Professional Prep Program

The Professional Preparatory Program at Esh Circus Arts is designed to help dedicated circus students develop their technical, choreographic, and performance skills in their chosen discipline.

Applications for the 2025-2026 program open on February 15th, 2025!

About the Professional Prep Program

PPP is a part-time training program for aspiring circus professionals. Our unique program combines a focus on technical mastery with training in dance, theater, storytelling, choreographic techniques, ensemble work, and business skills to support each student’s circus career goals.

Participants must choose a primary discipline to focus on while in PPP. This should be a discipline in which they already have significant training. Available focus disciplines include aerial fabric; aerial sling/hammock; static trapeze; single point/dance trapeze; aerial rope; aerial hoop/lyra; aerial straps; aerial partnering; partner acrobatics/hand-to-hand; hand balancing; contortion; tight wire; and juggling. Those interested in partner disciplines must apply as a duo.

PPP Trimesters

PPP is broken into three trimesters, each with a specific focus:

Fall: Fundamentals – Class material will include goal setting building a personal training plan; injury prevention; mobility; dance technique; tumbling; foundations of theater.
Winter: Act Building – Class material will include act building techniques, skill selection, and musicality; connecting with your audience; phyiscal theater and story arcs; costuming and stage makeup.
Spring: Ensemble Work & Business Skills – Class material will include divising techniques; partnering; ensemble movement improvisation; juggling; contracts and the business of circus.

Program Elements

In addition to the Program elements, students are required to register for at least one weekly group class at Esh each session in their chosen focus.

Students must also commit to at least 10 hours of self-directed training time each week.

PPP GROUP CLASS

A weekly three hour block of class time on Sundays from 9am – 12pm that includes training in physical theater, dance, mobility & strength training, tumbling, juggling, and much more!

PRIVATE LESSONS

Students receive 120 minutes of private lesson time each month, which may be booked in 30 or 60 minute increments.

MONTHLY WORKSHOPS

In a variety of topics, including injury prevention, audition skills, business skills, and more. Workshops take place during Sunday PPP class.

RESIDENCY TRAINING TIMES

To practice skills in a focused, small group environment.

OPEN STUDIOS

Access to multiple weekly Open Studio times for even more practice time.

Admissions

PPP is a nine month program that runs from just after Labor Day in September to just before Memorial Day in May. There is a one-week break in November and a two-week break in late December/early January. PPP runs every other year. The next program year is 2025-2026.

Admission to the program is via video audition and in-person interview. Auditions for the 2025-2026 program year will open on February 15th and close on March 31st, 2025. Applicants will receive a response by April 17th, 2025.

The program is capped at 10 students. If there are any spots available in the program after the first round of auditions, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.

Email audition videos to ellen@eshcircusarts.com.

AUDITION VIDEO REQUIREMENTS

Introduction: Tell us your name and age and a brief summary of your training background – how long, where, and with whom have you trained? What are your performance goals or aspirations?
Flexibility: Center splits, right/left splits, seated pike, side bend from seated in straddle, back bend (pressing up from the floor or standing drop back).
Strength: Demonstrate the following with the best form you can: 20 second hollow body; 20 second plank position; 5 push-ups; 15 second handstand (against a wall if needed); 5 squats; pull-ups (max with good form); toes-to-bar (max with straight arms and straight legs).
Focus discipline: Include at least 2 minutes of a continuous sequence in your primary discipline. You may use training video or performance video. If you are using footage from a group act, be sure we can clearly tell who you are. You may include additional footage of your focus discipline to showcase specific skills.

Tumbling: Demonstrate the following with the best form you can – forward roll; backward roll; cartwheel on both sides; handstand kick-up from standing lunge. Please include additional tumbling skills if you have them.
Dance: Applicants must choose one of two combinations that will be provided and include footage of themselves performing the combo to the best of their ability. Combos will be available when applications open in February.
Additional skills: Include any secondary circus or movement skills, including tumbling and dance.

If you have questions about any of these requirements, contact ellen@eshcircusarts.com.

Tuition

The Pro Prep Program is a nine month commitment that runs from September – May. Tuition is $4,200, and may be paid in a lump sum or as monthly installments.

Tuition covers: weekly PPP Sunday group class; 120 minutes of private instruction per month; a 30 minute 1:1 mentor meeting each trimester; unlimited training time during residency hours; and access to all scheduled open studio time. The cost of weekly group session classes in your focus discipline is not included in program tuition.

EMAIL YOUR VIDEO