Circus Workshops
Circus Elements have taught circus skills at many events, schools and other locations including festivals, community centres, and camps, and to people from age 4 to adult, abled and less-abled. Workshops can run as a “drop in” activity, or as a more structured workshop.

Circus Skills Available

• Juggling
• Unicycling
• Stilt walking
• Hoola hoops
• Adagio (acrobalance/human pyramids)
• Plate spinning
• Plate manipulation
• Diabolo
• Flower sticks
• Staff twirling (including fire twirling)
• Poi spinning
• Rola Bola
• Tumbling
• Mini tramp

Lesson Structure

Classes are available from 15 minutes to full day workshops. A 60 minute class typically includes:

• Clowning game - to loosen up, warm up the mind, and convey particular circus concepts
• Warm up and stretch – to warm up the body
• Circus skills – two or three of the below skills, taught in easy to understand steps, while still providing challenges
• Free time – participants are allowed to practice any of the skills they have learnt through the class or through the term

Details:
Number of participants: max 25
Duration: One off lessons (15min to a full day) to an eight week program
Facilities required: A well lit indoor area or a large sheltered area. If adagio, tumbling or mini tramp is taught, gymnastics mats and a mini tramp are also needed
Participant requirements: Clothing - comfortable shorts or trousers, closed shoes Long hair tied back recommended

Making circus props
Not all circus props have to be professionally manufactured or expensive; many can be made at school using ordinary objects. These include juggling balls, flower sticks, balance sticks, twirling staves & poi. An ideal complement to the circus skills workshop as it gives the participants the knowledge and experience in making props, with a tangible thing they can keep at the end (or contribute to the schools supply) for continued practice. This can either be integrated into the circus skills workshop or run as a separate workshop.

All equipment is supplied by Circus Elements, except gym mats and mini tramp, which are generally only required when teaching adagio and mini tramp.

The benefits of learning circus skills?

• physically active – participants can make the activities as intense or as mild as they require.
• non-competitive – involves those students that may be discouraged from participating in sports because of the fierce competition and alliances formed in many sporting activities. Students may work alone, but are also encouraged to work together and help build each other’s skills.
• mentally challenging – by the very nature of juggling, both left and right hemispheres of the brain are simultaneously engaged. Trying to co-ordinate both arms (and legs) provides a great brain workout, which can have spill-over effects of improved ability to concentrate in other areas of learning. Other circus skills provide stimulating mental challenges also.
• improved self-esteem and self-confidence through learning skills that may once have been thought to be impossible.
• performance skills may be developed, along with their associated benefits.
• resourcefulness – not all circus props have to be professionally manufactured or expensive; many can be made at school or home using ordinary objects.
• self-learning - breaking skills into smaller steps and then constructing these back into the complete picture, as well as learning how to use mistakes as important steps for learning.
• self discovery – the joy of playing with something new (or something already familiar) and finding different ways to use it.
• spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination may be improved through participation in many of the activities.
• experience a different aspect of the arts (or experience a part of the arts) for those that may not otherwise have the opportunity, or motivation.