The Cavallette – Scuola di Circo e non solo

Le Cavallette is a circus school and association developing educational, artistic and social activities around circus arts in Tuscany.

Now based in Coltano, in the municipality of Pisa, it also has a long history of activities in the Livorno area.

His project is defined as a "Scuola di circo e non solo", a circus school "and not only".

This formula corresponds particularly well to his identity.

Circus arts are taught there as an artistic and physical practice, but they are also used as an educational, relational, social and psychomotor tool.

The school draws inspiration from the disciplines of the new circus.

Juggling , acrobatics and balancing are associated with theatre, dance and clowning.

The goal is not just to learn how to become a juggler or acrobat.

The diversity of disciplines allows each participant to experience different ways of moving, manipulating, creating and expressing themselves.

The activities are intentionally presented in a fun and playful way.

Play is a fundamental tool in education.

In particular, it helps to develop creativity and the desire to experiment.

Circus disciplines also offer a particularly comprehensive physical preparation.

• They challenge the rhythm.
• They develop balance.
• They require coordination and precision.

The wide variety of motor situations allows each student to find a practice that corresponds to their desires, abilities and skills.

The school also emphasizes the right to make mistakes.

Children can experiment with their expressiveness without being judged.

They are encouraged to gradually push beyond their own limits in a safe environment.

Mistakes become a normal part of learning.

This approach is accompanied by a strongly collaborative philosophy.

Le Cavallette presents the circus school as a space of inclusion where everyone brings something to the group.

No one should be left on the bench.

The proposed routes

This philosophy is directly reflected in the organization of the different courses.

Circummotor activity

The first proposal concerns circomotricity.

It is aimed at children aged two to five .

The goal is to support the child's development by allowing them to experiment, discover and express their potential and emotions.

Movement is associated with play.

The child gradually learns to interact with space.

He discovers various objects.

He also develops his relationships with others.

For younger children or children who need reassurance, the school offers a particularly interesting program.

A trusted adult can actively participate in the activity.

This could be a parent, a grandparent, or another person close to the child.

The circus then becomes a shared experience between the child and the adult.

The Circo Mix

The Circo Mix course welcomes children aged six to twelve .

Juggling, balancing and acrobatics are the main disciplines practiced.

These disciplines allow for the development of various motor skills.

• Balance is naturally required.
• Coordination plays an important role.
• Strength develops gradually.
• Fine motor skills are also developed through the manipulation of objects.

The creative dimension is never forgotten.

An introduction to theatre is part of the program.

The clown is being used.

Improvisation allows students to experiment with their own expressiveness.

The diversity of the equipment allows each participant to gradually build their preferences.

Some people may develop a passion for juggling.

Others prefer balance disciplines.

Acrobatics may become the preferred domain of another student.

It is also possible to search for combinations between several techniques.

Progress is primarily a personal matter.

The student is encouraged to surpass himself rather than to beat others.

He learns from his mistakes.

He is developing his skills.

He must also be willing to work on the aspects that pose the most difficulties for him.

The educational aspect is explicitly presented as fundamental in the courses.

• Collaboration is preferred.
• Integration is a goal.
• Group harmony is sought.
• Respect for other students is important.
• Respect for equipment is also part of learning.

The CircoTeatro

For twelve to fourteen year olds , Le Cavallette offers a CircoTeatro course.

At this age, the project gives even more space to expression.

The school believes that pre-adolescence can make it more difficult to express emotions and one's inner world.

Theatrical language and circus techniques then become two complementary means of communication.

The discipline required to learn circus arts provides a framework.

The theatre simultaneously offers a space for freedom.

This combination seeks to address the simultaneous need for rules and autonomy characteristic of this period.

The equipment and techniques used remain close to those of Circo Mix.

But more space is left for creativity and individual expression.

The circus for adults

Cavallette also offers circus performances for adults.

The Teatro Circo is designed to allow people to start without prior experience.

The circus then becomes at once a leisure activity, a physical activity and a way to share a passion.

Participants discover different circus disciplines.

Time is also devoted to theatrical expression.

Body awareness is part of the work.

For those already possessing experience, advanced training courses may be offered during the year.

The equipment and the disciplines

The diversity of equipment used by Le Cavallette is particularly interesting.

Juggling

• Juggling can be practiced with balls.
• Scarves provide another learning tool.
• The diabolo is present.
• Chinese plates are used.
• The bolas are part of the equipment.
• The devil stick is also available.
• Circles and clubs allow for even greater manipulation possibilities.

The balance disciplines

Balance disciplines are very prominent.

• The rola-bola allows you to work on dynamic balance.
• The unicycle is part of the school's equipment.
• Stilts are used.
• A beam is available.
• Slacklining adds to the possibilities.

