Rippel Brothers Akademia (RBA)

The Rippel Brothers Akademia (RBA) is a circus and movement arts school located in Budapest, Hungary. Founded in 2009 by brothers Ferenc and Viktor Rippel , two internationally renowned Hungarian acrobats, it offers training combining traditional circus techniques, aerial disciplines, acrobatics, juggling, balancing, and physical conditioning.

The academy welcomes children from the age of 6 , teenagers, and adults, with no upper age limit. Its teaching is aimed at both beginners wishing to discover the circus arts and experienced practitioners eager to refine their skills or prepare for shows and competitions.

His philosophy is based on a central idea: to unite sport and art in a practice where physical performance, creativity, the pleasure of progress and stage expression complement each other.

An academy founded by the Rippel brothers

The Rippel Brothers Akademia was created in 2009 by Ferenc Rippel and Viktor Rippel , two brothers who have built an international career in the field of acrobatics and live performance.

Trained in circus arts, they have developed acts combining strength, balance, coordination, and staging. Their artistic journey has led them to perform on numerous international stages.

Throughout their career, they have explored several forms of acrobatics, including strength balances, acrobatic lifts, group acts, and spectacular physical performances.

Their experience led them to design a teaching method intended to transmit the techniques of circus artists while offering an approach accessible to different audiences.

Since its creation, the academy has welcomed more than a thousand students and supported the development of many artists.

The institution promotes a philosophy based on the harmony between sport and art, favoring a dynamic, encouraging and collective learning environment.

Three major families of circus disciplines

The Rippel Brothers Akademia's educational program is organized around three main areas: acrobatics, aerial disciplines, and skill techniques.

Floor acrobatics is one of the foundations of the training. Students work on rolls, cartwheels, balances, reversals, jumps and various acrobatic combinations.

The teaching also includes duo and group acrobatics, lifts, human pyramids and exercises requiring precise coordination between several partners.

These techniques help to develop strength, flexibility, balance, mobility and body control in space.

Aerial acrobatics also play an important role in the curriculum. Students discover aerial silks, trapeze, hoop, hammock, and various suspended apparatus.

Learning aerial disciplines relies on mastering suspensions, climbs, static positions, and transitions between figures.

Practitioners gradually develop the physical and technical skills necessary to perform acrobatic sequences, while exploring the possibilities of artistic expression offered by these apparatus.

Skills and balance techniques complement this multidisciplinary training.

Juggling allows you to discover how to manipulate balls, rings, clubs, diabolo and devil sticks.

Balance exercises can involve the unicycle, tightrope, and various stabilizing accessories.

These activities promote concentration, coordination, precision of movement and perseverance.

The diversity of disciplines allows each participant to discover their affinities and gradually build their own learning path.

A progressive training program accessible from age 6

The Rippel Brothers Akademia offers an educational system organized into several levels, allowing students to progress according to their experience and objectives.

Fundamental training – Alapozó Képzés

Accessible from the age of 6 , this first level is aimed at beginners and people wishing to discover the circus arts.

No prior experience in gymnastics or acrobatics is necessary to begin, although a satisfactory general level of fitness is recommended.

Participants discover the different families of disciplines taught at the academy.

The sessions include physical preparation exercises, basic technical learning and an introduction to acrobatic movements.

The goal is to build solid foundations, develop coordination and familiarize students with different circus practices.

Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays , with one-hour sessions.

Intermediate training – Középhaladó Képzés

This level is recommended for ages 8 and up and is aimed at practitioners who already have some basic acrobatics skills.

Students must be familiarized with simple movements such as rolling or cartwheeling.

Teaching allows more time to be devoted to chosen disciplines and to deepen the acquired techniques.

Participants can work more regularly on aerial apparatus, acrobatic equipment and skill accessories.

The progression includes more elaborate figures, technical combinations and physical work adapted to the requirements of each discipline.

Advanced training – Haladó Képzés

Recommended for ages 10 and up, the advanced training is aimed at students wishing to reach a higher technical level.

The sessions allow participants to develop acrobatic skills, deepen their chosen specialties, and prepare for more complex exercises.

The teaching places particular emphasis on the precision of movements, the quality of execution, and physical preparation.

Students can also be supported in preparing for competitions or artistic presentations.

Individualized professional training – Profi Képzés

The academy offers a supplementary program for the most motivated practitioners.

This program combines group training sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays with an additional session on Friday , dedicated to more individualized work.

Students can delve deeper into their favorite discipline, develop a personal act, and prepare for shows or competitions.

The support can take the form of private lessons with the academy's teachers.

This program thus offers an opportunity for improvement for practitioners wishing to develop a more ambitious artistic project.

A pedagogy based on individual progress

One of the distinctive features of the Rippel Brothers Akademia lies in the organization of its sessions.

Training sessions begin with a group warm-up, designed to prepare the body for the various activities.

Participants are then divided into small groups according to their level and skills.

Several teachers intervene simultaneously, each specializing in a family of disciplines.

This organization makes it possible to offer support tailored to the abilities of the students and to vary the learning during the sessions.

