Olympia Circus Amsterdam

Olympia Circus Amsterdam is a social circus school located in the Nieuw-West district of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Founded in 2007 by Frans Paul la Crois and members of the Koninklijke Turnvereniging Olympia , it develops an educational project combining learning circus arts, artistic expression and social inclusion.

The association aims to enable children and teenagers to discover circus disciplines in a welcoming environment, regardless of their cultural background, social situation or family's financial resources.

The project is based on a conviction: circus arts are a particularly interesting way to promote the physical, personal and social development of young people.

The activities allow participants to develop their coordination, balance, strength and flexibility, but also their creativity, autonomy and self-confidence.

Olympia Circus places particular importance on encounters between children from different social and cultural backgrounds.

The sessions are designed as spaces for discovery, learning, and cooperation.

Participants learn to work together, to help each other and to share their achievements.

The school offers several programs adapted to different age groups.

Circus Mini: an introduction from early childhood

Even the youngest children can start from early childhood thanks to the Circus Mini program.

Aimed at children aged 0 to 4 years accompanied by their parents, this program is based on a playful approach to movement.

Children gradually discover the possibilities of their bodies through different activities.

They can crawl, run, jump, roll, climb, hang and experiment with balance exercises.

The older children also discover somersaults, trampolines and their first inverted positions.

These activities promote the development of motor skills and allow children to gain confidence in their movements.

The presence of parents helps to create a reassuring environment and encourages exchanges between families.

Circus Mini Kleuters: a first introduction to the disciplines

Olympia Circus also offers a Circus Mini Kleuters group for children aged 4 to 6 .

These sessions provide a first real introduction to circus disciplines.

Children can learn ground acrobatics, duo acrobatics, aerial disciplines, juggling, unicycling, stilt walking and hula-hooping.

The teaching combines technical discovery, group games and physical expression.

The children gradually learn to complete small exercises and present their work to the other participants.

This approach helps to develop self-confidence while promoting mutual support and cooperation.

Circus Inloop: an accessible program for ages 6 to 12

Children aged 6 and over can join the Circus Inloop program.

Aimed at young people aged 6 to 12 , this program is one of the association's main activities.

It offers several weekly sessions allowing children to discover and practice circus arts.

The system is intentionally designed to be accessible.

Participants can come without annual membership and discover the activities according to their desires.

A modest financial contribution is offered, but children whose families cannot pay are still welcome.

This approach helps to limit the financial obstacles to practicing circus arts.

The sessions are led by professional teachers accompanied by volunteers.

Children can thus discover different disciplines in an environment adapted to their abilities.

Juggling, balance and acrobatics

Juggling helps develop coordination, concentration and precision.

Participants learn to manipulate different objects and gradually create shapes.

Balance disciplines also occupy an important place in teaching.

Children can discover unicycling, stilts and balancing on a circus ball.

These activities require patience, concentration, and body control.

Acrobatics is another essential component of the program.

Students discover different floor movements, flexibility exercises and figures performed individually or collectively.

Group activities promote cooperation and mutual trust.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines also occupy an important place in the activities of Olympia Circus.

Children and teenagers can discover aerial silks, trapeze, aerial hoop, rope and aerial hammock.

These disciplines help develop strength, flexibility, coordination and body control in space.

Circus Teens: developing your skills from 10 to 18 years old

For teenagers wishing to further develop their skills, the school offers the Circus Teens program.

This program is aimed at young people aged 10 to 18 and includes specialized courses in ground acrobatics and aerial acrobatics.

The floor acrobatics sessions allow participants to discover tumbling techniques, jumps, somersaults, hand balances and certain movements from freerunning.

The teaching combines acrobatic exercises, dance and physical preparation.

Aerial acrobatics classes allow teenagers to discover or perfect different techniques on suspended apparatus.

Participants work on their strength, flexibility and coordination under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

No prior experience is required to join these courses.

The exercises are adapted to the level of the participants.

Talent training: a development program

Olympia Circus also offers a development program called Talententraining .

Aimed at children and teenagers aged 6 to 18 , this program is for young people who are particularly motivated by the practice of circus arts.

Access is by invitation only .

Participants benefit from two weekly training sessions supervised by professional instructors.

This program allows them to deepen their technical and artistic skills.

The young artists are also working on preparing shows and public performances.

The school regularly organizes events allowing participants to present their achievements.

Two major performances are planned each year as part of the professional development program.

These shows are free for residents of the neighborhood.

They allow young people to discover the demands of the stage and to share their progress with their families and the public.

Preparing for performances is an important experience in their development.

Students learn to create acts, to work together, and to develop their artistic expression.

The Talententraining program also allows young people to discover the possibilities of pursuing a more advanced artistic practice.

Olympia Circus maintains relationships with, among others, the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and ISH Dance Collective .

These exchanges allow participants to meet artists and teachers from the professional sector.

The objective is to offer motivated young people opportunities for artistic development, without constituting a professional qualification training program.

Educational and cultural projects in the neighborhood

Olympia Circus also develops educational projects in collaboration with schools.

These interventions allow children who do not necessarily participate in the association's regular activities to discover the circus arts.

The workshops can combine the discovery of disciplines, group games and exercises promoting cooperation.

The school also participates in various cultural events organised in the Nieuw-West district.

It offers discovery workshops and performances allowing residents to meet young artists.

These activities help to strengthen the links between the association and its local environment.

The circus thus provides a means of fostering encounters between residents and developing participation in the cultural life of the neighborhood.

Financial accessibility at the heart of the project

Financial accessibility represents an essential dimension of the project.

The activities are offered at deliberately modest prices.

The voluntary contribution system also allows families with limited resources to participate.

This approach aligns with the philosophy of social circus championed by the association.

Olympia Circus believes that every child should be able to discover circus arts and develop their abilities, regardless of their personal circumstances.

The sessions allow participants to progress at their own pace and discover their own talents.

Some children develop a preference for juggling, while others are more interested in balancing or acrobatics.

The diversity of disciplines allows everyone to find an activity that matches their desires and abilities.

Group exercises encourage mutual support and respect for others.

Students gradually discover that they can succeed at movements that initially seemed difficult to them.

This progress helps to strengthen their self-confidence.

Preparing for the shows is also a rewarding experience.

Young people learn to present their achievements in front of an audience and to share the results of their work.

The association aims to promote the physical, social, emotional and creative development of the participants.

Circus Lab Amsterdam and an original approach since 2007

Olympia Circus has a training space called Circus Lab Amsterdam .

This place hosts the various activities of the association and allows children to practice circus arts in a suitable environment.

The school also participates in projects combining circus, dance and artistic creation.

Since its founding in 2007 , Olympia Circus has developed an original approach to teaching circus arts.

It combines regular practice, professional educational support and a particularly strong social commitment.

With its activities for toddlers, its courses for children, its specialized groups for teenagers and its advanced training program, it offers a path allowing participants to progress over several years.

Olympia Circus Amsterdam thus constitutes an important structure of the social circus in the Netherlands.

His project combines technical training, artistic expression, social inclusion and participation in the cultural life of the neighborhood.

The school offers children and teenagers an environment in which they can discover circus arts, develop their skills and share the joy of creating and performing together.