Perse Circus

Persé Circus is a circus school located in Thierville-sur-Meuse , near Verdun, in the Meuse region. Founded by the Bister brothers with the support of friends and volunteers, it has been developing the transmission of circus arts to children for several decades while also carrying out shows, workshops and educational activities throughout Lorraine.

The school has been run since 1995 by Pascal Bister , an artist and circus teacher. His background is particularly linked to aerial and balance disciplines: flying rope, trapeze, tightrope walking and American rollers are among his specialties.

Persé Circus champions a transmission directly rooted in circus tradition. The association emphasizes several values: perseverance , respect for individual abilities , passion , tradition , and a family spirit .

His motto sums up this desire to place practice and transmission at the center of the project.

Regular classes welcome children from the age of 5 and are organized into several age groups. Learning can range from discovery to advanced levels .

The teaching is based on four main families of disciplines : acrobatics, juggling, balances and aerial arts.

Acrobatics is practiced on the ground but also on trampolines, in the form of pyramids and acrobatic courses. It helps develop dexterity, balance, flexibility and imagination.

Juggling is particularly diverse. Students can manipulate balls, hoops, clubs, diabolo, spinning plates, and devil sticks. These different techniques allow them to work on coordination, precision, rhythm, and dexterity.

Balance is another important aspect of the school. Persé Circus teaches, in particular, the balance ball, the tightrope, the unicycle and the American roller or rola-bola.

This diversity allows students to discover several ways of working on balance: movement on a narrow apparatus, dynamic balance on a cycle, movement on a large ball or seeking stability on a roller.

The unicycle also holds a special place in the team's history. Marco Bister specialized in unicycle acrobatics and juggling after having himself practiced all circus disciplines.

The diabolo also benefits from identified teaching within the team, notably with Aurélien Cardoso .

Aerial disciplines are one of the other important specialties of Perse Circus.

Students can practice the fixed trapeze, the swinging trapeze, the rope and the aerial silks.

This teaching benefits from Pascal Bister 's historical experience in aerial disciplines, particularly in flying rope and trapeze.

The different families of disciplines are complementary and allow children to gradually build their own path.

Some gravitate more towards juggling or diabolo, others towards unicycling and balancing, acrobatics or aerial practices.

Supervision, a strong point of the project

The team brings together profiles drawn directly from the school and the world of entertainment. Several instructors themselves started as students at Persé Circus before gradually joining the teaching or professional team.

Pascal Bister has been running the school since 1995. A versatile artist, he has experience as an acrobat, tightrope walker, illusionist and aerialist, with a significant specialization in aerial disciplines.

Marco Bister practiced various disciplines before specializing in acrobatic unicycling and juggling. He performed in different circuses and cabarets before returning to work at the school.

Valentin Bandini joined Persé Circus at a very young age. Today he is involved in the management and operation of the association and has a specialization in rola-bola balancing.

Alex Piermee , known as Pipo , was also a member of the school for about ten years before deciding to make it his profession. He now specializes in clowning and holds a BPJEPS (Brevet Professionnel de la Jeunesse, de l'Éducation Populaire et du Sport) in Circus Activities.

Aurélien Cardoso , who arrived at the school at a very young age, is now a trainer as well as a sound and lighting technician. He is particularly involved with diabolo.

This continuity between students and instructors illustrates the important place given to transmission within Persé Circus.

The association states that its instructors may hold the BIAC, the BPJEPS Circus qualification, or the State Diploma for Circus Teachers . It also has accreditation from the Ministry of Youth and Popular Education and is affiliated with the Ligue de l'enseignement (League of Education ).

Significant outdoor activity

The school also develops a significant external activity.

The artists and speakers of Persé Circus travel to schools, from kindergarten to high school, as well as to leisure centers, holiday centers, youth centers and socio-cultural centers.

Projects can last from one day to one week.

The aim is then to introduce different circus techniques in a fun way and then, when the format of the project allows, to guide the participants towards a real presentation.

Persé Circus can even set up a complete performance environment with a big top, lights and music so that the children can present the work done during the workshops.

The association also organizes " circus days " combining introductory sessions in the morning and a show in the afternoon.

This link between transmission and representation is an important characteristic of Perse Circus.

The school is in fact only one part of the association's activity.

The team also develops professional shows and entertainment for municipalities, festivals, associations, companies and private events.

Its artists can intervene in different forms: jugglers, acrobats, aerialists, clowns, magicians or stilt walkers, with proposals adapted to the context of the event.

The shows can be presented on stage or in public spaces, and the association also develops themed street performances .

This professional activity allows teachers to maintain an artistic practice alongside their teaching activities.

A circus school linked to the tradition of live performance

Persé Circus is thus an amateur circus school strongly linked to the tradition of live performance.

A child can start from the age of 5, discover the four main families of circus arts and then gradually delve deeper into the disciplines that interest them.

Acrobatics on the ground, trampoline, pyramids, juggling, diabolo, devil stick, tightrope, balance ball, unicycle, rola-bola, fixed and swinging trapeze, smooth rope and aerial silks make up a particularly diverse offering.

The school also stands out for the continuity of its team : several current instructors themselves grew artistically within Persé Circus before becoming trainers or professional artists.

In addition to this regular activity, there are interventions in schools and leisure facilities, circus days, projects with a final show, and professional activity in shows and entertainment.

Based in Thierville-sur-Meuse and operating throughout Lorraine, Persé Circus combines leisure school, advanced training, intergenerational transmission and professional performance practice.