National Circus Project is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

not-for-profit educational organization in the

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. The organization was founded in 1984 by JeanPaul Jenack and Meryl Shaffer to teach

circus skills Circus skills are a group of disciplines that have been performed as entertainment in circus, sideshow, busking, or variety, vaudeville, or music hall shows. Most circus skills are still being performed today. Many are also practiced by non-perfo ...

in school, as a way to combine physical movement and the arts. Program specialists are recruited from the professional circus world, variety arts and educational organizations, such as physical education colleges and the Academy of Circus Arts in the UK. On May 22, 1990, the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

issued a commendation to the National Circus Project for "helping to further the cause of international understanding" through an international artist exchange program, bringing artists from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

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Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, and

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Statistics

*Total show audience - 3,558,290 *Total student/camper performances - 784 *Total student/camp audience- 307,440 *Total circus workshops - 55,068 *Total circus workshops participants - 1,974,256 *Total participants - 5,839,683

References

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External links

National Circus Project websiteGeorge A. Jackson ES 2008 Student Circus Video
Circus-related organizations Circus schools