The Salto

Presentation

Salto is a circus arts school located in Alès, in the Gard department. Founded in 1987 by the Archaos company in partnership with the City of Alès, it is one of the historic circus schools in the south of France. It is situated on the former Rochebelle mining site, now part of the city's Cultural and Scientific Center.

Historical

The school was inaugurated on November 14, 1987 on the site of the former Rochebelle Glassworks, near the Mine Témoin. Since then, it has progressively developed a project combining amateur practice, arts education, interventions with specific audiences, hosting artists and supporting young people wishing to pursue careers in the circus arts.

Educational project

Salto's educational approach is based on a holistic conception of circus arts. Technical training allows students to develop numerous physical and personal qualities: dexterity , strength , flexibility , willpower , consistency , expression , and creativity . Relationships with others also play a vital role through trust , support, camaraderie, play, and teamwork.

Pedagogical approach

The school views play as a genuine learning tool. Circus arts combine physical activity, artistic expression, enjoyment, and personal development. The teaching approach seeks to respect each participant's pace and rejects a logic based solely on performance.

Target audiences and pathways

The recreational classes welcome an extremely wide audience, from young children to adults. Salto advertises accessible classes for ages 3 to 99 and guides its students from discovery to initiation and then to advanced training.

Regular courses and workshops

Regular classes cover a wide range of disciplines and are complemented by workshops during school holidays. These workshops allow children to discover or explore different circus arts in a fun and safe environment.

• Objectives of the internships: coordination, motor skills, rhythm, self-confidence and confidence in others, relationship to height, expression and creativity.
• Pedagogy focused on the collective, mutual support, enjoyment and self-improvement, without a spirit of competition.
• The possibility of concluding with a presentation open to families and loved ones.

Subjects taught

Juggling, balancing and aerial arts (details)

Juggling

• Balls
• Clubs
• Diabolo
• Devil's stick
• Scarves
• Manipulation hoops

Balances on objects

• Balance ball
• Barrel
• Rolla-bolla
• Coil
• Stilts
• Unicycle

Aviation sector

• Trapezius muscles
• Aerial hoop
• Fabrics
• Rope
• Flying trapeze (specialized approach)
• Mini-flying (specialized approach)

Artistic expression and staging

Expression complements technical training: body, voice, acting, and clowning allow for the gradual transformation of learning movements into artistic expression. Stage presence and the ability to create a performance for an audience are integral parts of the pedagogy.

Arts education and local initiatives

Salto develops a significant artistic and cultural education activity. For many years, the school has worked with schools in the Alès area and also welcomes leisure centers, youth centers and various organized groups.

This activity takes the form of one-off introductory sessions as well as more structured projects. The team works in Alès and the surrounding towns and has extensive experience teaching circus arts to very diverse audiences.

Accessibility and inclusion

Welcoming people with disabilities is explicitly part of the Salto project. The school states among its missions that it teaches children, adults, students, artists and people with disabilities, considering circus arts as a popular art and game capable of adapting to everyone's abilities.

Professional Practices and Residencies

Salto is not limited to amateur practice: recreational students, professional artists, and young circus artists in training coexist in the same space. Artists have free training time, and the school hosts resident companies, fostering exchanges between different levels of practice.

The cultural context of Rochebelle reinforces this dynamic: the Cultural and Scientific Hub hosts several major players, including La Verrerie d'Alès, National Circus Hub Occitanie, where professional creation, dissemination and amateur practice coexist.

Advanced Training — The Lab

The Lab is a class for experimentation and training in circus arts developed since 2014. This course prepares students for entry into certifying and higher circus schools, for circus teaching diplomas and for entry into the active life of live performance.

Amateur creation and journey

Salto supports the creative work of amateur students and participates in meetings of the federal network. Several creations have been presented at the National Showcases of the French Federation of Circus Schools.

• 2023: "The Ball", a creation of acrobatics and lifts.
• 2024: “Confidence and confidence”, selected in the acrobatics-lifts family.

Networks and recognition

Events

A historical highlight is Circus Week, organized in Alès since the early 2000s to showcase student creations, promote young artists and welcome professional proposals in a festive context.

The 2026 edition took place from June 19 to 21 and highlighted the work done throughout the year by the students in the recreational courses.

Conclusion

After nearly forty years of activity, Le Salto occupies a unique place in the circus scene of Alès: initiation, advanced training, amateur creation, workshops, arts education, welcoming people with disabilities, professional training, residencies, and preparation for career paths all coexist within a single project. Its proximity to the cultural stakeholders of Rochebelle and its history linked to Archaos make it an important witness to the development of contemporary circus arts in Alès.