The House of the Circo – Zaragoza

La Casa del Circo is a school and multidisciplinary space dedicated to circus and performing arts located in Zaragoza , Aragon.

The project offers regular practice of circus arts for children, teenagers and adults, with a pedagogy adapted to the age and level of each group.

The activities combine technical learning , physical development , creativity , artistic expression and teamwork .

Circo en Familia: First Steps from Age 3

For the youngest children, learning begins as early as age 3 through the Circo en Familia groups.

These sessions allow children to discover the circus accompanied by an adult .

The circus is used as an educational tool to develop psychomotor skills while strengthening the relationship between the child and the accompanying adult.

Support , trust and cooperation play an important role in these early experiences.

Children's circus (ages 8 and up)

From the age of 8 , children can continue their learning in children's circus groups.

The pedagogy then combines more personal autonomy , social relationships , camaraderie and body awareness .

The students gradually discover different families of circus disciplines .

• Object manipulation and juggling help to develop coordination, precision, concentration and reflexes.
• The balances offer a different relationship to the body and space.
• Acrobatics is one of the main focuses of the training.

Acrobatics and AirTrack

The school notably has a ten-meter AirTrack allowing students to work on acrobatic fundamentals in conditions adapted to learning.

Students can discover rolls , jumps and various acrobatic figures .

The progression then allows one to tackle more complex movements such as cartwheels , reversals and certain dynamic figures .

The acrobats, whether in pairs or groups, complement this work.

They allow for the introduction of physical cooperation , trust , and an understanding of each person's role within a collective figure.

Aerial techniques

Aerial techniques also occupy an important place in the school.

• Students can discover aerial fabrics .
• The trapeze is one of the apparatuses used.
• Aerial hoop completes this family of disciplines.
• Aerial straps are also among the equipment and techniques discussed.

Aerial work allows you to develop strength , coordination , mobility and body awareness in an environment different from that of disciplines practiced on the ground.

The progression pays particular attention to safety and control of movements .

The goal is to allow students to gradually gain confidence while understanding how the different pieces of equipment work.

The stage work

Casa del Circo also places great importance on stage work .

Students gradually learn to go beyond simply performing a technical figure.

Stage presence , relationship with space , and expression are all part of the learning process.

The space has a real stage that can be used during training sessions.

Students can thus work on spatial design , voice projection and various concepts related to representation.

Basics regarding makeup , lighting and sound can also be covered.

This approach makes it possible to link technical practice to the artistic dimension of the circus.

The end-of-year presentation

An end-of-year presentation is organised so that students can showcase the work done during the season.

This experience allows one to discover the process leading from learning a discipline to presenting it to an audience.

Teenagers and adults

Teenagers have a learning path adapted to their development.

The Circo Joven group allows, in particular, for the development of physical skills specific to circus arts.

Psychomotor skills , social relationships and teamwork remain present, while technical requirements gradually increase.

La Casa del Circo also offers specialized courses for adults.

Floor acrobatics for adults

Ground acrobatics is the subject of a specific curriculum.

These sessions are aimed at both people who wish to discover the discipline and practitioners who already have some initial experience.

The work begins with physical preparation and the building of solid technical foundations .

Students gradually develop their movement capabilities.

• The vertical lines are integrated into the program.
• Rolls , twists , rotations , jumps and different entries and exits on the ground help to enrich the acrobatic vocabulary.
• The AirTrack and mini-trampoline can be used to work on momentum and some dynamic acrobatics.
• Acrobalances and techniques performed in pairs or groups complement this training.

The goal is to simultaneously develop technical language and possibilities for stage expression .

Specialized aerial disciplines

The aerial disciplines also have specialized courses.

One course is specifically dedicated to the trapeze and the aerial hoop .

Students learn to understand how the equipment works, balances, and weight distribution.

The technique is developed gradually in order to allow for a smoother and more autonomous practice.

Body expression accompanies technical learning.

Security and trust are essential elements of this progress.

Aerial silks classes

Aerial fabrics also have their own courses.

Body preparation is an integral part of the sessions.

Warm-up , strengthening , postural work , technical learning followed by stretching and relaxation structure the practice.

The work aims to develop coordination , laterality , strength , balance and concentration .

Creativity is also encouraged through phases of individual and collective research.

Discovery workshops and external interventions

Casa del Circo does not limit its activity to regular classes.

Discovery workshops are offered to schools, associations, families, groups and other structures.

These workshops explicitly use the circus as an educational tool .

Participants discover several families of disciplines during a single activity.

1. An area dedicated to acrobatics allows you to discover the first movements on AirTrack.
2. A second zone combines balances , juggling and object manipulation .
3. Other exercises help to develop agility , speed and body awareness .

The workshops are adapted to the age of the participants.

For younger children, the work aims in particular to develop psychomotor skills , confidence and family relationships .

In older children, the social dimension becomes more prominent.

Cooperation , relationships with others , and body awareness are developed through the activities.

For teenagers, practice allows them to gradually develop physical abilities more specific to circus arts.

School visits

School visits also include an introduction allowing participants to reflect on what the circus is.

This approach allows us to present circus arts as a true artistic field and not just as a succession of technical feats.

Participants then discover the disciplines through practice.

A short presentation can complement the workshop to show the importance of work, training and progress.

The facilities

Casa del Circo has facilities specially designed for these activities.

Theatre and the performing arts

Casa del Circo also hosts other practices related to the performing arts.

Theatre is one of the disciplines developed within the centre.

Theatrical work is based in particular on the body , movement , improvisation and creativity .

This proximity between circus and theatre fosters a cross-disciplinary approach to the stage.

The teaching staff

The teaching team is composed of instructors with diverse artistic and educational backgrounds.

• César A. Talavera , also known as Chéchare , is the originator of the project and leads the initiative.
• He notably participates in circus classes alongside Diana Montañés and Violeta Sebastián .
• Marta Clément is involved in professional circus training and aerial disciplines.
• Her background combines contemporary dance , dance-theatre , acrobatics , verticals and aerial disciplines .
• She trained in circus arts with various organizations, including the Escuela de Circo Carampa in Madrid.

This diversity of educational pathways fosters the school's multidisciplinary approach.

A pedagogy of the body and creativity

Circus practice is viewed as a way to develop the body, but also as a tool to strengthen creativity , confidence , cooperation and autonomy .

The teaching method prioritizes a progression adapted to the level of the participants.

Play occupies an important place in the lives of children.

With experience, students gradually develop more technique and artistic awareness .

A school for all ages

La Casa del Circo thus constitutes a space where it is possible to discover the circus arts from childhood and to continue their practice in adolescence and then in adulthood.

The diversity of disciplines allows one to experiment with several technical families before developing particular affinities.

• Acrobatics , aerial acrobatics , juggling , balancing acts and aerial disciplines constitute the main axes of circus arts.
• Verticals , body work , theatre and stage direction complete this training.
• School and family workshops reinforce the educational dimension of the project.

The school thus participates in the transmission of circus arts in Zaragoza by offering both regular practice, specialized training and discovery activities open to different audiences.