Moody Street Circus Circus Class & Aerial Workshop Pre-Requisites

Our group classes are divided by “level” and the below listed pre-requisites represent skills that students in these classes should be able to perform confidently with a demonstration of technical understanding and practice.

However, classes are open by “invitation” only in order to allow for the consideration of individual students’ strength, skill execution variation, interests, body awareness, ability to take and integrate feedback, and goals. This means the strength and skill based pre-requisites below are just a general guideline.

We have specifically considered these new pre-requisites to allow for safe and productive classes that suit our new and growing student bases’ goals and abilities.

We also offered “mixed level” or special topic workshops that change and pop up on the schedule. Each of these classes comes listed with their own set of pre-requisites and students use their judgment on their abilities and skills to discern if they can or are interested in registering!

It is always important to read the pre-requisites for each workshop you may register for in case there are slight changes due to content.

If you are interested in "leveling up” please reach out via email so we can discuss progress, goals and the next steps!

Intro to Aerial Arts

(for silks, sling or lyra)

  • Make sure MSC’s intro level offering sounds like the best fit for your introduction to the air!

    Students are expected to come into the MSC intro level mini-session for aerial silks with the baseline strengths and abilities listed in the pre-requisites section. Students are not expected to have a background in circus arts, dance, gymnastics or other related activities!

    Students who have taken intro level classes in the past are welcome to register to refresh their knowledge and learn new techniques.

    Once an introductory session concludes we make personal recommendations to each student for the best option to continue their practice at MSC.

    After the intro-level mini session students are generally either able to join L1 classes, continue with private lessons, or rejoin the waitlist for the next intro session.

    Every student learns and progresses at a different rate in aerial arts - there is not one linear or timed path.

  • Students must be over the age of 15

    Students must be able to…

    • Hold a 1 minute plank with an engaged, hollow body core (no arch in the back)

    CLICK FOR VIDEO DEMO OF INTRO PRE-REQUISITES.

Beginner Silks

  • Students must be over the age of 15.

    Students must be able to…

    • Complete a 10 second bent arm hold and strong, slow let down to straight arm hang

    • Complete 10 lemon squeezers with control

    • Able to wrap for wrist hitches and invert to and find: ball, pencil & straddle

    • Consistently create even double foot-locks from the ground with control and find… (1) resting pose position, (2) strong safe split, (3) split rotations, (4) cross back straddle position (invert to XBS not required)

    • Complete basic climb with slow and controlled descent

    • Able to wrap for around the back hold from the ground

    • Able to wrap single foot-lock (poles together) and complete candy cane roll up.

Aerial Sling

  • Students must be over the age of 15.

    Students must be able to…

    • Execute 10 second bent arm hold and strong let down to straight arm hang multiple times.

    • Invert to straddle from armpit hang with hollow body (no arching back)

    • Safely transition to sit from straddle upside-down and then find star out position

    • Comfortably stand up in the sling

    • Complete a 1-2 minute improvisation in sling that safely and slowly move through a variety of positions with good control, technique and form.

Sacha’s Circus Workshop

  • Join Sacha and the MSC fam for 90 minutes of fun circus exploration: Juggling, Cloud swing, Trapeze, Cube, Silks, Sling, Rola Bola, Rolling Globe & MORE circus disciplines to try! Specific offerings will vary depending on workshop date. Some partnering skills, conditioning and clowning too!

  • Students must be over the age of 15

    Students must be able to…

    • Hold a 1 minute plank with an engaged, hollow body core (no arch in the back)

    • Be comfortable exploring dance movements and flowing skills. Taking time to SLOW DOWN!

    • Able to invert to ball/ straddle (on any apparatus), safely hold the position, and return to standing with control (slowly).

    • Able to touch toes from forward fold

    • No exisiting injury

Advanced Beginner Silks

  • Students must be over the age of 15.

    Students must be able to…

    • Complete a 10 second bent arm hold with slow, controlled let down to straight arm hang.

    • Invert to ball and straddle from wrist hitches without jumping off the ground or tagging the silks.

    • Consistently create even double foot-locks from the ground and find (1) resting pose, (2) strong safe split, (3) split rotations, (4) XBS position through at least 2 entries and invert to XBS with hollow body engagement and straight legs.

    • Complete basic climb on both sides with strong, controlled descent.

    • Able to complete Russian climbs on both sides.

    • Have familiarity with hipkey concept and wrap, working towards their hipkey from the ground or Russian.

    • Wrap for foot-locks in the air: figure-8 method with feet, and working on consistent eggbeater foot-locks.

Lyra 1

  • Students must be over the age of 15.

    Students must be able to…

    • Lift into bent arm hold (chin over hands) and complete multiple controlled 10 second let downs from bent arm hold with chin over hands to straight arm hang.

    • Invert to and hold straddle under the bar (equivalent to straddle up on aerial silks wrist hitches without tagging).

    • Safe double knee hang

    • lift knees to chest 10x with control (without swinging) from straight arm hang

Trapeze Foundations

  • Students must be over the age of 15.

    Students must be able to…

    • Lift into bent arm hold (chin over hands) and complete multiple controlled 10 second let downs from bent arm hold with chin over hands to straight arm hang.

    • Invert to and hold straddle under the bar (equivalent to straddle up on aerial silks wrist hitches without tagging).

    • Safe double knee hang

    • Lift knees to chest 10x with control (without swinging) from straight arm hang

Intermediate Silks

  • Students must be over the age of 15.

    Students must be able to…

    • Complete 3 circus grip pull ups: hands forward, engage from straight hang and lift to bring chin over hands and complete descent to straight arm hang.

      • Find consistent even double foot-locks and single foot-locks through both figure-8 and eggbeater methods from the air.

      • Complete basic, russian, and inverted same side knee climb with control, strength, and ability to hold various pauses along the way.

      • Consistently and safely hip-key from the air without losing height.

      • Able to invert from the air with strong bent arm hold and safely knee hook above hand. From invert students must be able to find: same side knee climb & diaper wrap, star drop.

      • Confident and consistent execution of MSC techniques on foundational skills, strengths & wraps.

Lyra 2

  • Students must be over the age of 15.

    Students must be able to…

    • Complete 2 circus grip (forward grip) pull ups from straight arm hang to chin over bar and controlled return to straight arm hang.

    • Safe and strong double knee hang and ascent to sit

    • Execute SLOW Controlled and safe descent from sit

    • Invert consistently throughout class through straddle without tagging the lyra/bar with feet or jumping off the ground

    • Mount lyra via straddle, tuck under bar, and pull over to front balance (without tagging or jumping)

    • Able to complete a 1-2 minute aerial improvisation on aerial hoop (safely transition with control through a variety of positions)

Straps Flow & Conditioning

  • Students must be over the age of 15

    Students must be able to…

    • Complete 2 circus grip pull ups (forward grip) from straight arm hang to chin over hands and finish with a controlled descent.

    • Invert to straddle without jumping from the ground or tagging apparatus.

    • Invert to straddle from holding bent arm hold position (with butterfly legs ok).

    • Safely transition between ball, pencil, pike and split positions in wrist hitches/ under bar.

    • Sustain (and enjoy) light spinning during class time.

Advanced Aerial

  • Students must be over the age of 15

    Students must be able to…

    • Complete 3 circus grip pull ups (forward grip) from straight arm hang to chin over hands and completed slow descent.

    • Invert and hip-key with straight legs consistently throughout class without losing height.

    • Complete basic, russian, same side and opposite side climbs with control.

    • Complete multiple safe and controlled windmill rotations during class.