Moody Street Circus
Circus Arts & Belly Dance Studio
Creativity, Growth & Strength
Moody Street Circus is a family-run studio led by multigenerational circus artists. We share a lifetime of skills, artistry, strength, grace and performance excellence in circus & belly dance with our students.
Moody Street Circus was co-founded by 5th generation circus star, tent master & beloved teacher Alexandre Sacha Pavlata of the original Big Apple Circus, Circus Flora and the Flying Wallendas and 2nd-generation dance and circus artist Melinda Melina Pavlata of Daughters of Rhea, Cirque Passion & Circus Flora.
Together with our daughter, aerial Coach Zoë Isadora, we have settled down in one beautiful place to share our skills & family legacy with our students.
Over the last 40+ years, our students have gone on to professional careers in circus and belly dance all over the world, or they have just enjoyed how these art forms brought greater confidence and amplified the joy in their lives.
Studio Offerings
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We offer private lessons for aerial arts and belly dance.
1:1 Private Lesson - $80.00
2 Student Semi-Private - $120.00
Aerial: Semi-privates for up to 6 students
Belly Dance: Semi-privates for up to 15 students
Aerial: Private lessons last 60 minutes and include a 10 minute instructor led warm up with conditioning.
Belly Dance: Private lessons last 60 minutes.
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Dance classes are open to all levels of dancer unless specified in the class description! Read through description for the theme of workshop.
Classes are offered on a semi-regular basis as single class registrations.
Class costs range from $25-50
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We offer introductory classes to aerial silks in the form of mini-sessions which last between 3-6 weeks with 75-90 minute classes. MSC classes are for students ages 15 & up.
Costs may range from $140-300
Mini sessions are offered 2-3x per year so that we can focus on growing the strong and creative aerialists that emerge from each new mini-session.
Private and semi-private lessons are also available for intro level students.
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Circus Arts Class Levels & Pre-Requisites
We believe that no matter what your “level” in aerial work — no matter where you are on your aerial journey — MSC students must be interested in building strength (both in and out of class), be open to repeating/re-learning important foundational skills to connect deeper into the wraps, movement and potential for dance, be willing to slow down in all practice and integrate instructor feedback, and be interested in paying attention to the details and growing their body awareness in the air. We want students interested in understanding the technical mechanics behind skills and developing a quality movement style that they want to present in performance and/or integrate into their general circus practice. We encourage excellent technique and elegant presentation and transitions. Students should select a class that will be both physically and emotionally rewarding -- not too difficult that you are not able to focus on the fun smaller details that truly make the difference in skill/combination execution.
Not only will these things feed the grace and strength of your aerial work, but all of the above concepts are priorities for SAFE practice.
Aerial classes are offered as single registrations or mini-sessions which may last 2-6 weeks.
Class costs range from $35-60 depending on length of class.
All classes are for students ages 15+ |
All classes are for students ages 15+ |
HIRE PERFORMERS
Belly Dancers
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Hire world famous Melina of Daughters Rhea to belly dance at your birthday, wedding, party or event!
Duration: Single dance appearance and/ or up to 40 minute show (with optional addition of audience participation)
Rate: $500+
INQUIRE TODAY
Circus Performers
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Book our world class aerialists for your event today. We have a free standing aerial rig so that aerialists can dance high above your party (20 feet!).
Silks | Lyra | Sling | Straps | Rope | Cube | Trapeze - Solo & Duo!
Your event can feature full length, high quality circus acts or ambient aerial displays beside your party.
Duration: Customizable to event
Requirements: Outdoor rig requires flat surface and foot print of at least 20x20.
Rate: $900+
INQUIRE TODAY
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A show displaying Moody Street Circus’ talents on the ground and on the dance floor.
Belly Dancers, Jugglers, Contortionists, Hula Hoopers & More.
Duration: Customizable to your event
Rate: $600+
INQUIRE TODAY
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Combination of aerial rig and ground based Moody Street Circus show. A full length show would last 45 minutes.
Duration: 15-45 minutes, customizable to your event.
Requirements: Freestanding aerial rig requires a flat surface and a footprint of at least 20x20 feet.
Rate: $1200+
Workshops & More
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Intro to Belly Dance Workshops for up to 20 people.
Intro to Circus Arts Workshops for up to 9 people.
Customizable to your group!
INQUIRE TODAY
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Intro to Belly Dance
Intro to Circus Arts
Customizable to your group/ event!
INQUIRE TODAY
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Zoë Isadora and Melinda Melina both travel to share their spectacular expertise in both aerial arts and belly dance.
From Singapore to Greece and beyond we have shared pieces of our life with amazing and eager students.
Reach out to find out our workshop offerings, and how to bring us to your space!
INQUIRE TODAY
Our Philosophy
As a showbiz family with a legacy of performing in prestigious circus and dance venues around the world, the way we teach even basic skills is imbued with the overall artistry point of view. Circus arts, including aerial work, is a magical performance art. We teach mindful & purposeful movements powered by full-body intelligence technique that flow with elegance and power. We have set up our space and classes to reflect this mission and we hope students joining us appreciate - and are eager - to work on these qualities.
We believe that no matter what your “level” in aerial work — no matter where you are in your aerial journey — students should be interested in building strength (even outside of class), be willing to slow down in practice and integrate instructor feedback, be open to repeating important foundational skills, be interested in paying attention to detail* and to growing their body awareness in the air. Learning to integrate and appreciate technique is KEY to success in aerial practice at MSC. The power of strong technique is immeasurable.
Not only will these things feed the grace and strength of your aerial work, but all of the above concepts are priorities for SAFE practice.
*Details = purposeful grips, engaged body lines, seamless transitions, not rushing, musicality, paying attention to breath & performance stylings.
There are numerous approaches to the pedagogy of circus arts. It is important for each student to find an aerial/circus studio and practice that aligns with their goals. Circus goals must be internally derived from each student’s personal view of their practice, how much commitment they can make to their conditioning outside of class, and what they feel when practicing this art form. Not every student wants to perform! Not every student wants to achieve a pull up! Not every student wants to focus on the small details! -- all of these things are totally OK, but may not align with our studio’s approach to teaching circus arts. A student’s goals may also shift over time as well. There is no shame in taking a step back and joining more laid-back hobbyist classes that fuel your soul rather than pump your muscles. There is also no shame in asking for help when you are ready to level up your training and don’t know where to begin.