Acrobatics and aerial disciplines

Acrobatics has its own specific mats and straps.

The trampoline allows you to explore other forms of movement.

Wall bars and ropes complement the body equipment.

Aerial disciplines are also represented.

• The trapeze is among the apparatus announced.
• Aerial fabrics are used.
• The aerial hoop completes this offering.

This diversity makes it possible to offer a truly multidisciplinary approach to circus arts.

The show and educational projects

The show also has a place in the project.

The school combines circus training with the basics of theatre, dance and clowning.

The year's work can thus lead to a collective creation allowing everyone to show what they have learned.

But one of Le Cavallette's most remarkable dimensions probably lies in his educational projects.

Interventions in schools

The association works with preschools and primary schools.

She develops programs where psychomotor skills and motor education meet circus games.

These interventions can be adapted to the needs of the group.

Some projects place greater emphasis on preventative psychomotor skills.

Graphomotor skills can be developed.

These activities can help to identify certain motor difficulties sometimes associated with learning disabilities.

Other interventions focus more on improving the functioning of the class group.

The circus then becomes a way to work on integration.

It can also contribute to the development of self-esteem.

The techniques used are still presented in a playful way.

Creativity, rhythm, balance and coordination are important objectives.

Children can experiment with their expressiveness without being judged.

Collaboration remains central.

The social circus

Le Cavallette also explicitly develops social circus projects.

The structure defines social circus as the meeting point between circus arts and different social intervention strategies.

The objective may be to promote the development of a community.

• The circus can contribute to creating social cohesion.
• It can help build relationships based on trust.
• It can also change the way certain difficult situations are perceived.

Disability and special needs

This social dimension is complemented by genuine work on disability.

Le Cavallette explicitly announces circus projects aimed at people with disabilities.

These activities aim to promote integration and socialization.

• Motor development is also a goal.
• Coordination and interaction skills are developed.
• Improving self-esteem is part of the project.

The circus lends itself particularly well to this approach because of its diversity.

It mobilizes many fundamental motor patterns.

Participants can experiment with different postures.

Manipulating objects also helps to develop fine motor skills.

Proprioceptive abilities are involved.

The perception of the environment is also involved.

Cavallette thus seeks to consider the person in their entirety.

Body and mind are not separate.

The physiological, psychological and social dimensions are addressed jointly.

The recreational-educational circus and the social circus can then acquire an adaptive , preventive and sometimes therapeutic dimension.

Psychomotor skills

Psychomotor skills logically constitute another important component of the project.

The school offers educational and preventative group programs.

It also announces individual or small group meetings for children with special needs.

These needs can be a driving force.

They can also be relational or behavioral.

The work seeks to understand the child through their way of moving, running, playing and interacting.

The body then becomes both the tool and the subject of the activity.

The circus, nature and animals

Le Cavallette has also developed an original project combining circus, nature and animals.

"Il Circo va in campagna" transposes certain activities into a rural environment.

The project is being developed in the Livorno region.

Juggling and balancing acts are offered alongside farm visits, pony rides and activities in nature.

Children aged five to ten can participate in group meetings.

For children aged two to five, small groups are organized with parents.

Individual meetings are also planned for children with special needs.

The school organizes or has also organized summer camps combining circus, nature, animals and creative workshops.

This activity perfectly illustrates Le Cavallette's general philosophy.

The circus is not confined to a room.

It becomes a language that can be associated with other educational experiences.

Le Cavallette in the NetJuggler directory

According to the NetJuggler directory, Le Cavallette therefore presents a particularly rich profile.

This is indeed an amateur circus school.

But its educational dimension is much more important than that of a simple recreational course.

• The association explicitly develops recreational and educational circus activities.
• She works in schools.
• She uses psychomotor therapy.
• She develops social circus projects.
• It offers services designed for people with disabilities.
• She also works with children with special needs.

The project covers a wide age range.

• Circummotor skills begin as early as two years old.
• Circo Mix welcomes children aged six to twelve.
• CircoTeatro continues its work with twelve to fourteen year olds.
• Adults can also participate.

Juggling, acrobatics, balancing, unicycle, stilts, rola-bola, trapeze, silks, aerial hoop, slackline, clowning and theatre allow you to discover many facets of circus arts.

Philosophy, however, remains consistent regardless of the discipline.

• The participant must be able to experiment without being judged.
• He learns from his mistakes.
• He develops his own abilities.
• He cooperates with others.
• And above all, everyone must be able to find their place in the group.

This approach makes Le Cavallette a particularly interesting structure to represent in the NetJuggler directory the educational , inclusive , social and adapted dimension of circus arts in Tuscany.