Zappelini – Der Junge Zirkus

Zappelini – Der Junge Zirkus is a circus school and project located in Nordhausen , Thuringia. Founded in 1995, Zappelini has been offering children, teenagers and adults in the region the opportunity to discover, practice and develop their circus arts for thirty years.

Origins and structure

The project was founded in 1995 by Christoph Nix , then director of the Nordhausen theater. Over the years, Zappelini has grown into an independent organization, now supported by the non-profit association studio44 eV.

A pedagogical approach

Zappelini has developed an approach that blends circus arts pedagogy with theatrical pedagogy. The team draws on several decades of experience in the artistic development of children and teenagers and continues to develop new methods with the participants.

The school promotes a broadly open approach. Beginners as well as experienced practitioners can join the activities, and the organization seeks to welcome people with different physical abilities, cultures, and backgrounds.

The subjects taught

Regular classes cover many disciplines. Children and teenagers can practice juggling , diabolo , devil stick , spinning plates , acrobatics , human pyramids , unicycle , trampoline and various forms of balance.

Aerial disciplines are also part of the curriculum. They are particularly developed during the summer period when some groups join the Zappelini big top and can work on aerial apparatus.

Acrobatics has its own course. Children gradually learn elements ranging from the wheel and acrobatic basics to somersaults, pyramids and different forms of group work.

Unicycling is also taught specifically. Zappelini offers groups that allow both beginners to start practicing and those progressing towards more difficult tricks and exercises.

Juggling is accessible to young people as well as adults. An open event welcomes jugglers aged 18 and over, from beginners to experienced practitioners, featuring traditional juggling, diabolo and devil stick.

The groups and courses offered

For younger children, Zappelini offers Monkey Island . This course allows children from around 5 years old to discover the world of the circus through games, stories, mats and various equipment adapted to their age.

The main group , Zappelini Zirkus, welcomes young artists aged approximately 8 to 16. They can experiment with different techniques such as acrobatics, juggling, diabolo, spinning plates and other circus objects before delving deeper into their favorite disciplines.

The program also includes Jump , a course that combines rope skipping, acrobatics, and trampoline. Young people work on jumps, rhythm, coordination, and various combinations using rope and trampoline.

Interventions in schools

Zappelini also works in schools in Nordhausen. Zirkus-AGs are offered in particular to the Käthe-Kollwitz-Schule and the Herder-Gymnasium .

These school workshops allow students to discover circus arts directly within their school. Juggling, rolls, balancing, pyramids, trampolining, and aerial disciplines can be part of the learning, depending on the group.

The organization also develops workshops for classes, kindergartens, various groups, and holiday camps. Zappelini can therefore reach beyond the participants enrolled in its weekly classes.

The circus as a development tool

Circus arts are used as a space for artistic discovery but also as a tool for personal and collective development. Participants work on coordination, strength, balance and body control while learning to cooperate with others.

Creativity plays a significant role in this pedagogy. The techniques learned are not considered solely as athletic performances: they can be used to create sequences, characters, choreographies, and shows.

Contemporary circus and advanced training

Zappelini also develops a significant activity around contemporary circus. Participants can thus discover artistic forms that combine circus techniques, movement, theatre, dramaturgy, music and stage creation.

This dimension is particularly evident in the training courses and workshops offered to older teenagers and adults. Guest artists contribute their expertise in specific disciplines and research related to contemporary circus.

In 2026 , the artistic development program includes, for example, workshops devoted to acrobatics, intuitive juggling, balance, the relationship between sound and acrobatics, as well as pantomime, physical theatre and stage presence.

Intergenerational projects and the big top

The organization also develops intergenerational projects. Zappalot & Zappelinchen, for example, brings grandparents and grandchildren together for circus activities adapted for children aged 4 to 8 .

Zappelini also has a major summer highlight. From April to July , some of the activities take place in its big top set up in Nordhausen, offering participants the opportunity to train in a real circus environment.

This big top also hosts BLUE BALLOON , a festival dedicated to contemporary and narrative circus. Professional companies and artists present their creations there to the Nordhausen public.

This professional programming complements the educational work: students not only discover the circus through their own training, but can also be confronted with current forms of circus creation.

Zappelini also develops training programs for people wishing to deepen their practice. The workshops provide an opportunity to meet different instructors and discover new techniques, creative methods, and artistic approaches.

The team

The permanent team includes an educational director and specialized coaches. The organization states that two trained circus coaches are available to support course participants.

Steffi Böttcher currently serves as the educational director of Zappelini. Alexander Jäger acts as a coach and Marina Rieger works in particular on the intergenerational project "Zirkus vereint Generationen".

A fully-fledged cultural structure

After more than thirty years of activity, Zappelini is much more than just a leisure workshop. It is simultaneously a circus school, an artistic education project, a place of creation, and a cultural structure actively participating in the development of contemporary circus in Nordhausen.

The diversity of ages and levels welcomed, the weekly classes, the collaborations with schools, the intergenerational projects, the training courses and the BLUE BALLOON festival allow Zappelini to accompany practitioners from their first discoveries of the circus to much more in-depth artistic forms.