Japan's Only Circus School in Gunma Pref. Closes Due to Decline in Students - CircusTalk

Japan’s Only Circus School in Gunma Pref. Closes Due to Decline in Students

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Japan’s Only Circus School in Gunma Pref. Closes Due to Decline in Students

Media Monitor

MIDORI, Gunma — Japan’s only school teaching circus performances located in the mountains here temporarily closed the curtains on its show in late July, due to falling numbers of pupils dreaming of entering the spotlight.

 The Sori International Circus School was originally founded in September 2001 by Principal Keiichi Nishida, 74, and others involved in organizing circus performances, in hopes of helping circus culture gain a foothold in Japan. Although there have been about 60 graduates, the institution itself had been unable to get out of the red in recent years due to a steep drop in enrollment. Nishida plans to “reopen the school if enough students gather.”

The school building itself is the gymnasium of a former elementary school in the mountains of Midori, Gunma Prefecture. When Nishida was searching for a “quiet environment to concentrate on practice,” an acquaintance residing in Gunma Prefecture who shared his dream of opening a school chose the site. As one of the instructors, they even beckoned Nadejda Tischtschenko, 65, who had the experience under her hat of winning the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships and previously teaching at the Ukrainian Circus Academy in Kiev, Ukraine…

Read the Full Article at  The Mainichi

 

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