Kinder- und Jugendzirkus Pepperoni – Rockenhausen

The Kinder- und Jugendzirkus Pepperoni is a non-profit circus school located in Rockenhausen , Rhineland-Palatinate. Founded in 1988 , it now has over thirty-five years of experience in teaching circus arts to children and teenagers.

The project was born from the desire to offer young people a leisure space where they can be active participants in their practice , develop their physical abilities and discover different forms of artistic and creative expression.

Circus pedagogy

The school is based on the principles of circus pedagogy. It considers circus arts as a particularly rich tool for simultaneously developing motor, artistic, creative and social skills.

The enjoyment of practice is one of Pepperoni's fundamental principles.

The teaching approach is based on the individual abilities of each child or adolescent. Learning is presented in a playful way and is based on voluntary participation , so that everyone can progress according to their abilities and desires.

This approach is also inclusive .

Pepperoni insists that the great diversity of circus techniques allows everyone to find their place, regardless of their morphology, physical abilities or the possible presence of a disability.

Regular classes

Regular classes are organized throughout the entire school year .

The groups are formed primarily according to the age of the participants and allow for a progression adapted to the different stages of the child's development.

Even the youngest children can start from preschool age .

School-aged children and teenagers then have several groups up to about 16 years old , while a specific group accommodates older young people.

Most classes last 90 minutes and are held once a week .

The groups are intentionally limited to around fifteen participants and are generally led by two members of the Pepperoni team.

A multidisciplinary approach

The teaching is particularly multidisciplinary .

• Juggling allows you to discover how to manipulate scarves, balls, rings and clubs.
• Students can also practice diabolo , Chinese plates and devilstick .
• The unicycle plays an important role in learning and allows one to work on balance, coordination and control of movement.
• Various balance disciplines are also offered, including ball walking and tightrope walking.
• The school also teaches acrobatics and ladder acrobatics .
• Aerial disciplines complement this discovery of the circus and allow participants to explore another relationship to the body, to space and to height.
• Magic and clowning bring a dimension more focused on play, imagination, personal expression and the relationship with the public.

This diversity allows students to experiment with many disciplines before possibly developing a preference or specialization.

Beyond classes: workshops, projects and training

Pepperoni does not limit its activity to courses organized in its own center.

The association also intervenes directly in the school environment and runs several regular workshops within the Schule am Donnersberg in Rockenhausen.

She also develops circus projects during school holidays .

These weeks allow groups of children and teenagers to practice several hours a day for four to six days before presenting a real show to the public .

Pepperoni also organizes workshops and training courses for children, teenagers and adults.

The interventions can be devoted to a particular discipline or to a general discovery of the circus and take the form of a workshop of a few hours, a training course of several days or a complete project.

Particular attention is paid to the transmission of circus pedagogy to professionals.

The association offers training courses aimed particularly at teachers, educators and facilitators wishing to implement their own projects.

These training courses can cover learning techniques, designing a show, safety, accident prevention, or choosing equipment.

The Zirkus-Zentrum Rockenhausen

Since 2022 , the association has had its own permanent infrastructure: the Zirkus-Zentrum Rockenhausen .

This location now forms the heart of Pepperoni's activities .

It hosts circus classes but also a Kunstwerkstatt dedicated to different artistic practices, a small cultural stage and numerous intergenerational activities .

Pepperoni is indeed developing its project beyond just the children and teenagers audience.

The Evergreen program offers adults and seniors activities focused on movement, coordination, balance and health.

Juggling and unicycling can therefore be used as tools for coordination and maintaining motor skills.

The Zirkus-Zentrum also hosts theatre , dance , music and various cultural projects.

This opening makes Pepperoni not only a circus school, but also a true cultural and social place for Rockenhausen and its region.

Recognition and networks

The association is recognized as a youth organization and belongs to several professional and associative networks, including the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Zirkuspädagogik and the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Zirkuspädagogik Rheinland-Pfalz .

With several hundred children and teenagers participating each week in its school courses and workshops, Pepperoni is today one of the important circus education structures in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Its long history, permanent infrastructure, diversity of disciplines and inclusive approach make it a truly well-structured amateur circus school .