Vit'Anim

Presentation

Founded in Grenoble in October 1987 , Vitanim is a circus school and a circus arts training center that has been developing an educational , artistic , cultural and professional project for almost forty years .

Location and audience

Located at 7 rue Sidi-Brahim , near the Vallier-Libération crossroads, Vitanim welcomes a particularly wide audience: children, teenagers, adults, families, practitioners wishing to improve their skills and people preparing for a professional career in circus arts.

• Children
• Teenagers
• Adults
• Families
• Practitioners in advanced training
• People preparing for a professional career

Approvals and recognitions

The permanent amateur circus school is accredited by the French Federation of Circus Schools (FFEC) and belongs to the FREC Rhône-Alpes. It holds FFEC amateur circus accreditation number 38191. The school and its instructors are also accredited by the Ministry of National Education , and the institution is accredited by the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Popular Education .

Background and ages

Regular practice begins as early as age 3. Vitanim then supports children throughout their schooling, as well as teenagers and adults. For even younger children, parent-child workshops are offered as soon as they learn to walk, around 18 months old .

Pedagogy

Vitanim's teaching method is structured around five main areas : object balancing, acrobatics, aerial disciplines, juggling, and acting. Instruction is primarily based on thematic cycles, allowing students to explore a variety of practices before gradually delving deeper into the disciplines that best suit their interests.

The five families

• Balances on objects
• Acrobatics
• Aerial disciplines
• Juggling
• Acting

Detailed disciplines

Juggling

• Balls
• Diabolos
• Clubs
• Rings
• Scarves
• Devil sticks

Balances

• Thread
• Balance ball
• Rolla-bolla
• Unicycle

Acrobatics

• Ground work
• Human pyramids
• Mini-trampoline

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines occupy an important place in the school. Trapeze, aerial silks, aerial hoop and rope are the subject of specific courses, with offerings for both children and adults.

Pedagogical approach and benefits

Vitanim does not see learning as a pursuit of performance at all costs. On the contrary, its educational approach seeks to respect the unique characteristics of each participant and to foster their motor , emotional , and cognitive development while preserving their motivation and enjoyment of experimentation.

Circus arts are notably used as a tool for sensory awakening . Moving on a wire, riding a unicycle or performing on a trapeze confronts the body with unusual situations that develop coordination , balance , concentration , emotional control and self-knowledge .

The collective dimension is also essential. Students learn mutual support, parrying, working with partners, welcoming new practitioners and gradually autonomy in their training.

Advanced training and groups

During adolescence, students can develop a genuine technical and artistic project. Advanced groups allow selected practitioners to benefit from several weekly sessions and additional workshops.

Adults

Adults also have a wide range of options. Several two-hour courses are dedicated to multidisciplinary practice, aerial disciplines, or the creation and staging of shows. Some adults simply come to practice for enjoyment, while others use these courses to improve their skills or prepare for a career in the professional sector.

Internships

Workshops are another important aspect of Vitanim. During school holidays, the school offers circus workshops for children aged 3 to 15. The youngest children discover circus arts through circus skills, acrobatics, pyramids, juggling, balance, and mini-trampoline. Older children can practice tightrope walking, balance ball, rolla-bolla, unicycle, trapeze, and various forms of juggling.

Courses specifically dedicated to aerial disciplines are also organized for children from 8 years old and adults from 15 years old . They allow practice in trapeze, aerial hoop, silks and rope, with groups accessible to beginners as well as experienced practitioners.

Educational activities and work with specific audiences

Vitanim also develops a significant arts education activity. The school works in primary, middle and high schools, as well as in leisure centers and during various educational and cultural projects.

The school also works with specific audiences. Collaborations with IME , ESAT , ITEP and the CHAI allow it to offer circus activities adapted to people with disabilities or special needs.

This inclusive dimension complements an educational project that has long sought to adapt the activity to the abilities of each person rather than imposing a single model of progression.

Vocational training (long course)

The selection process includes a review of the application, tests of physical fitness, flexibility, acrobatics and juggling, followed by the presentation of an act and an interview to assess the project and the candidate's motivations.

Short course — Aristotle

Vitanim also offers a second professional training course called Aristote , dedicated to the design and facilitation of circus arts discovery workshops. Lasting 120 hours , it is aimed particularly at artists, instructors, and facilitators wishing to acquire pedagogical skills specific to the circus sector.

The organization benefits from Qualiopi quality certification for its training activities, which reinforces its positioning as a true professional training center in addition to the amateur school.

Artistic creation and festival

Artistic creation is also very present at Vitanim. Students can create acts and participate in shows. The school has regularly presented its creations within the FFEC network: in 2023, for example, it participated in the National Stages with "On-Off", a ball juggling act.

Short Film Festival

Vitanim also organizes its own event: the Courts-CIRCuits festival. Created in the late 2010s and organized annually since 2020, it seeks precisely to create links between amateur students, professional artists and the public.

The festival has been held since 2022 under Vitanim's pink and yellow big top, set up for the occasion in Lesdiguières Park in Seyssinet-Pariset. The program blends emerging companies, professional creations, amateur performances, experienced artists, and a closing cabaret with live music.

This event perfectly reflects Vitanim's project: to bring together learning, creation, performance and professionalization within the same circus environment.

Big Top

Services and events

Vitanim provides entertainment for a wide range of events: school parties, cultural events, seminars, team building activities, Christmas parties, weddings, and corporate events. They can offer workshops, shows, and street performances.

Educational continuity

In Grenoble, Vitanim is a particularly comprehensive structure. A child can start with a parent-child workshop around 18 months, join the permanent school from the age of 3, progress during their childhood and adolescence, join the advanced groups and then, if they wish to make circus their profession, apply for professional training.

This continuity between awakening, amateur practice, improvement, creation and professionalization constitutes one of the main characteristics of the school.

Conclusion

With nearly forty years of existence, its FFEC accreditation, its National Education accreditation, its Qualiopi certified professional training courses, its work with specific audiences, its school projects and its Courts-CIRCuits festival, Vitanim occupies an important place in the teaching and development of circus arts in Grenoble and in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes .