The course and the teaching team
The pedagogical programme set up by the CNAC's Ecole Nationale Supérieure (Higher National School) in Châlons-en-Champagne is part of the Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel d'Artiste de Cirque (DNSP-AC) (Higher National Professional Diploma for Circus Artists).
Courses taught during the three-year programme aim to allow each student to achieve the objectives set by the diploma, in the perspective of optimum professionalization. The objectives are as follows :
-to practice the art of a performing circus artist,
-maintain and develop one's artistic abilities and skills as a performer,
-enhance one's skills and build a career path.
Teaching methods ans the CNAC's pedagogical team
The courses that make up the Dnsp are taught by a team composed partly of permanent teachers (specialised circus disciplines) and partly of outside contributors who are performing arts professionals. The team may change each year.
Management of HIGHER EDUCATION (Ensac) and PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION UNIT (Cip) : Mathieu Antajan
Specialized circus disciplines with :
Permanent Cnac teachers
Witold (Witek) Nowotynski Acrobatics, balancing acts, acrobatic lifts
Dirk Schambacher Silks, Cyr wheel, Chinese pole, aerial straps, german wheel
Marie Seclet Aerials (aerial cradle, swinging trapeze, rope, silks, static trapeze, cloud swing)
Arnaud Thomas Teeterboard, trampoline, cradle, korean cradle, aerial swinging
Isona Dodero Acrobatics, aerial disciplines
Professionnal contributors
Olivier Burlaud Juggling
Jonathan Lardillier Juggling
Sylvestre Dewa Juggling
Neta Oren Juggling
Sébastien Brun Acrobatics, trampoline, bascule
Rémy Balagué, Acrobatics, wire, lifts, bascule
Anthony Lefebvre Physical training, trampoline, acrobatics, anatomy, movement analysis
DANCE Benjamin Kahn, Karima Khelifi
MUSIC Christophe Morisset
Since the start of the 2020 school year, a partnership with the Châlons-en-Champagne conservatory has contributed to the expansion of teaching practices through the involvement of:
Quentin Meurisse: Computer-assisted music (optional course)
Emmanuelle Guervala, Vincent Boudesocque and Nina Khokham: Dance anthology
Amélie Imbert: Choral singing
THEATRE Olivier Antoine, Laura Pazzola
SHOW ARTS & TECHNIQUES :
- Safety with Katrin Wolf and Jean-Charles Le Gac / CNAC
- Rigging with Katrin Wolf, Jean-Charles Le Gac, Guillaume Bes and Marcello Parisse / CNAC
- Safety and circus tent assembly with Julien Mugica
- Sound, light, mounting and stage design with Jérôme Fèvre, Conservatoire de musique de Châlons-en-Champagne
FRENCH (in foreign language) with Christophe Multon
APPLIED MATHEMATICS Jean-Charles Le Gac / CNAC
Theory classes
The history and theory of ideas and forms / The history of corporal representation with Bernard Andrieu, philosopher, a professor at the Paris-Descartes university, director of the Techniques and Issues of the Body research laboratory (TEC, EA 3625) and coordinator of the GDRI 836 CNRS (contributor of the CNAC).
The philosophy of art with Marion Guyez
Benesh Movement notation with Katrin Wolf
Critical analysis with Cyril Thomas, Responsible for Research and Development at the CNAC,
CNAC and UFR Arts de l'Université de Picardie Jules Verne multidisciplinary workshop under the direction of Cyril Thomas and Eric Valette, artist and professor at the Universités en arts plastiques at the Université de Picardie Jules Verne
Circus history - theories and forms - body representations with Bernard Andrieu,
Dramatic art and circus writing with Katrin Wolf / CNAC
Introduction to performing arts law and economics with Vincent Ehl, director of Cirk'Eole, preparatory circus school in Montigny-les-Metz
Additional artistic teaching and Research and Creation Workshops (ARC) :
Artistic teaching is spread between the two poles of technique and imagination. These two approaches are complementary and need to interact as such. The teaching of an artistic discipline should not be limited to technical skills, but should also integrate the wider reality that is the creation of a work, its meaning and composition.
This is why the Ensac teaching programme necessarily makes students aware of writing, but does not aim to prematurely recognize them as legitimate authors. It is a question of raising awareness about the long maturing process that an artist needs before they can create an "oeuvre".
A number of young, teaching circus professionals have recent personal experience through their careers as performing artists in the circus. Because of this experience they question and renew their methods for teaching the circus arts. They have a rounded approach to the circus subjects, as the separation of technical and artistic elements is no longer a part of the learning process. They position the technical act at the centre of any approach linked to writing and composition. They fully appreciate what is at stake in the profession and have an accurate view of artistic creation and the labour market. The crossover of the skills of this new generation of teachers with those of the best technicians, guarantees a strong circus artist identity.
This approach takes the shape of additional artistic courses and/or Research and Creation workshops (ARCs) with Olivier Antoine, Valérie Dubourg, Séverine Chavrier, Sylvain Decure, Jérôme Fèvre, Damien Fournier, Christophe Huysman, Antoine Rigot, Alice Ronfard, Marlène Rubinelli, David Soubies, William Valet
Medical care
Doctor Manuel Afonso Sports Physician (Bleuets Reims Clinic)
Christophe Dormoy Physiotherapist
Alicia Collard Psychologist
