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I've made the decision to drop out of college and pursue a career as a hand balancing/pole/aerial artist. Do you think they would accept my application if I decided to send one? Do you think age is a factor? I'm 19, turning 20 this year. I would like to know if anyone has some experience about joining circus school in adulthood. I want to be as strong as Cai Yong: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly1SSSyns-s Here are some Cirque schools I'm looking into: -Shanghai Circus School -Ecole National De Cirque in Montreal -National Institute of Circus Arts Australia -School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts -Circus Center San Francisco -San Diego Circus Center -Circus School in Moscow -Orlando Circus -Circomedia -Zippos Circus UK -Circus Space Any other suggestions would be welcome. If I can't become a performing artist, I would like to become a GB coach/personal trainer instead. Maybe even compete in some street work out competitions to demonstrate my new found skills EDIT: How much will the price for tuition be? I am by no means an experienced hand balancer. I haven't been motivated to train handstands because I always figured that I could have an instructor teach me (whether online coaching or at circus school). The handstand is probably the most basic skill to learn in gymnastics so I haven't put much effort into it as much as the planche, FL/SL/BL, other skills. I think if I joined the circus I could learn really quickly, which is the reason I've been putting it off all these years. I think the most challenging part would be my lack of active/passive flexibility. I can hold a HS (arched) on floor for a good 30 seconds and I can do pretty much every press (straddle/full lay planche) except for one arm skills/presses and stalder/v-sit press press on floor due to my lack of flexibility. I can't keep my head in between my shoulders with a hollow body - it's always sticking out. Am I someone that they could work with and transform me into an exceptional hand balancer within a year or so? I can post a show reel, but I do have a couple videos around the GB forums floating around.