Jeugdcircus Saranti

Jeugdcircus Saranti is a circus school located in Leeuwarden, in the province of Friesland, in the north of the Netherlands. With over 65 years of history, it is a historic institution for teaching circus arts to Dutch youth.

The school offers regular courses for children and teenagers aged 7 to 18, as well as specialized aerial acrobatics training accessible from the age of 8.

His educational project is based on a comprehensive approach to circus arts, combining technical learning, artistic expression, physical development and cooperation.

Young people can start without prior experience. Teachers gradually guide them in discovering the different disciplines, allowing them to develop their skills and find the techniques that best suit them.

A multidisciplinary teaching

General circus classes are held every Thursday. New students can join different groups depending on their age and experience.

The teaching is intentionally multidisciplinary. Participants discover the main families of circus arts before being able to delve deeper into certain techniques.

Juggling and object manipulation

Juggling is one of the important disciplines at the school. Students learn to manipulate different objects, coordinate their movements, and gradually develop tricks of increasing difficulty.

Diabolo and flowersticks are also among the techniques offered in Saranti's activities. They allow participants to work on precision, concentration, rhythm, and coordination.

The balance disciplines

Balance disciplines play an essential role in learning.

Young people can discover activities such as tightrope walking, balance ball, and rola-bola. These activities develop stability, body control, and perseverance.

Unicycling is another important discipline. Students gradually learn to move, control their balance, and perform different tricks.

Acrobatics

Floor acrobatics are also part of the curriculum. They help develop strength, flexibility, coordination, and body awareness.

Group acrobatics occupies a special place in Saranti's educational project.

Students learn, among other things, to build human pyramids and to create figures requiring the cooperation of several partners.

These exercises help to develop mutual trust and mutual support, two essential values for the functioning of the school.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines are another important specialty of Jeugdcircus Saranti.

The school offers courses in aerial silks, trapeze and aerial hoop.

These disciplines allow practitioners to develop their strength, flexibility and coordination while discovering the artistic possibilities of working in suspension.

A specific aerial acrobatics course is offered in the form of twelve-session cycles.

These courses are accessible from age 8 and are supervised by an experienced teacher.

Participants gradually discover the techniques of aerial silks, fixed trapeze and aerial hoop.

The specialized sessions are organized on Tuesday evenings in a gymnasium in Leeuwarden.

This offer allows young people particularly interested in aerial arts to complement their general circus practice with more in-depth training.

The show, the heart of the educational project

Jeugdcircus Saranti also places great importance on complementary artistic disciplines.

Students can work on dance, theatre, body expression and stage makeup, among other things.

These activities help develop stage presence and transform circus techniques into real acts.

The creation of shows is indeed one of the central elements of Saranti's educational project.

The school does not consider circus arts solely as a physical activity. It also aims to allow young people to discover the joy of creating and presenting a show in front of an audience.

Students regularly participate in productions combining different circus disciplines, costumes, music and staging.

These shows are collective projects in which everyone can contribute their skills and personality.

Preparing a performance allows young people to develop their autonomy, creativity and ability to work with others.

They learn how to build an act, how to rehearse, how to respect the constraints of a production, and how to manage their concentration in front of an audience.

Saranti's shows are designed as true circus-theatre productions.

The school regularly develops new creations combining modern circus techniques with the traditional world of the circus.

The performances may include juggling, acrobatics, unicycling, tightrope walking, and aerial disciplines.

Humour, theatre and burlesque situations also occupy an important place in the shows.

Saranti notably developed the show Pirantasia , a creation inspired by the world of pirates and combining acrobatics, juggling, unicycle, trapeze and theatre.

The school also presents new productions at the De Harmonie theatre in Leeuwarden.

These performances allow young artists to discover the demands of a real professional stage while continuing their amateur training.

Collective projects and events

Jeugdcircus Saranti also develops several collective projects and events dedicated to circus youth.

The school is involved in the organization of the Circusfestival Schier, which takes place on the island of Schiermonnikoog.

This event brings together young artists from several Dutch schools, including Saranti, Santelli and Okidoki.

It allows participants to meet, share their passion and present their acts in front of an audience.

Children living on the island can also participate in discovery workshops and contribute to the creation of a show.

Saranti also organizes the Circus Got Talent competition, dedicated to young Dutch circus talents.

This event allows children and teenagers to present their acts in front of a jury and an audience as part of a real show.

The competition particularly values the presentation, originality and technical difficulty of the acts.

Social circus and intergenerational projects

In addition to its educational activities, Saranti develops numerous social circus projects.

The school believes that circus arts can contribute to personal development and promote encounters between different audiences.

Circus activities help to develop concentration, perseverance, self-confidence and the ability to cooperate.

The educational project places particular importance on respecting differences and each individual's pace of progress.

The goal is not to determine which student is the best, but to allow each student to discover their abilities and progress.

Teachers encourage young people to experiment, gradually overcome their apprehensions, and develop their autonomy.

Cooperation also plays a vital role.

The most experienced students can help new practitioners and participate in supervising certain activities.

This transmission between young people is an important characteristic of how Saranti operates.

In this way, children learn to take responsibility and to support others in their progress.

The school also develops intergenerational projects.

The Specials in de Piste program allows, in particular, primary school children and elderly people living in institutions to discover circus arts together.

Participants meet for several workshops before presenting a collective creation.

This approach uses the circus as a tool to promote encounters, communication and trust between generations.

School visits and activities

Saranti also works with schools and facilities that care for children.

Workshops can be organized directly in schools or at the association's premises.

Participants discover different disciplines such as juggling, diabolo, unicycle, balancing and acrobatics.

These interventions can take the form of a single workshop, a full day, or a more developed educational project.

The school also offers circus discovery spaces during festivals and events.

These activities allow the public to try out different techniques under the supervision of a teacher.

In addition to courses and workshops, Saranti offers shows and entertainment for various cultural events.

Young artists can participate in performances, street performances and events organized in the region.

Stilt walking, juggling and acrobatic acts are among the activities offered.

This presence in local cultural life allows students to multiply their performance experiences and discover different artistic contexts.

A pedagogy based on four dimensions

The operation of Jeugdcircus Saranti also relies on a significant commitment to the association.

The school relies on a team of teachers, managers and volunteers who participate in the organization of activities and shows.

Young artists are encouraged to contribute to community life and develop a sense of belonging to their school.

Saranti's pedagogy thus combines four complementary dimensions: motor development, creativity, cooperation, and emotional development.

Students learn to better understand their bodies, develop their technical skills, and use their imagination.

They also discover the importance of mutual trust, mutual support, and perseverance.

With over 65 years of history, weekly classes, aerial specializations and significant creative activity, Jeugdcircus Saranti is a major structure for amateur circus education in Friesland.

The school allows children and teenagers to discover many disciplines, to progress over several years and to participate in real artistic productions.

His project goes beyond simple technical learning by using circus arts as a means to develop confidence, creativity, cooperation and personal expression.