The practical and theoretical foundations of circus arts are inseparable; they must always coexist. Similarly, in circus arts teacher training, practice and theory cannot be separated. The central element of circus arts is risk. This can only be created and sustained safely and sustainably, even if it needs to be reproduced multiple times daily in the ring, where the circus artist “never pauses for even a moment to think.” 

‘Risk is the organic fusion of practice and theory in the ring, in the intense moment of the present.’

This goal is best served by training based on integrated practice and theory, where all information and knowledge are built into the circus artist’s personality at the level of abilities and skills. While this can also be achieved through mechanical practice (drilling), neither traditional nor contemporary branches of circus arts work today with performers who operate mechanically and destructively, such as “semi-skilled or unskilled circus arts workers.” A sustainable career can only be built on the foundations of organic and transferable knowledge. The central values that circus arts convey to the audience and society – trust, solidarity, precision, personal connection, harmony between the individual and the group, and a commitment to excellence – can only emerge through the work of educators trained in this way. The same principles must apply to the training of educators themselves.