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In the former Soviet Union, the circus is treated as high art, on a par with symphonies and plays. National Geographic: Soviet Circus explores the education of those involved in the circus and discusses some memorable circus legends. The school for circus performers, known as "classwork," includes training in ballet, acrobatics, clowning, and rope-walking. The video follows students from their beginnings in the school to a poignant graduation, incorporating all the dazzling skills displayed by the Soviet Circus along the way. Circus legends included are the clown Popov, a lion trainer who allows his nine-year-old son into the ring for experience, and the bird-like acrobat troupe known as the Cranes. Soviet Circus shows the fun, excitement, and imagination of this highly revered artistic institution.