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Comfortably installed in one of the last circus hard remaining in the northeast of the France, entrenched in an environment of much greenery to a cable of Châlons-en-Champagne downtown, the national Centre for the arts du cirque (CNAC) and water rayon of international recognition that there is no more dispute him. In early summer, the tour in Argentina of the year of the twentieth promotion of its national school show superior was the last triumphant example.

But its creation in 1985 by Jack Lang, Minister of Culture, the bet was won. Then young Regional Director of Cultural Affairs of champagne-Ardenne, Director of the NCC Jean-François Marguerin remembers passionate games ignite Châlons municipal Council, between the left majority, supported the project, and the right-wing opposition, which denounced the mismanagement.

Others saw nor a good look at this initiative. "The major families of circus did not want that State mixes", said Jean-François Marguerin. Beyond the concern for detailed independence, cirque tradition there was a cultural, almost ideological fight against this circus that broke conventions and mixed genres. In fact, the ambition of the NACC was not to reproduce the large Circassian gesture born in the 19th century, and that continue always the Gruss or the Bouglione, but to invent and enrich this circus of creation emerging including the Magic Circus or Cirque Aligre. The real battle of Hernani was dangerously pitch the first years of the NACC, and then things settled.

"It is the only school in Europe whose purpose is not to get out a student on the market with a ready number." "We do are not backed circus market", explains Jean-François Marguerin. "Here, the artist is part of the whole of the show." It carries an entirely from end to end. "We are high-level artists, adaptable, open to the world," said the Director. This is why the NCC does not limit his students learning traditional specialities that are juggling, wire, high flying aerobatics, acrobatics in the ground or aerial straps. Of course, the châlonnaise high school today is the only still have horses and perpetuate with Bernard Quental, student of the first promotion became Professor, the delicate balances of equestrian art. But education also opens to the performing arts, contemporary dance, music, singing, drama, not to mention the general culture and the introduction to the administration and communication.

Days of convicts

Real days of convicts for the fifteen students ruthlessly selected a promotion which leads in two years (more than one year of induction) a bac 2 level who will soon become a "professional higher national diploma" level bac 3. More than 350 artists of all nationalities are already out of the NACC since the first promotion. "After the statistics of our resource centre, between the 1st and the 17th promotion, more than 82 of former students said they were still be artists of circus." "For the last five years, they are 92," said Jean-François Marguerin.

According to him, opportunities do not go by the traditional circus but by the creation of companies and in a standing back and forth with the other arts of the stage as dance or street theatre more. Companies such as the new nose (clowns), circus here or Arts breaks (aerobatic) were born of the school châlonnaise. This is why we have by far just to enter. On the 15 last students selected in the spring for the 23rd promotion, some come from the Brazil, of Colombia, Sweden, Cambodia, Finland, Switzerland, and even of Palestine.

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