![A colorful logo depicting two stylized figures drawn with black lines, one sitting on the other's shoulders, evoking an acrobatic or circus lift. The figures stand out against touches of bright colors painted with [illegible text].](https://photoinstitution.netjuggler.net/principal/4/3/image-mini.webp)
Short Ladder
69480 Pommiers
Presentation
Courte Échelle is a socio-educational and cultural association located in the Villefranche-sur-Saône and Pierres Dorées area of the Rhône department. It brings together approximately 600 member families and manages the Marc Julien Leisure Center in Pommiers. While its historical focus has primarily been on welcoming children and families, circus arts now play a significant role in its educational program.
General activities
The association organizes, in particular, a leisure center on Wednesdays and during school holidays, family activities, birthday parties, and various educational activities. It also runs a full-fledged circus school , with regular classes, workshops for diverse audiences, and intensive training during the summer months.
A circus activity developed since 2023
Although Courte Échelle's history has long been linked to circus arts, the activity took on a new dimension in September 2023, with the creation of weekly workshops and the association's affiliation with the FFEC.
Courte Échelle is now part of FREC Rhône-Alpes , the regional network of FFEC.
The classes take place in a room specially dedicated to circus arts at the Marc Julien Leisure Centre in Pommiers. The activity is currently led by Sarah-Myriam Naceur , an instructor specializing in circus arts, assisted during the sessions by other instructors from the association.
Circus classes for children as young as 2
For the 2026-2027 season, Courte Échelle offers four age groups allowing very young children to start circus arts.
- 2-3 years : a discovery activity adapted for toddlers
- 4-5 years old : first learning of playful techniques
- 6-7 years old : longer lessons and more in-depth techniques
- From age 8 : practice adapted for older children
The approach is naturally adapted to age: for the youngest children, circus arts are introduced through playful obstacle courses and motor skills games, before gradually introducing the various circus techniques. The last class before each school holiday period becomes a parent-child class, allowing families to share the experience.
Workshop disciplines and content
Juggling and object manipulation
Juggling plays an important role in the workshops. Children can discover and manipulate many accessories, which allows them to progressively develop coordination, concentration, gestural precision, and the ability to manipulate one or more objects.
- Rings
- Balls
- Scarves
- Chinese plates
- Diabolos
- Devil sticks
Balances on objects
The school also has an interesting selection of equipment for exploring balance on objects. These disciplines naturally develop balance and motor skills, but also concentration, perseverance, and confidence in one's own abilities.
- Balance ball
- Thread
- American Roll
- Stilts
- Unicycle
- Pedalgo
Acrobatics, lifts and pyramids
The training also includes floor acrobatics, acrobatic lifts, and the creation of human pyramids. These activities help develop children's physical abilities while introducing a team element: some figures can only be achieved by trusting others and working together.
Staging and artistic expression
Courte Échelle doesn't see circus arts solely as a physical or technical activity. Games involving staging, repurposing objects, and building confidence are also integral to the sessions. This dimension allows children to use the techniques they've learned to express themselves, imagine, and create. The organization presents circus arts as a genuine educational and fun tool, enabling each child to express themselves and find their place.
Developing the child through circus arts
Courte Échelle's educational project focuses particularly on the benefits of circus arts for child development. The practice allows for the development of a variety of skills, in line with the association's broader socio-educational project.
- Cognitive abilities : memory, creativity, concentration, comprehension
- Interpersonal skills : self-confidence and trust in others
- Physical abilities : flexibility, motor skills, balance
Leisure activities and inclusion
Circus arts are integrated into the activities of the Courte Échelle leisure center. The association has its own equipment, which allows it to regularly organize introductory workshops during Wednesdays and school holidays.
The leisure center welcomes children aged 3 to 15 and pays particular attention to the inclusion of children with special needs. The association works in particular with the CAF ( Family Allowance Fund) and the Dahlir association to develop personalized programs when necessary.
A circus tent during the summer
Every summer, a real circus tent is set up at the Marc Julien Leisure Centre, in collaboration with ETAC – the Circus Arts and Techniques School of Bourg-en-Bresse. A specialist instructor is on hand throughout the summer to lead the circus activities. This program allows children to delve deeper into the world of circus arts and immerses them in an environment connected to the imagination and practice of circus arts.
The documents of the structure indicate in particular that the presence of the big top makes it possible to engage in practices impossible in the usual room, in particular certain aerial disciplines.
A traveling circus school
Courte Échelle also develops a significant outreach program. The team can travel with its equipment directly to partner organizations, or host groups in its own circus hall in Pommiers. These programs can be very short-term, with a single introductory session, or part of a regular project lasting several months.
Interventions in schools
Preschools and elementary schools are among the institutions that Courte Échelle can work with. The sessions are tailored to the children's level and the objectives defined with the teaching staff. Several schools in Villefranche-sur-Saône and the surrounding towns have already used the association's services.
Circus from nursery school onwards
Thanks to its approach based on motor skills and adapting to each individual's abilities, Courte Échelle also works with young children. Daycare centers and childminder associations are among the partners who have already benefited from its services.
Interventions with people with disabilities
The association also adapts its sessions for children and people with disabilities. Courte Échelle works particularly with specialized educational institutions ( IME) and support services (SESSAD ). The content of the workshops is developed according to the needs and abilities of the participants, rather than using a standardized program for everyone. This approach is consistent with the association's overall mission, which strongly emphasizes inclusion .
Workshops for the elderly
Courte Échelle also works with the elderly and in nursing homes. The association cites the La Clairière nursing home in Tarare as one of its partners. This diversity illustrates how Courte Échelle uses circus arts: the disciplines are adapted to the abilities of the participants and become, above all, a tool for motor skills, expression, interaction, and social connection.
A family and socio-educational structure
Courte Échelle differs from a traditional circus school: the circus is integrated into a much broader community project dedicated to children, families, popular education, and social cohesion. The association also offers family activities designed to foster connections between parents and children, as well as birthday parties that often include circus-related activities.
With its weekly classes from age 2, its school and medical-social interventions, its leisure center and its summer big top, Courte Échelle uses circus arts as a real educational tool accessible to very different audiences.
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