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 a venue for the transmission of traditional circus arts and the formalized research of new acts is a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of the circus.
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Professional circus schools
Professional circus schools offer formal, expert-level training in circus skills for performers pursuing a professional career in circus.
Among the world's currently active professional circus schools are: Kyiv Academy of Circus and Variety Arts (the Kyiv Academy of Circus and Variety Arts, Ukraine), École nationale de cirque (the Canadian National Circus School in Montreal, Canada), Dans och Cirkushögskolan (DOCH, the University of Dance and Circus in Stockholm, Sweden), the New England Center for Circus Arts (Brattleboro, VT, USA), Westchester Circus Arts Center (Tarrytown, NY, USA), the Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque (Brussels, Belgium), the National Institute of Circus Arts (Melbourne, Australia), the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (Châlons-en-Champagne, France), the Lido (Toulouse, France), the New York Circus Arts Academy (New York City, USA), Circomedia (Bristol, UK), The UK National Centre for Circus Arts (formerly The Circus Space, in London, UK), Cirkus Cirkör (Stockholm, Sweden), the Circus Center (San Francisco, USA), Philadelphia School of Circus Arts (Philadelphia, USA), The Actors Gymnasium (Evanston, IL, USA), Sky Candy (Austin, USA), The Flying Fruit Fly Circus (Albury, Australia), ACAPA (Academy for Circus and Performance Art) (Tilburg, Netherlands), Codarts Circus Arts (Rotterdam, Netherlands), and Aloft Loft (Chicago, USA), and Kinetic Arts Center (Oakland, CA USA)
Based in Brussels, the European Federation of Professional Circus Schools (FEDEC) is an international network for vocational circus arts training. FEDEC maintains links with dozens of professional circus schools with the aim of furthering the evolution of pedagogy and creation in the field of circus arts education.
Circus programs within degree-awarding academic institutions
Training in the circus arts is also offered by certain university programs and student interest clubs at colleges and universities.
Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States. It is a program that was founded in 1929 and is part of the College of Applied Science and Technology at ISU. Florida State University Flying High Circus is a collegiate circus that was founded in 1947 as an extracurricular activity club. To be a member of this circus, members must be students who are registered and seeking degrees from FSU.
Student interest clubs that offer students the chance to train recreationally in contemporary circus arts include Cirque NouveaU: An Aerial Arts Club at Northwestern University, a club that offers ground skill workouts in partner balancing and tumbling to undergraduates.