What you can expect from your first aerial classes:
Please reach us at info@greatplainscircuscenter.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
That’s fantastic! We love new students! Circus Scorpius founder and 11-year aerial coach Kelsey Aicher teaches “Aerial for Beginners 1” each week for people like you who have little or no aerial experience. Students will have the opportunity to learn skills on silks, dance trapeze, and static trapeze while having fun and getting a workout. Due to the necessity of steady progression of material in the early stages, “Aerial for Beginners 1” is only offered as a six-week term and does not have the option to drop in. Students who complete a full-term of this class and safely execute a skills evaluation are eligible to continue their aerial education in “Aerial for Beginners 2”
Also fantastic! “Introduction to Aerial” is offered occasionally, often between terms as a drop-in class. This class covers roughly the same material as the first day of “Aerial for Beginners 1” but without the full commitment of six weeks. It is a great way to test out aerial to see if it is right for you, but is not suggested as a substitute for “Aerial for Beginners” as the nature of the drop-in class does not allow for proper skill progression. Alternatively, you can book a private lesson with one of our amazing coaches.
Great! We have many options for you! “Aerial for Beginners 1” is a lot of fun and will make you work hard. Being a term-based class means it is great for those who do better reaching their goals by having a weekly commitment. If aerial is not your interest, we also offer drop-in ground skills classes such as “Partner Acrobatics,” “Handstands,” and “Dance Combinations” that require no previous experience and are a lot of fun.
Or perhaps you would just like to participate in a class designed purely for fitness. If you would like to work hard and focus on building muscle, “Aerial Conditioning” is the right fit for you! We typically recommend having at least a little aerial experience before taking this class, but new people are welcome if you don’t mind learning some basic aerial positions on the fly (pun intended). If you are looking to improve your flexibility and/or mobility, then check out our many various fitness classes.
Again, we have so many options! Honestly, any of the beginner-friendly classes listed in the previous section are good options. We will always recommend “Aerial for Beginners 1,” but for drop-in options, “Introduction to Aerial” and “Partner Acrobatics” are our top picks. Since “Introduction to Aerial” often involves taking turns, it’s fun to attend it with a friend so that one person can take pictures of the other when they are in the air. The class also involves a lot of laughter, so why wouldn’t you want to share the experience with someone you care about? And “Partner Acrobatics” is all about teamwork so it’s easy to see why we recommend it for friends.
Without knowing exactly what you already learned and what you remembered, it is hard to say where you specifically should start. “Aerial for Beginners 1” is a safe starting point, but you might be better suited for “Aerial for Beginners 2” or one of the more advanced aerial level classes. The best way to know what class is suitable for you is to book a private lesson with one of the coaches to have a skill placement evaluation.
We hear you and we care about you, which is why we start all new aerial students on silks and trapeze. Trapeze—particularly static trapeze—is the ballet of the modern aerial world. It is the foundation of aerial technique and the basis for all other aerial apparatuses. Learning lyra before learning trapeze would be like learning modern dance before learning ballet technique; yes, it’s possible, but your form will suffer in the long run. While silks might not be as crucial to technique in the early stages, it is the best way for beginners to gain grip strength and aerial stamina while also exposing them to vertical apparatuses. “Aerial for Beginners 1” is ALWAYS recommended to beginners who are serious about learning aerial. After completion of “Aerial for Beginners 1,” we suggest taking “Aerial for Beginners 2,”. If you have absolutely no desire to learn silks and trapeze but wish to learn an aerial apparatus, you may book a private lesson with one of our coaches who teaches the discipline you are interested in.
If we still haven’t convinced you to give “Aerial for Beginners” a chance before dedicating yourself to only one apparatus, you might be interested to know that every one of our coaches and performers went into their first aerial class certain that they were going to like one apparatus only to fall in love with another!
We do not offer classes or private lessons for students under the age of seven. I am sure your child is wonderful, but our insurance does not allow it.
If your child is at least seven years old, they are eligible for any class so long as they meet the other prerequisites, HOWEVER all of our class curricula are designed for adults. Some children will be all right with the tempo and level of instructions, but many will not. Aerial is especially difficult for children under the age of twelve and can result in a frustrating experience to be in an adult-driven class. Please be sure to talk with your child about realistic expectations before registering them for one of our skills or fitness classes.
We offer a “Junior Circus & Aerial Arts” as a term-based class for students 7-13 that focuses mostly on aerial arts but also incorporates other ground circus skills. It is similar to the “Aerial for Beginners 1 & 2” classes, but at a pace more suitable for children. It is both fun and educational!
Our recommendation for children under the age of 14 who are serious about their aerial or contortion training is to take recurring private lessons with a coach to work on developing their skills at a pace that is appropriate for them. Please email us to find the coach that is best suited for your needs.