i’ve never done aerial before. how do I start?

If you are brand-new to the aerial arts, the best place to start is with our ABC drop-in classes.  These are a set of 1-hour classes designed to introduce you to some of the basic skills needed for aerial training.  They are offered multiple times a week so find the one that fits your schedule! If you’d prefer to work at your own pace, you could instead schedule a private lesson or two to try it out. Invite a few friends to join you – the per-person cost goes down as the number of students goes up!

what should i wear for aerial class and training?

Generally speaking, you should wear soft, stretchy athletic clothing that allows free movement and that you are comfortable wearing. Yoga pants or leggings and t-shirts are great choices. But aerial is a fairly unique practice so there are some things to be aware of:

  • Things can snag on the fabrics and slings. Please no clothing with zippers, studs, metal fasteners, or anything that could catch. (watch out for pants with sneaky zippers on the pockets, backsides, or the sides of the legs) Please remove all jewelry prior to training.
  • The equipment can cause friction burns on bare skin. Please do not wear shorts, crop-tops, or bra-tops without an overlayer. Make sure your waist, lower back, and the backs of your knees are covered.
  • You can slide on the fabrics, ropes, and slings (and sometimes you don’t want to!). Cotton or cotton-blend fabrics are better on this equipment than lycra and other synthetic materials.
  • We move around our apparatus, and sometimes our apparatus moves around us. Baggy or flowing clothing can get caught or stuck. We recommend closely fitting attire.

Sometimes performers will be rehearsing during open gym or during time they have rented and may be wearing specialty costuming for their performance. In an effort to keep our space welcoming and comfortable for all, during general training we do require shirts and bottoms (or leotards/unitards) be worn.

Please avoid using lotions, oils, or heavy perfumes before coming to the studio. Your skin should be clean and dry, both for your own safety and to keep the equipment as clean as possible for others.

what should i bring to class?

The main thing you need is a water bottle. We provide filtered water but encourage the use of reusable bottles so please bring your own, preferably with your name on it.

If you tend to perspire, please bring a hand towel so that you can dry yourself off as needed.

A notebook or phone/camera can be useful for recording what you learn in class. If you are shooting pictures or videos please get the instructor’s permission first and avoid getting any other students in your shot.

do you offer classes and lessons for children?

We run a youth program for children aged 11-17. We also offer private and semi-private lessons for youth who thrive outside of a group class environment. We highly recommend SANCA (the School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts) in Georgetown for younger children’s programming.

i’ve taken classes at a different studio. what class should i take at new moon?

Because different studios have different curricula and different course structures, we require all visiting/transferring/cross-enrolling students to schedule a half-hour class placement assessment so that we can determine the best class fit for that student. Please email info@newmoonmovementarts.com to schedule an assessment.

is there a complete set of studio policies available?

Yes! You can read our full studio policies and procedures here.

I need to miss a class. What’s the make-up policy?

You must provide at least 24 hours notice if you are going to miss a class in order to qualify for a make-up; that gives us time to offer your place to someone else as a drop-in. For students eligible for open gym, make-ups are credited as open gym punchcards that are good through the following session. No more than 2 make-ups will be assigned per class per 8-week session. (shorter sessions will permit only 1 make-up). Students who are ineligible for open gym will receive account credit equal to the value of on open gym punch.

To obtain a make-up credit, enter your upcoming absence on the Manage Absences page. It may take us a week or more to process the absence and assign the credit, but you may email us if you want it sooner.

i’ve seen dogs at the studio. what’s your dog policy?

We are a dog-friendly studio, but we do have a few rules regarding our canine friends:

  1. Always ask first. All animals on site require permission from our landlord, so we need time in advance to seek this clearance.
  2. Doggy feet are not allowed anywhere that human shoes are not allowed, which includes the Upstairs floor, the Blue Room floor, the Back Room floor, and all mats. Likewise, please no dog toys or bones in those areas.
  3. We have 2 resident studio dogs- Buddy and Bri’ita. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, please do not bring them to the studio.
I’m lgbtq+/non-white/differently abled/plus-sized/over 40/non-athletic/or for other reason don’t always feel like i fit in- will i feel welcome at new moon?

We sure hope so! New Moon strives to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone who wishes to train with us. Our bathrooms are all gender. Regarding age limits, our teaching staff range in age from early 20s to nearly 60, and our student make-up is even more broad! We have not worked with many types of disability but are willing to explore if you are – our main studio is up a flight of stairs but we do have ground-floor studios as well. If you ever feel unwelcome at New Moon, for any reason, we want to hear about it.

what payment methods do you accept?

Currently, we accept payment by credit card, debit card, and check. Credit and debit card payments can be made through our online system. Payments by credit/debit card over $50 will incur a 3% processing fee. Check payments are always fee-free, but must be made in-person. A returned check will incur a $12 fee to cover our bank change. We are exploring digital payment options like Venmo, but are not currently set up to use them.

We do not accept cash, and no cash is kept onsite. If you cannot pay by credit card, debit card, or check, cash payments can be specially arranged with the owner. Contact jen@newmoonmovementarts.com to arrange payment.

is financial aid available?

Yes! Check out our pricing page for information on our BIPOC scholarship program and our work-trade opportunities.

do you offer gift certificates?

Yes! You can purchase a gift card online using this link. Once purchased, your order is sent to our admin inbox and we will create a custom printable gift card that will be emailed to you. You can print this and give it to the aerialist in your life, or email it to them. They can show us the digital or printed copy to redeem.

do i need to be really strong to start aerial?

