The National Circus School (french: École nationale de cirque) is a professional

circus school Circus schools are institutions that offer professional and sometimes degree-level training in various circus skills such as acrobatics, aerial arts, object manipulation, and other specialized physical skills. The rise of the circus school as ...

located in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

, Canada. It is for higher education in the art of circus. The NCS also offers academic subjects at the secondary and

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

levels. It is one of the only

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...

school in the Americas to offer professional programs in circus arts: Preparatory program, Circus and High School Studies, and Higher Education in Circus arts. It also prepares professional circus arts educators.

History

In 1981 at the Immaculate Conception Center, a

begins to attract young artists interested in theatrical

acrobatics Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...

. Soon the Immaculate Conception Center could no longer contain the rapid growth of the National Circus School (NCS). In 1989 the school moved to the Dalhousie station facilities in

Old Montreal Old Montreal (French: ''Vieux-Montréal'') is a historic neighbourhood within the municipality of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Home to the Old Port of Montreal, the neighbourhood is bordered on the west by McGill Street, on th ...

. The only institution to offer professional circus teaching in North America, the NCS has become one of the world's circus schools. The need to train a greater number of versatile and highly skilled artists, by now the hallmark of the

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

circus, is apparent. The NCS launches into a new phase of growth that sees it relocating to the Cité des Arts du Cirque as a founding member, along with

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...

and En Piste, the national network for circus arts. In 2003 the NCS completes the move to a new building custom built to its specifications in the heart of Tohu, as this new complex is known. In addition to circus arts training, the NCS also offers academic subjects at the

secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...

and

levels.

Programs

Preparatory program

The first level of training, this extracurricular program is aimed at students 9 to 13 years old. This program allows students to continue their

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

in another school. Disciplines taught during the program are

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad r ...

, physical training, manipulation, balancing,

and aerials.

Circus and High School Studies Program

This arts/academic program is offered to students in Grades 7 through 11. It combines required academic subjects as outlined by the Quebec secondary school curriculum with professional training in the circus arts. After obtaining their

high school diploma A high school diploma or high school degree is a North American academic school leaving qualification awarded upon high school graduation. The high school diploma is typically obtained after a course of study lasting four years, from grade 9 to gra ...

, students pursue higher education through the Diploma of Collegial Studies in Circus Arts (DEC) program. The following academic subjects are taught as outlined by the secondary teaching schedule of the

Quebec Ministry of Education The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (in French: Ministère de l’Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur, abbreviated as MEES) is the government ministry of Quebec that governs education, recreation, and sports. The minister is the ...

: French, English, mathematics, science and technology, human biology, geography, social studies, history, economics, career choice, morality instruction and personal and social development. Disciplines taught during the program are dance, acting, physical preparation, manipulation, balancing, acrobatics and aerials. French is the language of instruction for both academic subjects and circus art training. However, the School's French immersion program favors Canadian students who have not previously attended a French-language school.

Diploma of Collegial Circus School Studies

This 3-year program marks the pinnacle of higher education in the circus arts and leads directly to a professional career. Graduates receive a college diploma, Diploma of Collegial Studies in Circus Arts or DEC, from the Quebec Ministry of Education. Intended for Canadian and French students who have completed their high school studies, the program combines specialized training in the circus and theatre arts with a general college education. The general education component includes courses in

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

(French or English),

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

and a second language. Specialized training in circus arts, technical courses: physical conditioning, dance, acting, voice and music, performance and creation as well as basic and advanced techniques of aerials, acrobatics, balancing and manipulation. Theory courses: circus history, applied

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

methodology In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

, staging techniques and

career The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defin ...

management. Training is given in French.

Diploma of National Circus Studies

Intended exclusively for foreign students who have completed their

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

studies, this 3-year program constitutes the final phase of higher education in the circus arts. Graduates receive a

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

from the School or DEE, as they prepare for a professional career. Specialized training includes courses in physical technique, dance, acting, voice and music, as well as the basic techniques for aerials, acrobatics, balancing and manipulation. Courses in theoretical and applied anatomy, nutrition, staging techniques and career management complement practical subjects. Students continue their training in the circus arts through courses in their chosen minor and/or major from among 5 disciplines: aerials, balancing, acrobatics, manipulation and clowning arts.

Intensive summer camps

This summer program in the form of a two-week intensive summer camp allows young people ages 13 to 17 to experience professional training in circus arts. Activities are scheduled 5 days a week, 6 hours per day, and represent a balance between learning physical techniques such as physical conditioning, flexibility, acrobatics, trampoline and "powertrack" with receiving an introduction to such circus arts as aerials, manipulation and balancing. Creative and acting workshops are among the many diverse activities that complement the training participants receive, culminating in performing before an audience.

Student services

The school offers a range of services such as on-campus housing, a library, a scholarship program, food services and health services.

External links

École Nationale de Cirque (Montreal, Canada) Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecole Nationale De Cirque Art schools in Canada Private subsidized colleges in Quebec Circus schools Performing arts education in Canada Universities and colleges in Montreal Private universities and colleges in Canada