Frequently Asked Questions

It's normal to feel unsure when starting a new activity. Not many people come in able to climb and do splits in their first class. Introductory and Level 1 classes are designed to accommodate people at various fitness levels. By attending classes regularly, you can gradually build strength and flexibility. Don't worry if you're not an expert right away – the important thing is to keep showing up and giving it your best effort.

It's best to wear clothing that is comfortable and allows for a full range of movement. Tight-fitting pants and a tank top are good options. To ensure safety and protect the equipment, it's important to avoid clothing with zippers or buttons and to remove all jewelry before class. Choose attire that you are comfortable in and will allow you to focus on your movement

Ensuring safety in circus arts is a top priority, and small class sizes are an important aspect of this. To ensure that each student gets the attention and support they need, we maintain a student:teacher ratio of 6:1 in aerial classes maximum. If a class has more than 6 participants, a second instructor will be present to provide additional support and supervision. By maintaining small class sizes and having sufficient instructors present, we can create a safe and supportive environment for learning.

Sharing an aerial point or apparatus with another student has several benefits. First, it allows for proper rest and recovery between skills, as students can take turns practicing and observing. This can also be helpful for students who learn visually, as they can watch others and see how the skills are performed. Additionally, instructors can more easily give individualized attention to a smaller number of students at a time. By sharing points and keeping class sizes small, we can create a safe and supportive environment for learning and practicing aerial skills.

It's great when students have a desire to learn and come to class with questions about specific skills. While our instructors are usually happy to discuss these skills before or after class, or during open training time, they also have a curriculum to follow in group classes. This is to ensure that the class progresses smoothly and all students have an opportunity to learn and practice. However, if you feel that you are ready to learn a particular skill that is not being covered in class, you can speak with the instructor about private lesson options. Our priority is to support your progress as a student, and we will work with you to find an instructor who can meet your specific needs. During class, instructors may also offer modifications or intensifications to accommodate the range of abilities in the group.

Private lessons can provide personalized instruction and focused practice on specific skills or goals. Some options for private lessons may include:

• Improving technique and adding character work or musicality to foundational skills or sequences

• Identifying training goals and creating a plan to achieve them

• Incorporating new skills or transitions into existing routines

• Reviewing a specific skill or sequence from a class or workshop

• Learning a new skill

• Developing choreography and creating an act

Private lessons can be a useful option for students who want to focus on a specific aspect of their training or who may need additional support to progress in their practice.

Generally yes, though it is up to the instructor. We ask that if you plan to post your video or photo to social media that you try to only have yourself in the frame or ask the permission of others visible before posting to be courteous. We also ask that sound be muted.

YES!

We believe that the world would benefit from more people incorporating aerial or circus arts into their lives. The benefits of training in circus arts are not only a great way to stay physically active, it also provides a healthy social and emotional outlet. Confidence grows in tandem with increasing a skillset and gathering as a circus community is quite simply, a lot of fun!

There are many talented teachers in New England, and we encourage people to find the coaches that resonate with them. Variety is an important aspect of any fitness routine, and exploring different coaching styles and approaches can help you find what works best for you.

We welcome new students and visitors from other gyms because the circus community is made up of wonderful people. We believe that connecting with others who share a love of aerial and circus arts can be a rewarding and enriching experience.

We also invite visiting coaches to Rhode Island Circus Space to diversify our curriculum and bring the best instructors in their discipline to our community.

If you are an instructor and are interested in teaching at Rhode Island Circus Space, we may be able to accommodate you depending on the nature of your offerings and the availability of equipment. We welcome the opportunity to provide teaching and training space for traveling professionals and encourage you to contact us to discuss the details. We understand that circus artists often lead a flexible lifestyle, including touring, training, and teaching, and we are open to discussing opportunities to support your work.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and enroll in an entire session during the enrollment period. This will automatically add you to the same class each week.

Be sure when you register your child or family member into a class or lesson that you choose the correct person’s profile before starting. Many times a parent enrolls themselves instead of their child which creates a lot of clean up work for the administrator. We have labeled all parents who do not take classes themselves as INACTIVE PARENT ACCOUNT. This should limit the possibility of enrolling the incorrect person. If you do not see any purchase options available, it likely means you are in the incorrect account profile.

This usually means you had an inactive account already with us that we archived due to inactivity. Please contact us at info@rhodeislandcircusspace.com to have us re-instate your account.

Clients are responsible for joining and cancelling classes for themselves or their children. Please do not rely on staff solely to manage individual enrollments into classes or cancellations . We also have an app called RI Circus Space in the App store or Google Play. This may help you to manage your own schedule. If you encounter difficulty, staff can usually help but may take up to 48 hours to respond.

Class registration closes 2 hours prior to class start time. If you wish to join a class late you can try to contact the instructor to be sure there is room.Classes are at risk of being cancelled due to low or no enrollment. Class cancellations generally occur 6-12 hours before the class start time. It is advised not to wait until the last minute to enroll if you plan to attend. If you ask staff to add you to a class from a walk in you will be charged for a single drop in pass.

We set a 24-hour cancellation policy to ensure efficient use of our space and to maintain availability for the local circus community. With limited resources, such as aerial points and class capacity, we need to maximize revenue during the limited hours that classes are offered. By enforcing the cancellation policy, we can manage the number of participants and avoid situations where people cancel last minute, leaving empty spots that could have been filled by others. This policy also allows coaches to plan their classes effectively and ensures they are compensated fairly for their time and effort. Ultimately, it helps us maintain a sustainable business while providing a valuable resource for the circus community.

Step By Step Enrollment Instructions with Screenshots