La Marina Social Club – Escuela de Circo de Dénia

The Marina Social Club is a contemporary circus school and an independent cultural project located in Dénia , in the Marina Alta, within the Valencian Community.

The project is led by Asociación Circolio , which has been developing initiatives since 2014 that combine circus, education, artistic creation and social transformation.

A circus school open to all

The school forms the heart of La Marina Social Club and welcomes children, teenagers and adults in the context of a regular and progressive practice of circus arts.

The groups are organised according to ages and levels , with offerings accessible from the age of three and participants up to about seventy years old.

The teaching is based on a conception of the circus that goes beyond purely technical learning.

• The body is viewed as a tool for learning, self-knowledge, and relationships with others.
• Each person is supported according to their pace , experience and abilities .
• The school pays particular attention to the diversity of bodies and ways of learning.

The classes allow participants to progressively develop coordination, strength, mobility, confidence, and body awareness. The learning process also helps them work on coping with mistakes, perseverance, and self-esteem. The group setting simultaneously fosters interaction, mutual support, and cooperation among participants.

Circus for children and families

For children, La Marina Social Club offers multidisciplinary circus classes that allow them to discover several major families of techniques. The practice combines movement, play, creativity and technical learning.

The school also offers family circus activities , allowing children and adults to share the same experience around circus arts.

The subjects taught

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines occupy a particularly important place in the training offer.

• Aerial silks are taught in regular classes adapted to different levels.
• The aerial hoop allows you to develop strength, mobility and control of movement while suspended.
• The trapeze completes this aerial formation.
• Students can also discover and explore loops and aerial straps in greater depth.
• Specialized courses occasionally allow participants to learn about rope work and other apparatus.

The verticals

Verticals also offer specific courses. This discipline helps develop alignment, balance, strength, and body awareness through hand exercises.

Acrobats and juggling

Aerial work platforms allow for teamwork and the development of trust, communication, and cooperation between partners.

Juggling is also part of the curriculum offered by the school. It helps develop coordination, rhythm, precision, concentration, and creativity.

Physical preparation and flexibility

Physical conditioning and flexibility complement technical practice. These courses prepare the body for the specific demands of circus disciplines and support sustainable progress.

The program also includes aerial Pilates and aerial yoga .

Intensive training courses

Intensive workshops allow students to regularly expand their repertoire of techniques. These short courses may focus on aerial silks, hoop, trapeze, loops, rope, verticals, flexibility, or acrobatics. Other workshops cover balance, Chinese pole, clowning, acrobatic dance, and stagecraft.

External specialist instructors may participate in these workshops. These sessions allow regular students to deepen their practice and artists to discover new techniques. They also contribute to the exchange of knowledge between the school and the professional sector.

Summer school

The Marina Social Club is organizing a summer school for children aged six to twelve. Participants will discover aerial silks, trapeze, hoop, acrobatics, balancing, and juggling. The program combines circus skills, creative activities, games, and group activities.

Training courses to pass on circus skills

The school also develops training programs for people wishing to pass on the circus arts.

The social circus, a permanent feature of the project

Social circus is indeed a permanent feature of La Marina Social Club. The association develops intervention programs in collaboration with schools, associations, and various social organizations in the area. These projects are aimed particularly at individuals and groups facing situations of vulnerability or risk of exclusion .

The body and movement then become tools to promote inclusion, personal development and cultural participation.

• Regular training in adapted circus techniques
• Collective creation processes
• The production of inclusive shows
• Cultural mediation projects
• Presentations in schools or social structures

This practice helps develop self-esteem, confidence, cooperation, perseverance, and frustration management. The goal is to enable each participant to develop their skills and take an active role in the community .

A concrete collaboration: the project with APROSDECO

This inclusive approach translates into concrete collaborations within the community. The Marina Social Club works in particular with individuals supported by APROSDECO . This project has led to a social circus performance presented in various schools. Participants thus become active contributors to an artistic creation presented to an audience.

This approach uses the circus as an educational and inclusive tool while promoting the visibility and cultural participation of the people involved.

Actions aimed at schools

The Marina Social Club also develops programs directly for schools. Schools can come to its premises to participate in sessions led by professionals. These visits use the body and movement as learning tools.

• Introduction to the circus
• Team games
• Bodywork
• Creativity

The activities are tailored to the age and group involved. Both primary and secondary schools can participate.

The organization also works outdoors at events, festivals, and educational projects. It offers workshops that allow the public to discover different circus disciplines in a participatory way.

Dénia in Circ

The Marina Social Club also organizes Dénia en Circ . This event combines participatory workshops, demonstrations, student presentations, shows, and social circus projects. The event brings circus arts into the public sphere of Dénia .

In 2026, part of the program notably showcased the social circus work carried out with APROSDECO. Residents were also able to discover, free of charge , hoop, aerial silks, acrobatics, juggling, aerial acrobatics, and circus activities for families.

This outreach activity complements the educational work carried out throughout the year.

A creative space for professional artists

The Marina Social Club also serves as a creative space for professional artists. The facility hosts residencies for circus and performing arts companies from the local area, as well as from other regions and abroad.

• Develop an initial search
• Create a new show
• Reworking a play that's already been touring
• Experimenting with new stage forms

The artists in residence can benefit from logistical support and networking opportunities within the local cultural community. Residency applications can be submitted throughout the year.

This regular presence of artists and companies creates a direct link between the school and the professional sector. Students thus develop in a place that is not only dedicated to amateur teaching but also to contemporary creation .

European Erasmus+ projects

The Marina Social Club also participates in European Erasmus+ projects. These international collaborations link circus, education, social inclusion and pedagogical innovation.

• Sharing methodologies between artists, trainers and partner organizations
• Contributing to the development of new educational tools
• Strengthening the social circus in the educational field
• Developing relationships between La Marina Social Club and other European organizations

The school is thus part of a network extending far beyond the Marina Alta. It participates in the structuring and recognition of contemporary circus as an artistic, educational and social discipline.

Several entry points into circus arts

• A child can discover the practice from a very young age and then progress through regular classes.
• Teenagers and adults can choose a multidisciplinary practice or delve deeper into certain techniques.
• Experienced students can pursue specialized internships.
• Artists and teachers can participate in educational training.
• Professionals can use the space to create and rehearse.
• Educational and social structures can develop projects tailored to their target audiences.

This diversity makes La Marina Social Club a place for training , creation and meeting for the circus community of Dénia and Marina Alta.

An inclusive vision of the circus

The project champions a vision of circus arts that embraces differences in body type, age, pace, and experience. Technical development remains important, but it is accompanied by work on confidence, creativity, cooperation, and relationships with others.

The circus thus becomes simultaneously an artistic practice , a physical activity , an educational tool and a means of inclusion and cultural participation .