Five hopeful students danced, tumbled and contorted their bodies to demonstrate flexibility, strength and balance as they vied for a spot at the National Institute of Circus Arts on Saturday.

The audition, at Warehouse Circus Inc in Chifley, was one of the last stops on a national tour that took in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Fremantle, Darwin, Cairns and Mullumbimby.

The institute's acting head of circus James Brown said judges were on the lookout for potential and he was "quietly impressed" with the Canberra cohort.

"It is a long, arduous day but we try to have a bit of fun with it as well."

The students will find out whether they scored a place at the institute, which is supported by the federal government and linked to Swinburne University of Technology, in November.

"The bachelor's degree is three years of long hours and blood, sweat and tears but it is so fun and so rewarding and we put a lot of effort into the physical but there's also an academic side."

As well as rigorous training, students take classes in physiology, anatomy, history and business to develop a solid foundation for a career in circus arts.

Mr Brown said the industry had grown in leaps and bounds in the past 10 years and companies like Cirque du Soleil had changed perceptions of circus performance.

"Now young people see they can make a living and make the most of their skills and travel all over the world," he said.

"It's such an exciting new, and old, discipline."