Hop Là! Circus

Hop Là! Circus is a circus school with an educational focus based in La Chapelle-des-Pots , in Charente-Maritime, between Saintes and Cognac.

The school develops both weekly amateur practice courses , workshops during school holidays and numerous traveling projects . It therefore operates in its own workshops but also with educational, leisure and socio-cultural structures, mainly in Charente-Maritime and Charente.

Hop Là! Circus claims an approach inspired by contemporary circus, in which technical learning is a tool at the service of artistic expression and creation.

An active and caring teaching approach

The teaching method emphasizes experimentation , play , mutual support , and the sharing of experiences . Mistakes are considered a normal part of learning, and participants are gradually encouraged to find solutions themselves, gain autonomy, and develop their creativity.

The groups are intentionally formed with small numbers in order to allow for attentive support of each participant.

Particular attention is paid to safety , both physical and emotional, and to building an environment in which everyone can experiment, progress and take risks in a controlled manner.

Regular classes from early childhood

Regular practice is accessible from early childhood .

• Parent-child workshop : welcomes children who have learned to walk and are under 3 years old. The child practices accompanied by an adult in an environment that promotes motor skills, mutual trust and the gradual discovery of circus arts.
• Children aged 4 to 6 : specific group combining acrobatics, balancing on objects, object manipulation, juggling and body expression.
• From age 7 : the workshops allow you to explore these different technical families in depth while developing autonomy, creativity and the ability to find your place within a group.
• From age 12 : teenagers and adults can practice together in a group dedicated to acrobatics, balancing on objects, juggling, expression and creation.

The subjects taught

Acrobatics forms one of the foundations of the training. It allows students to work on motor skills, posture, core strength, breathing, proprioception, and body awareness in space. The concepts of partner and group are also addressed through lifts and spotting.

Juggling and object manipulation develop coordination, concentration, and precision.

Balancing on objects allows you to work on body control, calmness, support and instability management in a different way.

Body expression is integrated into the sessions or worked on as a separate activity. It gradually allows for the connection between technical learning, imagination, and stage presence.

Creation and meeting with the public

Regular periods of open workshop time, creation , and demonstration are offered. Participants can thus experiment with their own ideas and gradually learn to present their work to others.

Creation and interaction with the public play an important role in the educational project, but performance is never imposed .

Depending on the age, the group and the duration of the project, different forms can be used: open days, demonstrations, stage performances or the creation of a real show.

For longer projects, students can work around a theme and explore character creation, costumes, makeup, set design, music, and staging.

When a participant does not wish to perform on stage, the school looks for other ways to involve them in the project. The creation can also take the form of a video , an exhibition , or a documentary about the circus.

Internships during school holidays

The workshops organised during school holidays allow you to discover circus arts or to deepen a practice already started during the year.

Different options are offered depending on age:

• workshops for toddlers accompanied by their parents ,
• children aged 4 to 6 ,
• children aged 7 and over ,
• teenagers from 12 years old .

Family workshops also allow children and adults to practice together, particularly around juggling and acrobatic lifts.

The workshops primarily combine acrobatics, balancing on objects, juggling, object manipulation, and physical expression. Depending on the age of the participants, they may culminate in an open session, a performance for families, or a public presentation.

A strong itinerant dimension

Hop Là! Circus also has a strong itinerant dimension.

The school develops projects with schools, leisure centers, early childhood facilities, and socio-cultural organizations. These interventions can be one-off events or take the form of cycles and projects developed over a year .

The team travels with the necessary equipment and builds the content with the professionals of the host structure.

Hop Là! Circus also offers entertainment at public or private events, with the discovery of circus arts and various fun activities.

A practice open to all

The school also advocates for an open approach without criteria based on level, age, origin, or disability . Its educational project prioritizes adapting to participants, kindness, autonomy, and each individual's place within the group.

With its regular classes from early childhood, its adolescent/adult group, its workshops, its artistic projects and its numerous traveling interventions, Hop Là! Circus thus combines amateur practice , artistic education and transmission of circus arts in the territory of Saintes and beyond.