The Sun of Serzais

The Sun of Serzais

Le Soleil de Serzais is an association and school specializing in aerial circus arts, located in Saint-Hilaire-des-Loges in the Vendée region. Its premises, named Terres Aériennes, were designed as a space for practice, transmission, training, research and encounters around aerial disciplines.

Founded in 2022, the association develops a project deliberately different from a traditional multidisciplinary circus school. Here, the identity is clearly centered on aerial arts: aerial silks, rope, straps and hammock constitute the main disciplines taught and practiced.

• Main disciplines: aerial silks
• Main disciplines: smooth rope
• Main disciplines: straps
• Main disciplines: hammock

The project is led in particular by Léna Warnitz , an aerialist, educator, and the school's liaison with the French Federation of Circus Schools. Her artistic practice is particularly associated with the smooth rope and straps, disciplines which she also teaches in other organizations during workshops and courses.

Educational offer

Terres Aériennes ' teaching program aims to bring together practitioners with very different skill levels. Weekly classes are accessible to beginners as well as intermediate levels. The teaching method is based on progressive exercises that allow the exercises to be adapted to each individual within the same session.

The workout begins with a thorough warm-up designed to prepare the body for the targeted exercises. The technical sequences are built up progressively over the course of the sessions and end with stretching exercises to aid recovery after exertion while gradually developing flexibility.

• Phases of a session: complete warm-up
• Phases of a session: progressive technical sequences
• Phases of a session: stretching and recovery

In Saint-Hilaire-des-Loges, the weekly program includes a class dedicated to aerial straps, specific time for physical conditioning and flexibility, and a class in aerial silks and rope. Another weekly silks and rope class is offered in La Roche-sur-Yon.

This organization allows us to work on both the technique on apparatus and the physical qualities essential to aerial practice: strength, mobility, flexibility, coordination, core stability, body awareness and understanding of movement.

• strength
• mobility
• flexibility
• coordination
• sheathing
• body awareness
• understanding of movement

Internships and speakers

Terres Aériennes also offers advanced training courses. Ranging from three hours to several days, these courses allow for a much more in-depth exploration of technical topics. Some require prerequisites to ensure sufficiently homogeneous groups and allow for appropriate progression.

External instructors are regularly invited to these workshops. Conversely, Léna Warnitz teaches in various studios and schools in the region and beyond, sharing her aerial practice.

Youth and season

The project is also aimed at children and teenagers. Specific workshops have been developed for young people around aerial silks and hammocks, with an approach combining learning figures, understanding and verbalizing movement, and creative exploration.

During the 2025-2026 season, for example, a program for 8-14 year olds ran from October to June. However, the youth program offerings for the 2026-2027 season are not yet published in sufficient detail to allow for a definitive announcement of a new annual schedule.

Adults currently make up the main audience for regular practice. The municipality of Saint-Hilaire-des-Loges still offers weekly adult classes open to beginners, monthly advanced training courses, and opportunities for independent practice in 2026.

The association also offers private workshops. A family or group of friends can book a session to discover aerial circus arts, either at the Terres Aériennes site or, if the infrastructure allows for safe practice, at their home.

One of Terres Aériennes' key features is its self-contained training space. This option caters to both experienced practitioners and professional artists seeking a fully equipped space to continue their training.

Terres Aériennes is also among the identified training grounds for professional circus artists. This function complements its educational activities and makes the site a true resource center dedicated to aerial arts.

Since 2023, Terres Aériennes has been developing a genuine residency program. Artists and companies can use the space for writing, research, and creation without any systematic obligation to produce a performance or public presentation.

When the teams wish, a residency can, however, lead to a work outing, a school visit, or an exchange with local residents. A meeting between artists and the public is then organized after the presentation.

This freedom given to the teams reflects the desire to offer a genuine research space, and not simply a place requiring a return on investment in terms of activities from the companies hosted.

Artistic activity — Malt Company

The artistic project is also developed through the Compagnie Malt . This company offers dance and aerial circus performances for both indoor and outdoor events.

• The company works primarily with aerial silks and rope.
• Among her creations is "God is a woman", an aerial silks act created in 2022.
• “Search Find”, a smooth rope performance created in 2023.
• “Circus Stories”, aerial trio created in 2024.
• "The Act", also built around the smooth rope.

These creations have been presented at various festivals and events in France. They help maintain a direct link between the educational practice of Terres Aériennes and a professional artistic activity.

Annual Event — Aerial Freaks

The organization's major annual event is Aerial Freaks. This gathering is entirely dedicated to aerial disciplines and allows practitioners to come together for several days for classes, workshops, open training sessions and group activities.

The fourth edition took place from August 12 to 16, 2026 in Saint-Hilaire-des-Loges. It offered several days of practice and improvement, with the possibility of having meals and sleeping on site.

• Gathering centered on the smooth rope, aerial silks and straps.
• Possible complementary practices: yoga, dance, stage presence work.
• Artistic and festive dimension: shows, open stage and DJ set.

In 2026, the weekend concluded with Cirque x Groove on August 14th and 15th, featuring shows, an open stage for aerial circus acts, and a DJ set. The lineup included performances by the Madam Kanibal company and trapeze artist Marta Matovelle.

The event thus brings together amateur practitioners, established artists, teachers and the public around a common specialty: aerial circus.

Le Soleil de Serzais belongs to the French Federation of Circus Schools and to FREC Atlantique. This affiliation places the structure within the regional network of circus schools while maintaining its strong technical specialization.

Terres Aériennes is therefore simultaneously a specialized school, a training space, a place for skill development, and a creative hub. Its structure allows beginners to discover aerial arts, intermediate practitioners to attend regular classes, experienced aerialists to participate in technical workshops, and professional companies to have a space to create.

• initiation
• regular practice
• improvement
• self-training
• professional creation

This continuity between initiation, regular practice, improvement, autonomous training and professional creation constitutes one of the main singularities of Soleil de Serzais.

Within the landscape of circus schools in Vendée, this structure occupies a very specific place. Rather than multiplying disciplines, it concentrates its expertise on aerial work and develops a true community of practitioners and artists around it.

In Saint-Hilaire-des-Loges, Terres Aériennes is today a place to learn, train, transmit, experiment, create and present aerial circus, with particular attention paid to fabric, smooth rope, straps and hammock.