Nope! Our ABC series in designed to introduce aerial concepts to students with no prior background in circus, or any physical discipline. You will build strength as you practice these concepts, and the series is structured so that everyone can move at their own pace and progress when they are ready.

ok, i started aerial and i’m having a lot of fun, but i really do want to get stronger. what’s the best way to get stronger for aerial?

The best way to get stronger for aerial is to do aerial! The way we use our bodies in aerial and the strengths we use is fairly distinct to circus. The skills and drills you practice in class are excellent conditioning. Once you’ve graduated our ABC series, open gym is also a great option for both skill practice and strength building.

If you’re looking for things to do at home without aerial equipment, yoga and pilates can be beneficial for core and shoulder strengthening and stability. Pull-ups and scap-wraps on a bar are great as well.

I’m visiting from out of town. can i train at new moon while i’m here?

Welcome to Seattle! We love to make new friends!

If you’ve never done aerial before, you are welcome to try it out at one of our drop-in ABC classes. No experience is necessary, and there is no commitment.

If you are an experienced aerialist and would like to train at open gym, please email us to set up a brief, free open gym evaluation. If you would like to drop-in to a class, you would need to set up a 30 minute class-placement assessment to determine which class level is appropriate for you. Assessments cost $42.50 and can be arranged by emailing info@newmoonmovementarts.com

this is so much fun i want to do it all the time! can i set up my own rig at home?

If you have an appropriate space, you could. And people certainly do. But there are some things you should consider as you plan your at-home rig.

10 Good Reasons Why New Aerialists Should Think Carefully Before Rigging:

  1. Safety. While the aerial community works hard to keep aerial arts safe, the reality is that people can be seriously injured and even die practicing aerial.
  2. Liability Risk. Rigging your own space means you are personally taking on substantial liability risk. If anyone is injured in your space, they or their next of kin can sue you.
  3. Training in the studio with an instructor and other students means you never have to train alone. Even highly trained aerialists should NEVER PRACTICE ALONE. It’s important that there always be at least one other person present to help if there is an accident and to call 911.
  4. Rigging is a skill in itself. Only trained riggers are qualified to assess the load bearing capacity of a roof or potential rigging points. If you want to learn how to rig, study rigging! If not, consult a reputable rigger.
  5. Injury prevention. Practicing in safe conditions will help you avoid injuries so that you can practice for many years and ultimately become a stronger aerialist.
  6. Practicing in unsafe conditions not only is dangerous for you as an individual, but it actually harms the entire field of aerial arts. More accidents leads to higher liability risk associated with aerial arts and increasingly higher costs for insuring aerial arts. High risk and high cost prevents people from offering classes and performances.
  7. Give yourself time to develop. Having your own equipment and rig does not alone make you a stronger aerialist. Training extensively with experienced instructors does make you a stronger aerialist, whether or not you have your own rig.
  8. There are excellent ways to cross train for aerial outside the studio from running and swimming to crunches and pull-ups.
  9. Protect your good reputation. People in the field of aerial arts will respect you more if you help uphold aerial safety standards.
  10. Aerial is about community! As a community, we spot each other, we nudge each other on to do that one extra pull-up, we take care of each other’s rope burns and give hugs and encouragement and suggestions. Help us keep our community safe and supportive for everyone.

HAPPY & SAFE TRAINING!

Endorsed By:

ACE (American Circus Educators Association) *  AirCraft Aerial Arts * Aloft Circus Arts * Bumbershoot Aerial Arts * Canopy Studio * Circus Arts Institute * Diamond Family Circus * D’Air Project * Elevation Aerial & Circus Arts * Esh Circus Arts * Firefly Theatre and Circus * Heliummm Aerial Dance *Monica’s Danz Gym * New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) * Overhead Arts * Philadelphia School of Circus Arts * SHOW Circus Studio * Versatile Arts * Wise Fool * New Moon Movement Arts

how do i record an absence?

First log in to your account. From the main menu, find the “registration” heading and click the “manage absences” link. You can also record absences from your user dashboard. Find the box labeled “class registration” and click “manage absences”.

how do i register for a drop-in or ABC class?

There are 3 options for registering for a drop-in class, including ABC classes, all of which can be accessed from the main menu under the “drop-in classes” heading.

The Drop-in Shopping Cart is a great way to register for multiple classes at the same time and pay for them all in a single transaction. Click the “drop-in shopping cart” link and then click “show class list”. Click the “add to cart” link for each class you wish to attend. When you have chosen all the classes you want, click “checkout” and you will be registered and charged for all classes in your cart.

Single Class by Listing and Single Class by Date are both better options if you only want to register for one class. Click “single class by listing” to see a chronological list of all classes available for drop-in registration, with a link to register next to each listing. Clicking “single class by date” will give you a drop-down menu from which you can select the class you wish to take. Once selected, payment information will appear.

can i store my credit card information so i don’t need to enter it every time i pay?

Yes! Go to your user dashboard and, in the “basics” box, click “store credit card info”. Note: instructors are not authorized to charge stored credit cards. If you want to use your stored credit card for a lesson, you must pre-pay or sign yourself in.

my teacher says i can find videos online of the skills we do in class. where do i find them?

We use a tool called Skills Tracker, which you can access from the main menu. Under “my info”, click “my Skills Tracker”. Skills Tracker shows a list of all of our core curriculum skills with a field where your instructors mark when you have worked on a skill. Once you are marked “working on” a skill, the video for that skill is unlocked. This is a great tool for home review and for reference while practicing in open gym.