converted into a place of activity.

The association uses several rooms located in the area called Takomo .

This organization allows different groups to be accommodated simultaneously and provides spaces adapted to the disciplines practiced.

Students can thus work on aerial apparatus, ground acrobatics and other circus techniques in separate spaces.

A community-based school founded on fun and cooperation

Hakasirkus promotes a circus practice that combines physical activity, artistic expression, and the pleasure of sharing a collective experience.

Beginners are encouraged to explore several disciplines before possibly choosing a specialty.

More advanced practitioners have access to groups that allow them to deepen their technical skills and participate in collective projects.

The diversity of disciplines, the importance given to shows and the association's involvement in local life make Hakasirkus a meeting place for circus enthusiasts in the region.

With its many training groups, specialized disciplines and activities open to children and adults alike, Hakasirkus constitutes a true community circus school in Hyvinkää, Finland.