State Ballett- und Artistikschule Berlin

The Staatliche Ballett- und Artistikschule Berlin is a German public school specializing in the professional training of circus artists and dancers. Located in Berlin, it is one of the historic institutions for circus arts training in Germany and occupies a special place in the European landscape of circus education.

The Artistik section draws on a training tradition dating back to 1956. The current institution is the result of a merger between the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin and the former Fachschule für Artistik . For several decades, the school has trained artists destined to work in the circus, variety shows, theaters, and more broadly in the performing arts.

A specific educational organization

Its main distinguishing feature lies in its educational structure. Professional artistic training is directly integrated with general schooling, allowing young students to simultaneously pursue their education and intensive training in circus arts.

The school presents this model as unique in Germany . The complete program can begin as early as 5th grade , around age 10 , and lasts for nine years . Students thus pursue their general education while progressively acquiring the physical, technical, and artistic foundations necessary for the profession of circus performer.

This organization allows for the early development of young people with particular aptitudes for circus arts. The first years are dedicated to building a solid and versatile foundation before students gradually develop a specialization.

Training content and disciplines

Physical conditioning and floor acrobatics

Learning relies heavily on significant physical preparation . Strength, mobility, flexibility, coordination, balance, endurance, and body awareness form the foundations necessary for progress in the various disciplines.

Floor acrobatics plays a central role in this general training. It allows students to acquire physical skills that can then be used in many specialties and helps to develop power, precision, spatial awareness and mastery of rotations.

Balances and acrobatic disciplines

The school has a particularly rich tradition in the field of balance and acrobatic disciplines . Students may be required to work on different balancing techniques on objects or apparatus as well as specialized forms of acrobatics.

Aerial disciplines

Aerial disciplines constitute another important area of training. The school's curriculum and productions have involved various techniques such as trapeze, rope, silks, aerial straps, and other forms of suspended acrobatics.

Manipulation and juggling

Manipulation and juggling are also part of the school's educational culture. They allow students to develop coordination, precision, rhythm, and creativity while offering numerous opportunities for professional specialization.

Specialties requiring adapted facilities

The school's technical environment also allows for the learning of specialties requiring adapted facilities. Throughout its history, the training has notably covered disciplines such as trampoline, teeterboard, Russian bar, balances, tightrope, unicycle, Chinese pole, and various aerial techniques.

Beyond technique: training stage artists

However, the training aims to go beyond mere technical performance. The objective is to train artists capable of transforming their specialty into a genuine stage performance .

Dance is thus part of the artistic journey. It contributes to the development of the quality of movement, bodily presence, rhythm, and the ability to integrate a circus technique into a more global composition.

The students also work on stage presentation and the construction of acts . A spectacular discipline only truly becomes a circus act when it is conceived in relation to the audience, the space, the music, the dramaturgy and the identity of the performer.

This artistic dimension gradually becomes more important as students progress through their studies. They are encouraged to develop an artistic personality and find a personal way to use their specialization.

The program thus leads progressively from general and versatile training towards professional specialization . Each student can delve deeper into one or more disciplines according to their abilities, interests and artistic project.

The vocational school and admission to the 11th grade

The school also offers the possibility of direct entry into the 11th grade of its Berufsfachschule, the vocational part of the curriculum. This pathway is particularly suited to young people who already have significant experience in a circus discipline.

Admission is selective . Candidates must demonstrate their physical and artistic abilities during a procedure that includes training in various disciplines and the presentation of their own act.

For admission to the 11th grade, candidates may be students currently completing their 10th grade, as well as others meeting the age requirements set by the institution. This option allows young artists previously trained in circus schools, clubs, or preparatory programs to directly enter the professional phase of the curriculum.

The professional training leads to the diploma of "Staatlich geprüfte*r Artist*in" , which can be translated as State-certified circus artist . This qualification marks the culmination of the specialized training and directly prepares students for entry into professional life.

Teaching staff and support

The school boasts a large teaching staff comprised of circus arts specialists, including dance instructors. The artistic direction of the Artistik section is provided by professionals with extensive experience in teaching and performance.

Prevention and physical support also play an important role. The institution notably offers specialized medical monitoring and a physiotherapy service, particularly important elements in intensive artistic training that demands daily physical exertion.

Students work in an environment designed to meet the demands of professional training. The facilities allow for regular practice in numerous disciplines and the preparation of stage productions under conditions similar to those encountered in the professional world.

The stage and the Absolventenshow

The program maintains a particularly strong relationship with the stage. Students participate in shows and regularly present their work to an audience.

The renowned graduation show is one of the highlights of the final year. The graduating young artists work together to create a full-fledged production to be presented in various theaters, festivals, and variety venues.

This tour represents a particularly concrete transition between school and professional life. The students no longer simply present educational exercises but acts integrated into a collective production, facing real audiences and the demands of professional venues.

Graduation shows are performed primarily on the stages of major German variety theaters. Over the years, these productions have allowed new generations of artists to present themselves directly to the public as well as to industry professionals.

Variety culture plays a significant role in the school's identity. While previous generations of artists worked primarily under traditional circus tents, a large proportion of current graduates now perform in variety theatres, contemporary shows, and international productions.

The teaching takes this evolution of the profession into account. A professional artist today must possess excellent technical mastery but also be able to work with directors, choreographers and other artists, to integrate into different aesthetics and to evolve their act according to the context.

The Staatliche Artistikschule thus seeks to train autonomous artists capable of entering directly into the professional world after their diploma or of continuing their artistic development in other structures.

International dimension, boarding school and public status

The institution has a significant international dimension . The reputation of its training and the specific nature of its curriculum attract students from beyond Berlin and Germany.

To enable young people living far from Berlin to pursue this training, the institution also offers boarding options. This arrangement is particularly important for a school whose recruitment extends well beyond its local area.

The public nature of the institution is another major distinguishing feature. Unlike many private artistic training programs, the Staatliche Ballett- und Artistikschule Berlin belongs to the Berlin public education system.

It thus brings together in one establishment several dimensions that are usually separate: general education, intensive artistic training, physical preparation, circus specialization and professional training.

This organization allows young artists to gradually build their career without having to choose too early between continuing their education and developing their artistic skills.

Heritage and current place

After approximately seventy years dedicated to training artists, the Artistik section also possesses a significant educational legacy. It has supported several generations of professionals who have gone on to perform in circuses, variety theaters, and shows both in Germany and internationally.

Today, the Staatliche Ballett- und Artistikschule Berlin remains a major reference point for professional circus training in Germany. Its long curriculum, its public status, the diversity of disciplines taught, its recognized professional diploma, and its direct link with the world of entertainment make it an essential institution for young people wishing to make circus arts their profession.