Nayarit has a circus school created by the co-founder of Cirque Du Soleil.

In 2011, Gilles Ste-Croix, the co-founder and Creative Guide of Cirque Du Soleil, along with his wife Monique Voyer, envisioned a performance with the children of the “Entre Amigos” Community Education Center in San Francisco, Nayarit, to raise funds for the center. With support from Cirque Du Soleil’s Cirque du Monde program, which donated equipment, along with friends from Canada, international artists from Cirrus Cirkus, and hundreds of local volunteers, the first Circo de Los Niños show, “When Dreams Didn’t Exist Yet,” was born in March 2011.

The success of this initial creation inspired Gilles Ste-Croix and Monique Voyer to support the Social Circus program, which continued the children’s training and laid the foundation for what would later become the “Circo de Los Niños de San Pancho” arts school.

First Performance: A Total Success

In 2014, the school debuted a 90-minute show titled “ORALE,” designed and sponsored by Gilles Ste-Croix and Monique Voyer. Special equipment was donated by Cirque Du Soleil and Solotech. The Circo de Los Niños team, alongside over 100 local volunteers and parents, helped bring this stunning performance to life. The premiere took place at Plaza del Sol in San Pancho, with 60 children as the stars of the evening.

That same year, the Government of Nayarit donated an old town warehouse to establish the circus school, which today has over 140 children enrolled in its circus arts training program.

Looking Ahead

The recently inaugurated dance hall and forum aim to serve as a cultural center open to various artistic performances by both local and visiting groups interested in participating in this project.

“El Circo de Los Niños” is located in San Pancho, Nayarit, at Avenida Tercer Mundo #15. You can visit, enroll in classes, volunteer, or make a donation to support the growth of this important project. Learn more at: https://circodelosninosdesanpancho.mx/.