10 ways to prepare for a NECCA ProTrack audition
Circus school audition tips from the leaders of the NECCA professional program.
Preparing for a NECCA ProTrack audition takes more than polishing an act. ProTrack is the three-year professional program at the New England Center for Circus Arts, or NECCA, in Brattleboro, Vermont. Its two-day audition includes assessments in strength, handstands, acrobatics, and flexibility; theater and dance portions; a 2- to 3-minute prepared act; and an interview.
Elena Day, ProTrack program director, and Aimée Hancock, head of curriculum and student development, talked to Roustabout about what students can expect through the audition process.
Here are 10 ways to get ready for your NECCA ProTrack audition.
1. Start your cardio now
Hancock said applicants often put cardio off, and the coaches’ answer is blunt: “You can’t put it off anymore.” Cardio is the No. 1 thing NECCA sees lacking in potential students. Find a cardio routine that works for you and stick to it. “The stronger you are, the easier it is to survive the amount of work you need to do,” she said.
2. Train like both an artist and an athlete
Many applicants have good experience on their main apparatus but little cross-training, Hancock said. She asks applicants to picture an artist on one end and an athlete on the other. “We want to get you so that you have both ends more under your belt,” she said. A dedicated silks student, for example, should add full-body conditioning and any rehab exercises learned in physical therapy. Cross-training not only creates more well-rounded athlete-artists but also supports injury prevention and a more sustainable career.
3. Make flexibility training a habit
Flexibility training is “a very close second” to cardio when it comes to common training gaps, Hancock said. Train it properly multiple times a week, and favor whatever “helps you gain while also giving you strength in your end ranges.” The application video includes a flexibility section, so building a strong flexibility routine is critical.
4. Get comfortable on the floor
“Knowing how to move on the floor is really, really key to getting a good job,” Hancock said. Moving on the floor includes dance, acro, tumbling, and other ground-based movement styles. However, ensure that the skills you’re developing translate to multiple types of floor. For example, tumbling limited to a spring floor builds body control, Hancock said, but acro dance translates to the stage more easily. Day suggested contact improv for that “roly-poly, upside-down, flowy landing.” Expect to dance at the audition. Everyone does, even without training.
5. Put in the hours, and test yourself in new spaces
Sometimes an applicant simply hasn’t trained long enough, Hancock said. Newcomers can still be a fit if they bring “a really mindful practice” from other physical training, but the coaches look for skills that have “landed deeply.” If a new space, with a different height, ceiling, or ropes, throws an applicant off a lot, they may be “too green.” Train on unfamiliar equipment before audition day and focus on understanding the how or why (the theory) behind your apparatus.
6. Let safety guide what you show
Day said one major sign an applicant isn’t ready is a lack of self-awareness about safety. If applicants are “throwing some big thing because they think it’s going to impress us,” she said, the coaches would rather see self-awareness and “what you’ve practiced.” Hancock said that includes not pushing your body into a state that could be dangerous in ways the coaches can’t know.
7. Feed your artistic side
Day recommends seeing live performance, visiting galleries, and taking theatrical improv. Some students arrive having “literally never seen a circus,” she said. Hancock said learning to watch art and talk about what resonated with you helps develop fuller artists. It’s not required, but it helps tremendously.
8. Get used to being coached
Trying new apparatuses is a core part of the live auditions. “A lot of it is like, are you coachable?” Day said. Coaches give cues, then watch how an applicant responds. Theater works the same way. “I’m fine if you have zero theatrical experience, but are you willing to just try and see how it goes and maybe even enjoy it?” Day said.
9. Be someone people want to work with
Many directors “want someone they can be around for nine hours in a van,” Day said. That means being present, aware, helpful, and pleasant, and it doesn’t require being outgoing. Small things count, such as hopping up to help move a mat. Day said a lack of basic courtesy and humility is “a big red flag.” On audition day, Hancock said, bring your best, “trust that we saw you,” and ask questions about the program and how you did.
10. Line up your support system
“We’re not a therapeutic institution,” Day said. NECCA has an athletic trainer on site but no social worker, so students are asked to “prepare their team outside of NECCA.” Both Day and Hancock acknowledged that while NECCA works to create a supportive environment, it’s a tough program. It’s a lot of long hours training and pushing yourself, and students need to have a support system outside of NECCA. Needs beyond what the school can support, whether physical or mental, can be a reason not to accept an applicant.
Apply, even if you’re unsure
Day’s advice is short: “Just try it.” Hancock said the coaches evaluate potential, not just what an applicant already has, and every applicant gets a response. Not quite ready? NECCA’s intensive, which runs about five to eight weeks, is “a nice stepping stone,” she said, and some students who missed the first time were accepted the second.
ProTrack audition FAQs
How long is the NECCA ProTrack audition? It’s two days long, Day said.
Is there an age limit for ProTrack? There’s no upper age limit. Applicants are generally 17 or older and need a high school diploma or GED, Day said.
Can I be accepted without auditioning in person? Yes. NECCA has accepted applicants who couldn’t attend the live audition, Day said, relying on the application to get a sense of the person.
Take the next step
Build your cross-training foundation. Cardio, conditioning, flexibility, and floor acrobatics matter as much as apparatus skill. Roustabout Denver is built around that idea, with a curriculum that lets students train skills such as aerial, acro, dance, and handstands in one place. Many of our coaches are also knowledgeable in strength training and cardio and are available to design custom programs. Explore Roustabout’s adult circus classes.
Aim for the pros. Applications to ProTrack for the 2027-28 school year open in November, according to NECCA, with a first-round deadline of Dec. 16 and auditions March 9-10. Dates are subject to change. Learn more about the ProTrack program at NECCA.
