Studio Policies
Circus Complex is a 501 C3 Non Profit performing arts circus studio dedicated to inspiring creativity, athleticism, and self-confidence in people - regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, or abilities. Some general guidelines for all our community members are as follows:
Treat all staff, equipment, and clients with respect.
Create a safe environment by obtaining consent prior to spotting or giving feedback, and maintain personal space and appropriate touch inside the studio.
GENERAL STUDIO RULES:
Waivers must be signed before doing any activity in the studio. Registering in our system will allow you to sign all of our waivers. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
No shoes on the gym floor.
No food or drinks (besides water) on the gym floor. You are allowed to bring a non-glass water bottle on the gym floor.
No peer to peer instruction is allowed regardless of skill or experience level.
Equipment must be put back in its storage spot after use.
Wear the proper attire for the skills/apparatuses you wish to use.
APPROPRIATE CLOTHING:
Form fitting clothing is highly encouraged.
NO zippers, hooks, Velcro, or other fasteners on clothing.
Covering backs of knees and armpits will make circus training more comfortable.
Supportive undergarments: dance belts or sports bras are recommended.
No jewelry
TRAINING:
No one may train under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or prescription drugs that can impair judgment.
A student must properly warm-up before working on skills in class. Once a student is warmed up they may join in on class with permission from the instructor.
If you are sick or feeling sick, we advise you to stay home.
If you have an injury, sickness, or medical condition, please obtain a doctor's note before participating in class.
Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle (non-glass) and a notebook.
GROUP CLASS STRUCTURE
SEASONAL SESSIONS:
All classes are run in 3 month (seasonal) sessions unless otherwise noted. We have designed classes based on three factors: Developmental age range, skill/experience level, and teacher expertise. Students are encouraged to attend every class during the session, even if they choose not to participate.
The first 5-10 minutes of every class are dedicated to warm-up. Students are also welcome to arrive 15 minutes prior to class to get ready and warm-up on the ground, as long as they are not disruptive to other classes. Students who arrive up to 15 minutes late for class will be asked to warm-up and then join the class in progress. After warm-up, students will spend the remaining class time on skill building, technique, and conditioning relevant to the class.
Friends or family members are welcome to watch classes in our designated seating area.
DROP INS:
Conditioning/Fitness, Juggling/hula hooping/General Circus & Flexibility classes are open to all at any time during the session.
Level 1, All Levels, and Mixed Level classes are available for drop-in.
All classes leveled above 1 require instructor approval for drop-ins. Students who are currently enrolled in classes at Circus Complex are approved to drop in on classes at or below their current class level in each discipline in which they have recently taken classes. Those who are new or returning to the studio must contact us to arrange a skill evaluation before attending classes.
PREREQUISITES:
Adult classes listed as All Levels or Level 1 are open to all students ages 15+. No prior experience in circus, tumbling, etc. is required.
Students registering for classes Level 2 or higher must have prior approval from Circus Complex staff before the start of the session. Returning students receive level recommendations from their instructors prior to registration. Students who are new to Circus Complex but have prior experience in circus must schedule a level evaluation to register in any class above 1. To arrange a level evaluation please email us.
If a student registers for a class, session or drop-in, above Level 1, without approval from Circus Complex staff, and they do not meet the pre-reqs for that class, the instructor may not permit the student from participating, and no refund will be given.
EVALUATIONS:
Evaluations can be done by Circus Complex Staff to decide what level students are for entering classes above level 1. Evaluations take 30 minutes and cost $35.00.
YOUTH CLASS STRUCTURE
Below age of 4: Classes are 50 minutes long unless specified otherwise. A parent or guardian is required to participate in class.
Classes for 5 - 8 yrs: Class is 60 minutes long unless specified otherwise. Parent or guardian participation is not required for this class. Parents and guardians may watch class.
If a student requires help to use the bathroom, a parent or caregiver must remain at the studio during class.
Classes for 8 - 18 yrs: Classes are 60 minutes long unless specified otherwise. Parent or guardian participation is not required for this class. Parents and guardians may watch class if gym capacity allows.
YOUTH DROP IN:
Youth students may drop-in on any public level and age-appropriate session class for the drop-in fee.
PRIVATE LESSONS
Students are welcome to arrive 15 minutes prior to a private lesson to get ready and warm-up. Students are not allowed on equipment during this time, but may warm-up on the ground. Warm-ups may not disrupt in-session lessons or classes.
YOUTH PRIVATE LESSONS:
Please note that youth students are not permitted to be in the studio alone with their instructor. If there is no other staff member in the studio a parent or guardian is required to stay in the studio during youth private lessons.
REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT
GENERAL PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Once a student registers for a session class, they have committed to paying for and attending the class, whether they elect to pay online (credit/debit) or in the studio (cash/check). Students who elect to pay by cash/check are asked to do so within three days of registration.
GENERAL REFUND POLICY:
Refunds for session classes are granted only in the case of extraordinary circumstances and at the discretion of Circus Complex management. Please double check your schedule before enrolling for classes!
All registrations and make-up credits are non-transferable, meaning only the student who is signed up may use them.
If you would like to cancel your next semester or next month of classes, we require a 7 day (one week) notice by email to info@circuscomplex.com or alissa@circuscomplex.com before the first of the month. This is due to maintaining class capacity and to be fair to people on the waitlist. If you let us know after the 7 day time frame you will be billed a $20 late un-enrollment fee.
