Schulzirkus Waldionelli – Freie Waldorfschule Schwerin

The Schulzirkus Waldionelli is the school circus of the Freie Waldorfschule Schwerin , located in Schwerin in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in northern Germany. The project began in 2001 , four years after the school's founding, and has since allowed children to discover and regularly practice circus arts in an educational and group setting.

The circus welcomes students from grades 2 to 7 every week. Training sessions are led by teachers passionate about circus arts, and more recently, students from higher grades have also been involved in mentoring the younger children. This inter-student exchange is part of the collective dimension of the project.

Artistic disciplines and forms

Young artists can be introduced to various circus disciplines and gradually develop their skills. The program includes, in particular:

• the unicycle ,
• walking and balance ball exercises,
• juggling ,
• different forms of acrobatics .

Circus work also allows for the combination of several artistic forms: theatre , dance and pantomime can thus complement circus techniques and participate in the creation of shows.

Rehearsals and performances

Weekly training sessions are supplemented by more intensive rehearsal periods. Generally in the spring, participants gather for a rehearsal camp in Dreilützow . This period allows the group to work more intensively on the various acts and prepare the new annual program.

Starting in May , young artists traditionally present their new creations. The shows are built around themes that bring together different disciplines and forms of artistic expression in a common program.

A pedagogy that goes beyond performance

The Schulzirkus Waldionelli pedagogy does not focus solely on technical performance. Circus practice is used to develop dexterity , coordination , and perseverance , but also to help children make decisions, choose the disciplines they wish to explore further, and learn to persevere in the face of difficulties.

Developing social skills is also a key objective. Group disciplines, such as building human pyramids and group acrobatic exercises, require participants to trust others, take responsibility, and understand that everyone plays a role in the success of the act.

The circus thus offers an environment in which different age groups can work together. The youngest learn from adults but also from more experienced students, while the older ones can gradually take on responsibilities in guiding the group.

A fully-fledged extracurricular activity

At the Freie Waldorfschule Schwerin, the Zirkus Waldionelli is one of the extracurricular activities offered to students. Students can register for this activity for the school year and participate regularly in rehearsals.

The Schulzirkus Waldionelli thus constitutes a genuine circus education project combining technical learning, movement, creativity and artistic expression. Through regular training, group work, intensive rehearsals and the creation of shows, children can develop their physical and artistic abilities while experiencing life in a school circus troupe .