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En Piste! — a community circus school in Cesson-Sévigné

En Piste! is a non-profit circus school located in Cesson-Sévigné, in the heart of Rennes Métropole in Ille-et-Vilaine. Officially founded in April 2007, the association began its activities in September of the same year. Today, it welcomes over 300 members from Cesson-Sévigné, Rennes, and the surrounding towns, from young children to adults , with programs ranging from introductory to advanced levels.

Classes are held in the annex of the Paul Janson hall, an equipped space provided by the City of Cesson-Sévigné. The school develops a particularly comprehensive multidisciplinary practice of circus arts there.

Subjects taught

• Acrobatics: rolls, cartwheels, jumps, acrobatic lifts and pyramids.
• Aerial disciplines: trapeze, silks and aerial hoop.
• Balancing on objects: balance ball, American roller, unicycle, wire, beam and pedals.
• Juggling: scarves, balls, Chinese plates, diabolos, rings, clubs, bolas and devil sticks.

This diversity is one of the cornerstones of the school's pedagogy. En Piste! views circus arts as a collection of disciplines allowing each individual to find their own path. Practice develops motor skills, body control, imagination, and the ability to express oneself, but also discipline, concentration, sharing, mutual support, and teamwork.

Educational project

The school's educational project is directly inspired by the educational project of the French Federation of Circus Schools and is structured around three principles:

• "A school for all"
• "A school for everyone"
• "an art school"

En Piste! aims to make the sport accessible to as many people as possible, while allowing each student to progress according to their abilities, pace, and desires. Creativity plays a key role: students are not only encouraged to reproduce technical moves, but also to become active participants in individual or group creations.

Age-based pathways

The discovery begins in early childhood with circus-based activities, designed for children aged 3 to 5 accompanied by an adult. These parent-child sessions offer a playful and free exploration of circus disciplines, as well as group activities focused on acrobatics and partner work. They provide an initial introduction to the body, space, balance, and relationships with others.

Children aged 4-6 continue this exploration through classes focused on developing motor skills: laterality, body awareness in space, throwing and catching, suspension, and initial circus experiences. They are already discovering acrobatics, aerial arts, balancing on objects, and juggling.

From the age of 7 , the teaching evolves towards a true technical introduction to the different disciplines. Students progressively explore the various apparatus families and develop their physical and artistic skills.

The 11-14 year old groups continue this work with exercises adapted to their age and progress.

From the age of 14 , the Z'Accros group enters a more focused phase of professional development. Students are gradually led to choose one or two subjects they wish to explore in greater depth, while maintaining the multidisciplinary approach characteristic of the school.

Aerial courses

En Piste! also offers courses specifically dedicated to aerial disciplines. Accessible depending on the time slots from 8 or 10 years old , they allow students to work mainly on silks and trapeze in small groups of about ten students, offering more practice time and a more in-depth technical learning experience.

Adults and open training

Adults have access to a multidisciplinary course that welcomes a variety of profiles, from beginners wishing to discover circus arts to practitioners wanting to progress technically. Acrobatics, partner acrobatics, pyramids, trapeze, aerial silks, rope, ball, rolling cylinder, unicycle, tightrope, juggling, diabolo, clubs and devil stick are among the disciplines that can be practiced.

The school also makes its room and equipment available for open training . This time for independent practice relies on mutual support and sharing among members and allows sufficiently independent practitioners to continue their training outside of supervised classes.

Internships and one-off interventions

In addition to its weekly activities, En Piste! organizes workshops during school holidays. Multidisciplinary weeks are offered to children and teenagers, generally with groups adapted to different age groups. These workshops can serve as a first introduction to circus arts or allow students already practicing to deepen their skills in a particular discipline. Depending on the workshop's duration, the work may culminate in a performance or a short show presented to families.

The school also organizes themed workshops for teenagers and adults, bringing in specialist artists: aerial silks, trapeze, Chinese pole, clowning or other disciplines can thus be the subject of specific improvement sessions.

Adapted circus

Adapted circus arts are a key focus of the association's mission. En Piste! offers introductory workshops for people with disabilities, regardless of their age or the nature of their disability. The team adapts the teaching methods to the abilities and needs of the participants, in line with the principle of "education for all."

School and corporate interventions

En Piste! works directly in schools: projects with preschools and elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. These workshops allow students to work on personal development, self-confidence, sociability, motor skills, imagination and expression through circus arts.

The association also develops team building workshops for companies, using circus techniques as a support to promote cooperation, trust, listening and team cohesion.

Teaching staff

• Annie Huchet — director and supervisor; holder of the BIAC and pedagogical training at the Brussels circus school, with numerous popular education and adapted circus projects in France and abroad.
• Nicolas Jasinczuk — holder of the BIAC and the State Diploma of Specialised Educator; works in particular with people with disabilities.
• Guillaume Ducolombier — holder of the BPJEPS Circus and the BIAC; long experience in practicing and teaching circus arts.

The school actively participates in the cultural and community life of Cesson-Sévigné and Rennes Métropole through activities, workshops, performances, and events. It also takes part in meetings of the national network of circus schools, offering students opportunities to meet other practitioners and present their work.