Profession circus arts teacher

Circus arts teachers instruct students in a recreational context in the various circus techniques and acts such as trapeze acts, juggling, mime, acrobatics, hooping, tightrope walking, object manipulation, unicycling tricks, etc. They provide students with a notion of circus history and repertoire, but mainly focus on a practice-based approach in their courses, in which they assist students in experimenting with and mastering different circus techniques, styles and acts and encourage them to develop their own style. They cast, direct and produce circus performances, and coordinate the technical production and possible set, props and costume usage on stage.

Personality Type

• Social / Artistic
• Social / Investigative

Knowledge

• Circus dramaturgy

  Understand how a circus show is composed.

• Teamwork principles

  The cooperation between people characterised by a unified commitment to achieving a given goal, participating equally, maintaining open communication, facilitating effective usage of ideas etc.

• Movement techniques

  The various types of movement and physical postures undertaken for relaxation, body-mind integration, stress reduction, flexibility, core support and rehabilitation purposes, and that are required for or underpin occupational performance.

• Circus vocabulary

  The specific terminology related to the circus activities.

• Circus aesthetics

  The way the circus concepts and traditions have evolved through time and their artistic meaning.

• Acting and directing techniques

  Range of training and rehearsal techniches that seek to encourage emotionally expressive performances. Techniques to address all aspects in making a film, play, performance in general. 

Skills

• Develop a coaching style

  Develop a style for coaching individuals or groups that ensures all participants are at ease, and are able to acquire the necessary skills and competences provided in the coaching in a positive and productive manner.

• Practice circus disciplines

  Have a very high level of practical and technical skills and competences of one or several chosen circus disciplines in order to enter into the professional circus field.

• Prepare lesson content

  Prepare content to be taught in class in accordance with curriculum objectives by drafting exercises, researching up-to-date examples etc.

• Balance the project requirements with health and safety concerns

  Adjust the level of effort required for the artistic production. Adapt or adjust movements and movement sequences. Set performance limits. Allow recovery periods and take other measures.

• Bring out performers’ artistic potential

  Motivate performers to take on challenges. Encourage peer-learning. Establish an environment for experimentation using various methods, such as improvisation.

• Demonstrate when teaching

  Present to others examples of your experience, skills, and competences that are appropriate to specific learning content to help students in their learning.

• Adapt teaching to student's capabilities

  Identify the learning struggles and successes of students. Select teaching and learning strategies that support students’ individual learning needs and goals.

• Apply teaching strategies

  Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners' level, goals, and priorities.

• Give constructive feedback

  Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.

• Organise rehearsals

  Manage, schedule and run rehearsals for the performance.

• Coordinate artistic production

  Oversee the day-to-day coordination of production tasks so that the organisation fits within the desired artistic and business policies and in order to present productions in a uniform corporate identity to the public.

• Define artistic vision

  Continually develop and define a concrete artistic vision, starting from the proposal and continuing all the way through to the finished product.

• Maintain safe working conditions in performing arts

  Verify the technical aspects of your workspace, costumes, props, etc. Eliminate potential hazards in your work space or performance. Intervene actively in cases of accidents or illness.

• Provide lesson materials

  Ensure that the necessary materials for teaching a class, such as visual aids, are prepared, up-to-date, and present in the instruction space.

• Renew artistic practice

  Stay informed on new trends and apply them on artistic experiences.

• Assist students in their learning

  Support and coach students in their work, give learners practical support and encouragement.

• Manage student relationships

  Manage the relations between students and between student and teacher. Act as a just authority and create an environment of trust and stability.

• Encourage students to acknowledge their achievements

  Stimulate students to appreciate their own achievements and actions to nurture confidence and educational growth.

• Teach circus acts

  Share knowledge and abilities with other performers teaching them important circus skills.

• Guarantee students' safety

  Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.

• Select artistic materials to create artworks

  Select artistic materials based on strength, colour, texture, balance, weight, size, and other characteristics that should guarantee the feasibility of the artistic creation regarding the expected shape, color, etc. - even thought the result might vary from it. Artistic materials such as paint, ink, water colours, charcoal, oil, or computer software can be used as much as garbage, living products (fruits, etc) and any kind of material depending on the creative project.

• Observe student's progress

  Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs.

• Consult students on learning content

  Take students' opinions and preferences into consideration when determining learning content.

• Work with circus group

  Work together with other circus artists and management. Make sure to do your part while keeping the performance as a whole in mind.

• Adapt artistic plan to location

  Adjust plans to other locations with regards to the artistic concept.

• Check the production schedule

  Check the daily and long term schedules for rehearsal, training, performances, season, tour, etc., taking into account the project timeline and all the preparations required by the production.

• Perform classroom management

  Maintain discipline and engage students during instruction.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB