Himmelsläufer eV – Zirkusschule

Himmelsläufer eV is a cultural association and contemporary circus school based in Lüchow, Wendland, Lower Saxony. It develops a multidisciplinary artistic project aimed particularly at children and teenagers, combining circus arts , dance, theatre, music and new forms of stage creation.

The association aims to make artistic practice accessible to as many people as possible and pays particular attention to families with limited financial resources. Thanks to various funding programs dedicated to cultural education, the regular circus classes currently offered to children and teenagers are free .

Himmelsläufer currently welcomes around one hundred children and young people to its regular contemporary circus activities in the Wendland and Altmark regions. Training takes place at two locations: three groups meet under the Himmelsläufer big top in Lüchow and two other groups train in the gymnasium of the Jenny-Marx-Grundschule in Salzwedel.

In Lüchow, Acrobat groups welcome children and teenagers aged 8 to 17. In Salzwedel, a Kinderensemble is for 9-12 year olds and a Teenieensemble for 13-17 year olds. This structure allows young people to work with participants of a similar age while gradually developing their skills.

Himmelsläufer's teaching method is based on allowing each participant to discover different techniques and then choose the disciplines they wish to explore in greater depth. Children and teenagers typically select two disciplines that they can practice regularly during their weekly training sessions.

The range of activities offered is particularly diverse. It includes acrobatics, juggling, trapeze, vertical silks, aerial straps, tightrope walking, balance ball, and various forms of group acrobatics. Himmelsläufer's projects also allowed participants to discover teeterboard , banquine , hand-to-hand acrobatics , aerial hoop , Chinese pole , clowning , and contemporary dance .

The objective goes far beyond technical training. Himmelsläufer develops a resolutely contemporary approach to circus, seeking to create a dialogue between circus disciplines and theatre, dance, music, and various stage technologies. Light, sound, and multimedia projections can thus contribute to the creation of the shows.

Children and teenagers are directly involved in this creative process. During classes, they gradually develop their own acts , choose their musical accompaniment, and participate in a circus-theatre production that includes staging and costumes. The creations are then presented to the public.

The association also organizes circus camps, allowing children and teenagers to have a more intensive experience. Over several days, participants discover different disciplines, choose those they wish to explore further, and then work with coaches to create an act presented in a final show for family and friends.

Exchanges also play an important role in the project. Himmelsläufer wants to develop meetings and training exchanges with other circus schools and allow young people to participate in conventions dedicated in particular to juggling and acrobatics.

The Lüchow site has a real big top equipped for circus arts. It includes trapezes, vertical silks, an aerial hoop, a tightrope walking setup, balance balls and a Chinese pole, as well as a floor suitable for acrobatics and dance.

This space also hosts open training sessions for teenagers and adults. It allows artists and amateurs alike to come and practice, share their knowledge, exchange techniques, and train together in various disciplines related to circus arts, dance, and physical theatre.

Himmelsläufer is thus developing a project that goes beyond the traditional model of a circus school. The association seeks to build a true cultural center in Lüchow dedicated to art and creativity, in which children, teenagers and adults can meet around circus, theatre, dance and other forms of artistic expression.

Through its regular courses, creations, camps, big top and multidisciplinary approach, Himmelsläufer is today a particularly interesting place for young people in Wendland and Altmark to discover and practice contemporary circus .