Technical progression is based on the repetition of movements, muscle strengthening, and understanding the body principles necessary for each figure.

The academy also places great importance on motivation and the enjoyment of practice.

Students are encouraged to develop their confidence, gradually overcome their difficulties, and discover the possibilities offered by their bodies.

The teaching aims to combine technical rigor with a positive collective atmosphere.

A team made up of artists and specialist coaches

The teaching team at Rippel Brothers Akademia brings together circus artists, acrobats, coaches and specialists in aerial disciplines.

Ferenc Rippel , founder of the academy, notably taught acrobatics, balances and physical disciplines requiring strength and coordination.

His approach is based on international experience in the performing arts and on the desire to pass on circus techniques in a motivating environment.

Viktor Rippel , co-founder and technical director, has extensive experience in acrobatics, aerial disciplines and trampoline.

Trained in a professional school for circus artists, he developed his career in various specialties before dedicating himself in particular to acrobatic strength performances performed with his brother.

His teaching emphasizes building the fundamentals necessary for performing technical acts.

Rippel-Juni Emese works in the fields of dance, aerial acrobatics and choreography.

Originating from contemporary and modern dance, it combines movement techniques with an artistic approach to aerial disciplines.

Ress Bettina participates in teaching aerial acrobatics and dance.

Laura Mérő has specialized experience in aerial disciplines, particularly aerial silks in pairs. She also teaches ground acrobatics and coordination techniques.

The academy also offers individualized support with different teachers, including Kiss Rebeka .

The complementary skills of the participants make it possible to combine technical mastery of circus disciplines with artistic and choreographic research.

Circus workshops during the holidays

In addition to regular classes, the Rippel Brothers Akademia organizes circus workshops for children, teenagers and adults.

These courses allow participants to discover a wide range of disciplines in an intensive format, combining physical training, group activities and artistic discovery.

The program may include ground acrobatics, lifts, human pyramids, trampoline, aerial disciplines, juggling and balancing.

Participants can also discover parkour, freerunning, street workout and different forms of acrobatic movement.

Juggling activities include, among other things, the manipulation of balls, rings, clubs, diabolo and devil stick.

The workshops also offer an introduction to stage expression, mime and character work.

The goal is to offer as complete an introduction to circus arts as possible, while promoting cooperation, creativity and physical development.

Team games and group activities complement the technical sessions.

These internships also provide an opportunity to meet the Rippel brothers and the academy's teachers in a setting different from the weekly classes.

Preparation for shows and competitions

The Rippel Brothers Akademia is not limited to the recreational teaching of circus disciplines.

Students wishing to deepen their practice can benefit from support in preparing acts and artistic presentations.

The advanced training program allows students to work on building a sequence, mastering the technical aspects of the figures, and the physical preparation necessary for their execution.

Practitioners can also be supported in creating personal acts intended for demonstrations or small competitions.

This artistic dimension allows students to discover the demands of the stage, to develop their presence in front of an audience and to transform their technical learning into performance proposals.

The academy thus maintains a direct link between training and the professional practice of circus arts.

A training location in Budapest

Rippel Brothers Akadémia's regular classes take place at the Dózsa György Gimnázium , located at Fő út 70 , in the Rákospalota district, in the fifteenth district of Budapest.

The establishment hosts the different training groups according to a weekly schedule.

Basic, intermediate and advanced courses are mainly organized on Mondays and Wednesdays , while additional improvement sessions are offered on Fridays .

Registration for introductory courses can be done directly on site, without prior technical selection.

Prior registration is required for individual sessions and advanced training programs.

This organization makes it possible to offer accessible teaching to beginners while also supporting more experienced practitioners.

An approach combining sport, circus and artistic expression

The philosophy of the Rippel Brothers Akademia is based on the complementarity between the physical qualities developed through sport and the artistic skills required for circus arts.

Acrobatics helps develop strength, coordination and body control.

Aerial disciplines promote flexibility, balance, and spatial awareness.

Juggling encourages concentration, precision, and creativity.

Group activities, particularly lifts and group acrobatics, develop mutual trust, communication and cooperation.

The school also seeks to transmit the values of live performance, including perseverance, discipline, respect for collective work and the pleasure of sharing a performance with an audience.

This approach allows participants to practice circus arts both for leisure and personal development as well as for artistic improvement.

An important school in the Hungarian circus scene

Since its creation in 2009 , the Rippel Brothers Akademia has been involved in the transmission of circus skills in Hungary.

Thanks to the international experience of its founders and the diversity of its teaching team, it offers a teaching that combines traditional techniques, aerial disciplines and contemporary forms of physical preparation.

Its multi-level organization allows it to accommodate very different audiences, from children discovering circus arts to artists wishing to deepen their skills.

The opportunity to participate in internships, prepare acts and benefit from individualized support strengthens the educational dimension of the institution.

By combining acrobatics, juggling, balance, aerial disciplines and stage expression, the Rippel Brothers Akademia helps to make circus arts accessible to a wide audience and to support the emergence of new talents.

Official website: https://rippel.hu/akademia/