École nationale de cirque

École nationale de cirque
Name	École nationale de cirque
Established	1981
Type	Private vocational school
Location	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Campus	Urban

École nationale de cirque is a professional circus school founded in Montreal in 1981 that trains performers across disciplines such as aerials, clowning, juggling, and acrobatics. The school has influenced Canadian and international circus networks through pedagogues, companies, and festivals, and its graduates populate stages associated with contemporary circus troupes, arts institutions, and international productions.

History

The institution was created amid a North American and European resurgence of contemporary circus linked to entities like Cirque du Soleil, Les Arts Sauts, Cirque Plume, Compagnie Philippe Genty, Mummenschanz, Théâtre du Châtelet, and Royal National Theatre. Early collaborators and instructors included artists from L'Illusion Comique, Groupe Acrobatic, Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Académie Fratellini, Moscow State Circus School, State Circus and Variety Arts, and the National Circus School (Montreal) movement. Founders engaged with municipal and provincial cultural agencies such as Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Canada Council for the Arts, Ministry of Culture and Communications (Quebec), and networks connected to UNIMA, ASSITEJ, and IACA. During the 1990s and 2000s the school formed partnerships with productions and touring companies including Cirque Éloize, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, Compagnie du Hanneton, Sismo, Peur(s) de cristal, and festivals like Festival Montréal en Lumière and Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Institutional development involved collaborations with venues such as Place des Arts, Théâtre Maisonneuve, Centre Pierre-Péladeau, and support from foundations including La Fondation Marcelle et Jean Coutu and The Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Campus and Facilities

The campus in Montreal comprises specialized spaces comparable to facilities at National Centre for Circus Arts, L'École Nationale de Cirque de Châlons-en-Champagne, and conservatories like Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and École supérieure d'art dramatique. Training halls include spring floors and rigging systems used in productions at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts, Olympic Stadium, and touring rigs compatible with standards of Cirque du Soleil and Royal Shakespeare Company technical crews. The site houses rehearsal studios, physiotherapy and sport science suites similar to those employed by Institut national du sport du Québec, voice rooms comparable to Juilliard School facilities, and workshops for costume and prop construction akin to practices at National Theatre Workshop of Great Britain and Comédie-Française ateliers. On-site administration liaises with grantors like Department of Canadian Heritage, unions such as Canadian Actors' Equity Association, and residency programs modeled after Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and MacDowell.

Programs and Curriculum

Programs combine vocational and artist training influenced by methods from Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Vladimir Lyubov, Gheorghe Zamfir-style breath techniques, and athletic conditioning seen at National Institute of Circus Arts. Curriculum covers aerial rope, trapeze, tissu, static trapeze, tightwire, roda, hoop, juggling, hand-to-hand, partner acrobatics, clown, physical theatre, choreography, and show production with modules referencing repertoire from Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, Compagnie Kaori Ito, and pedagogical frameworks derived from Cours Florent, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and École de Mime Corporel Dramatique. Cross-disciplinary study includes anatomy and injury prevention taught with principles used at McGill University health sciences departments and sports psychology modeled on practices at University of British Columbia performance labs. Production courses address tour logistics, stage management, and lighting designs in the lineage of technicians from Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Sadler's Wells.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni have joined international companies and projects including Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, Cirque Plume, Compagnie XY, Mimbre, Guerilla Zoo, Samaritans, and worked with directors and choreographers such as Robert Lepage, Wajdi Mouawad, Jérôme Bel, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Pina Bausch, DV8 Physical Theatre, Ariane Mnouchkine, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Emma Rice, Katie Mitchell, Fabrice Murgia, and Mauro Bigonzetti. Faculty and guest teachers have included specialists connected to Jacques Lecoq, Philippe Gaulier, Yoshi Oida, Nathalie Béasse, Cristina Caprioli, Étienne Saglio, Guy Caron, David Dimitri, Francesco Scavetta, Dominique Mahé, and health experts affiliated with McGill University Health Centre. Graduates have been recognized with awards such as Canadian Screen Awards, Prix Gémeaux, Bessie Awards, Félix Awards, Dora Mavor Moore Award, Laurence Olivier Award, and international festival commissions from Avignon Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Performances and Festivals

Productions involving students and faculty are presented at venues and events including Festival Montréal Complètement Cirque, Festival TransAmériques, Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Festival Just for Laughs, Festival d'Avignon, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Spoleto Festival USA, Festival Internacional Cervantino, Jacob's Pillow, Lincoln Center Festival, Sadler's Wells, and touring circuits linked to Festival de Théâtre de rue d'Aurillac and Lehmann Maupin. The school stages annual showcases in spaces like Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Espace Go, Théâtre Maisonneuve, and partners on co-productions with Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, and international presenters such as Arcola Theatre, Staatsoper, and Komische Oper Berlin. Festival programming often intersects with residencies at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and exchanges with institutions like National Centre for Circus Arts and Ecole Nationale de Cirque de Châlons.

Admissions and Training Philosophy

Admissions follow audition processes akin to those used by Juilliard School, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique, and London Studio Centre, emphasizing technical skill, creativity, and physical capacity. The pedagogical approach integrates physical training, dramaturgy, and collaborative creation drawing on methodologies from Jacques Lecoq, Philippe Gaulier, Eugenio Barba, Grotowski', and contemporary circus innovators like Guy Laliberté and Jean-François Bernier. Health and safety protocols align with standards from Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (Ontario), Health Canada advisories, and sports medicine practices associated with Institut National du Sport du Québec. Career services connect students with agencies, producers, and festivals including Cirque du Soleil Recruitment, Artistic Directors of National Circus Festivals, and international booking networks.

Category:Circus schools