Il Circo della Luna – Scuola di Circo e Arti Performative

Il Circo della Luna is a circus and performing arts school located in Pescara , in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

The project was created in 2006 by Valentina Caiano , a new circus artist, director and educator.

After several years of development, Il Circo della Luna became a true circus school in 2009 .

The organization presents itself as the first circus school created in Abruzzo.

From its beginnings, it developed a particularly strong identity around aerial disciplines .

Valentina Caiano, a founder between theatre and circus

Valentina Caiano originally comes from the theatre .

His training spans classical theatre, experimental theatre, dance theatre, contemporary dance, vocal work and physical theatre.

His encounter with circus arts then led him to pursue professional training in new circus and to specialize in aerial disciplines .

This dual culture of theatre and circus remains very present in the identity of the school.

A comprehensive pedagogical approach

Il Circo della Luna does not consider the circus solely as a sporting activity.

Technical learning is associated with artistic research , creativity , and personal expression .

The school welcomes diverse audiences, from young children to adults.

Circummotor skills for the youngest children

For younger children, the course is based in particular on circomotricity.

This approach uses the various expressions of circus arts as tools for psychomotor development .

The game is the starting point.

The child discovers their body and its capabilities.

He gradually learns to identify his own resources.

The activities also aim to develop relationships with others.

Concentration is one of the stated educational objectives.

Knowledge of the body plays an important role.

The school also seeks to promote socialization .

Respect for differences is explicitly part of the objectives of circomotricity.

Creativity is another essential aspect.

The circus thus becomes a tool for exploration rather than a simple succession of figures to be reproduced.

The subjects taught

Children and teenagers can discover several major families of circus arts.

• Acrobatics is part of the program.
• Juggling is taught.
• Balance disciplines are also covered.
• Clowning allows one to work on a more expressive dimension.

But the school's historical specialty undoubtedly remains aerial acrobatics .

• Aerial silks are among the main apparatus.
• The trapeze is taught.
• Aerial hoop is also offered.
• The aerial rope complements this specialization.

This diversity allows students to discover several pieces of equipment before possibly choosing the one they wish to study further.

The proposed routes

The “Piccolo Circo” route

The " Piccolo Circo " course is designed for children and pre-teens.

Groups of 6 to 10 year olds and 11 to 13 year olds are documented by the school.

The teaching begins with a playful approach to the circus.

The students experiment with different disciplines.

The progression then leads to more specific work.

This organization allows for a multidisciplinary approach to discovery during the early years.

The Junior program (ages 14–17)

During adolescence, the school offers a Junior program for 14-17 year olds .

This course has a particularly interesting structure.

The students initially pursue what is called " horizontal " learning.

They therefore continue to practice several circus disciplines.

But at the same time, they can begin a " vertical " job.

This second approach involves specifically exploring a particular discipline in greater depth.

The teenager can thus retain a general knowledge of the circus while gradually developing a specialty .

This philosophy brings the Junior track closer to a more in-depth practice without making it a professional training program.

The “Circo in Famiglia” route

Il Circo della Luna also offers activities for very young children accompanied by their parents.

The Circo in Famiglia program is particularly aimed at children aged 3 to 5 .

The practice then works in parent-child pairs .

The exercises are built around trust .

The participants work together.

Playful motor activities help to strengthen the relationship between the child and their parent.

The session includes an initial physical warm-up based on play.

A second part allows for a first approach to the disciplines of the circus.

Ongoing pedagogical research

The educational project therefore goes far beyond mere technical acquisition.

Il Circo della Luna is interested in how circus arts can contribute to the overall development of the person .

This pedagogical research is particularly important in the work of Valentina Caiano.

After starting to teach circus arts in 2008 , she gradually developed her own teaching methods.

His work seeks to bring out the resources inherent in each student.

Therefore, teaching is not based on the idea that all bodies must function in the same way.

The technical courses are adapted to promote proper and progressive learning.

This research is particularly developed for aerial disciplines .

Valentina Caiano teaches aerial arts from beginner to advanced level.

She also participates in workshops organized in different regions of Italy.

Open to external stakeholders

The school has hosted or worked with many external artists and educators.

Specialized workshops were organized focusing on areas such as smooth rope , aerial silks , aerial dance , tightrope walking and hand balances .

This openness allows advanced practitioners to encounter different technical and artistic approaches.

The career paths of several team members also testify to this ongoing research.

Morisia Scurti , for example, trained at Circo della Luna before further developing her skills in rope, aerial dance, clowning, physical theatre and verticals with various artists and structures in Italy and abroad.

This interplay between learning, creation and transmission contributes to the identity of the school.

An artistic creation dimension

Il Circo della Luna also possesses a genuine dimension of artistic creation .

Students are not only faced with technical exercises.

Circus work can lead to stage research.

Theatre then becomes a complementary tool.

Music can also play a role in creative processes.

The school is thus situated at the intersection of contemporary circus , physical theatre and performance .

Example: the "Et(n)ica" project

This dimension has notably resulted in collective creations.

The " Et(n)ica " project is a particularly interesting example.

This social circus show was built around migrations, sea crossings, landings and the journeys experienced by migrants.

Artist-actors from the Circo della Luna training program participated in this creation.

The show was notably presented at the Teatro D'Annunzio in Pescara.

This example shows that schools can use the circus as a tool to address social and contemporary issues .

A school with high amateur accessibility

Il Circo della Luna is therefore not limited to a leisure school offering a few aerial courses.

Its history combines training , pedagogy , artistic research , theatre , creation and circus projects with a social dimension .

The school nevertheless has strong amateur accessibility .

• Children can discover circus arts without a professional goal.
• Teenagers can gradually deepen their practice.
• Adults also have access to education adapted to different levels.

Aviation specialization, a distinctive mark

The specialization in air transport is probably the most distinctive characteristic of the structure.

Fabric , trapeze , rope and hoop allow for the development of several complementary techniques.

Students interested in aviation can thus build a much more in-depth practice than in a school offering only occasional initiation.

But this specialization does not erase the multidisciplinary identity of the school.

Acrobatics, juggling, balancing and clowning remain important components of the young people's journey.

The school also places real importance on expression .

The technique is considered a means of gradually developing one's own artistic language.

This philosophy is consistent with the career of its founder, situated at the border of new circus and physical theatre .

Il Circo della Luna in the NetJuggler directory

According to the NetJuggler directory, Il Circo della Luna is therefore a particularly interesting school in central Italy.

It has a relatively long history for an Italian contemporary circus school.

The project began in 2006 and became a full-fledged school in 2009 .

Il Circo della Luna also claims the status of the first circus school in Abruzzo .

• Children can discover the circus through a playful and psychomotor pedagogy.
• The pre-adolescents continue with a multidisciplinary practice.
• Teenagers can combine general discovery with in-depth study of a specialty.
• Adults have access to courses, particularly in aerial disciplines.

The school is finally developing an approach where technique , creativity , theatre and personal research are closely linked.

Il Circo della Luna thus represents in Pescara a place for the transmission of contemporary circus arts, particularly specialized in aerial disciplines , while maintaining an educational, multidisciplinary and artistic approach.