The National Circus School () is a professional circus school located in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, 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'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

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 unicy ...

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 circus school begins to attract young artists interested in theatrical

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

. 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 (, ) is a historic List of neighbourhoods in Montreal, neighbourhood within the List of municipalities in Quebec, municipality of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Home to the Old Port of Montreal, the neighbourhood is b ...

. 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 is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

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 (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...

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 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 Work ...

in another school. Disciplines taught during the program are

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. 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 who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...

, 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 (sometimes referred to as a high school degree) is a diploma awarded upon graduation of high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary s ...

, 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: 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. In addition, 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 Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

(French or English),

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

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 morphology concerned with the study of the internal 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 scien ...

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 has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

and

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

, staging techniques and

career A career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work (human activity), work and other aspects of personal life, life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ...

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, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

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 offi ...

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