Specialisation Assessments
11 January 2014
well its now 2014 and a whole new term, with an exciting new component: Specialisation! The aim is to get all of the first years through the process of choosing a discipline to specialise in for the rest of their time at Circus Space. For some it may be just a starting point in a varied circus life, for others its the equipment they work on for the rest of their careers. Either way, its the discipline you graduate with, and will be spending the majority of your time working on for the rest of the course, so its a big decision.
Some students start the course knowing exactly what they want to do, some figure it out pretty quickly, and some really don’t know, so the school offers Specialisation Assessments where everyone can try out disciplines with a teacher to see if it might be right for them and if they have the potential to progress in it. Some circus schools are pretty easy going, and you can do whichever discipline you want to, others are incredibly strict, and effectively choose for you based on your physical abilities. Circus Space sits somewhere in between and they spend a great deal of time with the students ensuring that they find a discipline they have passion for, as well as the potential to attain a professional standard.
I ended up trying Aerial Hoop, Cloudswing, Swinging Trapeze, Single Point Trapeze, Aerial Straps and Tightwire.
I didn’t really have the gymnastic ability to do well in swinging trapeze, and cloudswing is hands down the single most terrifying piece of equipment I have ever been on in my life! Realistically I’m not flexible enough to seriously pursue aerial hoop, and although I love straps, it is massively oversubscribed in my year, so I’m left with intensive assessment periods in single point trapeze and tightwire over the next couple of weeks!
Sent from my iPad
About Vendetta
Vendetta is a Scottish aerialist curently studying at The National Centre for Circus Arts in London. This site is where she shares her experiences on training in one of the worlds top circus schools.
Help Vendetta
Help her get to her second year by checking out her Indiegogo campaign by clicking the logo below.
