Intended for foreign students who have completed secondary studies, the aim of this 3-Year higher-education program is to train professional circus artists, creators and performers. Upon completion, graduates are capable of creating and interpreting short circus works or numbers at a professional level. They are able to dance, act and sing. They can actively participate in every step of a single or collective work, as well as interpret existing works. Graduates will have learned to maintain good health as well as manage both creative projects and their careers. This program leads to a diploma from the National Circus School.
Educational and Artistic Approaches
This program emphasizes students' overall development. It comprises a general education along with practical training in the performing arts and in the 5 major disciplines of the circus arts: aerials, balancing, acrobatics, manipulation and clowning arts, as well as a theoretical grounding in related disciplines. 
In the early stages of specialized training, basic skills are mastered and versatility is developed. Then, depending upon personal interest, and physical and artistic ability, students may choose to generalize, mastering more than one circus discipline from among the various discipline groups. Or, they can opt to specialize in a single discipline.
In the final stage, students concentrate on developing and performing a personal creative project that applies their training to their own artistic vision. The end result is presented before an audience and constitutes the concrete demonstration and synthesis of all that was achieved during the program.
The program encompasses numerous opportunities for students to perform in front of peers or an audience, in particular the Annual Show.
The language of training is French. The candidate enrolling in the DEE program must have a functional knowledge of either French or English. A student who does not have sufficient mastery of the French language may be required to take additional language courses at the School.
Course schedule Diploma of National Circus School Studies (DEE)
| Year 1 (Fall Session) Introduction to Circus Arts Physical Conditioning 1 Floor Gymnastics 1 Balancing 1 Specialized Technique 1 Acting 1 Dance 1 Trampoline and flexibility 1 |
Year 1 (Winter Session) Physical Conditioning 2 Floor Gymnastics 2 Balancing 2 Juggling and Manipulation Aerial Acrobatics Specialized Technique 2 Acting 2 Dance 2 Trampoline and Flexibility 2 |
| Year 2 (Fall Session) Health and Safety Physical Conditioning 3 Specialized and Complementary Technique 1 Acting 3 Dance 3 Flexibility Circus Arts and Influences Devising and Producing a Number 1 |
Year 2 (Winter Session) Physical Conditioning 4 Psychological Preparation Floor Gymnastics 3 Specialized and Complementary Technique 2 Acting 4 Dance 4 Voice Researching Methodoloy Devising and Producing a Number 2 Performing a Number 1 |
| Year 3 (Fall Session) Specialized and Complementary Technique 3 Musicand Rythm 1 Dance 5 Devising and Producing a Number 3 Performing a Number 2 Career Management French as a Second Language 1 Anatomy 1 |
Year 3 (Winter Session) Physical Conditioning 5 |
Main disciplines and techniques offered as minors or majors
| Acrobatics Hand to hand (dynamic) Contortion Hoop Chair Ladder Russian Bar Russian Swing Chinese Pole Korean Board Teeterboard Trampoline Bicycle Icarian Games Rebound Straps German Wheel Cyr Wheel |
Balance Hand to hand (static) Balancing Ball Chair Stilts Ladder Unicycle Perch Rola-Bola Tight Wire Slack Wire Tight Rope |
Aerial Cradle : - Aerial - Korean - Spanish Web : - Single - Double - Triple - Cloud Swing Balancing trapeze Fixed trapeze Dance Trapeze Roman Rings Straps Hoop Silkss |
Manipulation Juggling Foot juggling Devil Stick Diabolo Clowning Arts |
The program schedule is intensive, and attendance is mandatory from morning till night all week long. Preparation for the Annual Show and/or for personal and group work frequently require additional weekend hours.
* Schedule is subject to change.
| Fees (in Canadian dollars)* | |
| Entrance Exam Participation Fee | $50 |
| Admission Fee | $200 |
| Incidental Fee | $165 |
| Tuition (payable in two equal payments) | $7 000 per year |
*Fees subject to change.
Fees include free access to the sports therapy clinic if needed.
The National Circus School Foundation offers assistance to students who lack sufficient financial resources through its bursary program. More info
Admission requirements
• Excellent health (medical certificate may be required)
• Successful completion of entrance examination
• Citizenship or residency in a country other than Canada
• Successful completion of secondary studies (at a level equivalent to Quebec secondary level diploma)
• Student visa and proof of accident and health insurance
Registration for the Entrance Exam
To take the Entrance Exam, candidates must complete the Entrance Exam Application Form, the General DEE Questionnaire, and attach all required documentation. It is important to send only one application per applicant and include all required documents, as well as entrance exam application fees.
Deadline to register for entrance exams of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver: January 15, 2014.
Completed forms must be received by the School or be postmarked at the latest by the deadline date, postmark providing proof of same.
*For the entrance exam of Paris and Buenos Aires, the deadline to register is December 15, 2013: The candidates must send all their digitized documents by email at registraire@enc.qc.ca before December 15, 2013. (The documents must be filled clearly in capital letters and in black ink).
Territorial Exemptions from Physical Presence at Entrance Examinations
A candidate who lives more than 1,000 kilometres from Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver may be exempt from the Entrance Exam, provided that his/her admission request is accompanied by a videocassette with contents that meet application requirements. For further information, candidates should consult the Territorial Exemptions from Physical Presence at Entrance Exams.
Documents to enclose with entrance application
For more information on the admissions policy, see this document. (In French only)
N.B. An incomplete request will be returned to the candidate who consequently will not be admitted to the entrance exam.
* Only legible copies of all documents are to be provided with the application. Candidates officially accepted into one of the programs must provide certified copies or originals of each document (originals will be returned to candidates via post).
| Fees (in Canadian dollars)* | |
| Entrance Exam Participation Fee | $50 |
| Admission Fee | $200 |
| Incidental Fee | $165 |
| Tuition (payable in two equal payments) | $7 000 per year |
*Fees subject to change.
Send Admission Documents to:
Registraire
National Circus School
8181 2nd Avenue
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
H1Z 4N9
Entrance exams are held in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The purpose of the test is to evaluate a candidate's potential and talent, and his or her capacity to acquire the skills at the level required by the program within the prescribed time.
| Entrance Examination Dates | |
| Montreal | February 2014 |
| Toronto | February 2014 |
| Vancouver | February 2014 |
| Paris |
January 2014 |
| NEW Buenos Aires* | Dates to be confirmed 2014 |
Deadline to register for the entrance exam of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver: January 15, 2014
Deadline to register for the entrance exam of Paris and Buenos Aires: December 15, 2013
Only candidates who have registered for the Entrance Exam and have received written confirmation from the School will be allowed to take the exam. Candidates must be available for the entire duration of the audition. For a full description of the Entrance Examination requirements : Entrance Examination Description Sheet DEE.
Registering for the Entrance Examination
To take the Entrance Exam, candidates must complete the Entrance Exam Application Form, the General DEE Questionnaire, and attach all required documentation. It is important to send only one application per applicant and include all required documents, as well as entrance exam application fees. (consult the ''how to register'' section)
Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Paris : The candidate who has registered for the Entrance Exam and who received a written invitation from the School, are allowed to take the entrance exam.
*Buenos Aires : All candidates who wish to attend the Entrance Examination in Buenos Aires must undergo the pre-selection process. When applying for admission, applicants must send a DVD with content that meets the requirements. Only pre-selected candidates who have received official notification in writing from the School may attend the Entrance Exam in Buenos Aires. The Entrance Exam venue and date will be communicated in the notice.
For information and documents in spanish on the entrance exam
Territorial Exemptions from Physical Presence at Entrance Examinations
A candidate who lives more than 1,000 kilometres from Montreal (Quebec), Toronto (Ontario), Vancouver (British Columbia), Paris (France) or Buenos Aires (Argentina) may be exempt from the Entrance Exam, provided that his/her admission request is accompanied by a videocassette with contents that meet application requirements. For further information, candidates should consult the Territorial Exemptions from Physical Presence at Entrance Exams.
Completed forms must be received by the School or be postmarked at the latest by the deadline date, postmark providing proof of same.
The National Circus School Foundation Bursary Program
Vital Financial Aid for Aspiring Circus Artists
Skills, talent, and determination are the only criteria for entrance into the National Circus School. It is the principle of the School and the Foundation that no qualified student who wishes to pursue their studies at the School will be unable to attend or be required to withdraw from a program at the National Circus School for financial reasons.
The NSCF Bursary is a non-repayable grant that is awarded on the basis of financial need and provides vital financial support to students who cannot handle the full cost of tuition and related expenses.
Established in 2006, the Bursary program is made possible through an endowment created through donations from individuals, foundations and corporations. This capital is invested in perpetuity and generates yearly revenue which provides a long-term source of income to disburse bursaries each year.
If you don’t think you have the financial resources to attend the National Circus School, the NSC Foundation Bursary may be a vital source of financial support for you.
Program Highlights
• The Program is open to all full time students, both Canadian and international students.
• Since 2006, over 75 % of students seeking financial aid have qualified and have received a bursary.
• On average each year, 3 out of 10 students enrolled in the college and high-school programs receive a bursary from the Foundation.
• Bursary amounts disbursed since 2006 have ranged from $500 to $4,500 resulting in an average bursary value of nearly $2,000.
Eligibility
• Students must be registered and enrolled in a National Circus School program at the time of application in order to be eligible.
• Applications for students under the age of 18 enrolled in the high school-circus arts studies or preparatory program must be completed by consenting parents.
Note: Students who apply for and receive government loans from their province of origin are still admissible to the Foundation Bursary Program.
How to apply?
To be considered for a bursary, eligible students must complete the application form and include the required documents. Information provided on the applications will be tabulated and undergo a confidential process of evaluation. Recommendations will be reviewed by the Bursary Evaluation Committee, who is appointed each year by the Foundation Board of Directors. nommé par le conseil d’administration de la Fondation.
Application Deadline : October 1st, 2013
Upgrade Program
This program is aimed at the candidate whodemonstrates the potential to undertake advanced training but lacks the required physical or artistic skills.
The Upgrade Program consists of skills and courses in basic circus techniques and disciplines. The student is able to participate in general training as well as the various courses specific to the higher education program. Conditional admission is granted for the period of one year, after which the student must re-take the Entrance Exam for final admission to the program.