PRIVATE LESSONS:
Students pay instructors directly. Payment must be completed in order to confirm the lesson time. Students must give 48 hours notice for canceling or rescheduling a private lesson. If the student fails to do so, there will be no refund or credit. Please contact the instructor you scheduled the private with to cancel or reschedule a private lesson.
WORKSHOPS/SPECIAL EVENTS:
Students must pay in full upon registration to guarantee a spot in a workshop. Students must give 48 hours notice for withdrawing from a workshop. If the student fails to do so, Circus Complex may choose to charge for part or all of the workshop fee.
OPEN STUDIO:
Open Studio is for ages 15+ and can be registered on our website: https://www.CircusComplex.com/open-gyms. If no one is registered for an open gym within 24 hours of it taking place, Circus Complex is not required to run an open gym. Everyone must sign up through our Pike13 portal. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR OPEN GYM
MISSED CLASSES OR CANCELLATION MAKE-UP POLICY:
***Please note: Registrations for classes, workshops, and other programs are non-transferable, meaning that a student may neither sell nor gift their spot in a class, workshop, etc to another student.
ATTENDANCE:
1. Students are encouraged to attend all classes, as skills progress from week-to-week.
2. When only one student attends class on a given day, the class will run as a 60-minute private lesson regardless of the original duration of class.
3. Students in introductory and intermediate classes must attend at least one class out of the first three classes. Failure to show up to a course without emailed notice for 3+ classes in a semester will result in potential removal from the course with no refund.
MAKE-UP POLICY:
If a student knows they will miss a specific class date, they may call out by using the parent portal or by contacting management.
A student must call out at least 24 hours in advance of the class in question in order to receive a make-up class credit.
Make-up class credits must be used in the same session. Unused make-up class credits cannot be rolled over into the next session.
If Circus Complex is closed due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, Management will contact students directly regarding make-up options.
All students should contact info@circuscomplex.com in the event of injury, illness, or another cause for long-term absences.
*Remember, when you are paying for a semester of classes, it is up to you to commit and participate for that three month time frame. Double, triple check your schedule before committing!
Students can use make-up class credits in one of 2 ways:
1. Attend another class:
● Adult students can register themselves in our Pike13 portal for a class of the same or lower level in the same discipline as their missed class, space permitting. Students can also use make-up classes to attend a Fitness/Conditioning/Yoga/Flexibility, and Juggling/Hooping/Tumbling class.
● **PLEASE NOTE: Circus Complex does not guarantee that there will be spaces available in specific classes for students to make up missed classes. This make-up option is offered as a courtesy, not as a guarantee.**
2. Attend an open studio as a make-up:
● To use this option, a student (or their parent/guardian) should use the Open Gym Calendar to reserve a spot in the open studio they would like to attend. After the space is reserved, email admin@circuscomplex.com and management will waive the open gym fee. **Please note open gym is for ages 15+
INJURIES:
In the event that a student is unable to complete a session of classes due to an injury (whether sustained in or outside of class), Circus Complex will issue an account credit for the value of the remaining classes to be used toward any future class registration. Students must contact Circus Complex before the classes they can’t attend via email to request an account credit in case of injury.
Students with existing injuries or physical limitations are encouraged to schedule a private lesson or attend a Taster Class before registering for a session of classes to make sure they can participate in class activities. Refunds will not be granted in cases where an existing injury prevents a student from fully participating.
WEATHER-RELATED CANCELLATIONS:
● Circus Complex will announce closures due to weather at least two hours before class start time.
● Cancellations will be announced over email and on social media.
● If Circus Complex is closed due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, Management will contact students directly regarding make-up options.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
Refunds are not given for failure to attend, absence, less than 24 hour sick notice, or participant dismissal due to unsafe behavior. In the case that a student's behavior creates a safety concern, Circus Complex staff will make every reasonable effort to resolve the issue in a way that allows the student to continue participating in circus class. Circus Complex instructors have the final say in all questions of safety.
OPEN STUDIO
All Adult Students who are currently enrolled in classes, or otherwise approved by a Circus Complex staff, may attend our open studios to practice on the ground or in the air. One or more instructors will be there monitoring the session and will be happy to give you advice or a spot on skills you are practicing if possible.
OPEN STUDIO POLICIES:
All participants must sign a waiver and release of liability, acknowledgement and assumption of risk form. Minor participants must have a parent or legal guardian sign the same form.
High-impact safety matting must be used for any skill practiced or performed off the ground. A minimum size of 6’ x 6’ x 8” landing mat is required when participants are being actively spotted or the participant is above the spotter’s shoulders.
Unsupervised practice is strictly forbidden.
Trained aerial acrobatics instructors must be onsite and actively supervising participants during open gym periods.
The use of recreational and/or illegal drugs, alcohol or controlled substances is strictly prohibited at all times during aerial acrobatics activities.
Participants are not allowed under any circumstance to teach other participants or anyone else any aerial acrobatics movement, pose, sequence, skill, etc. This is known as skill- trading or skill-sharing and is strictly prohibited.
Proper attire must be worn while participating in aerial acrobatics activities.
EMERGENCY PROTOCOL
If an injury or emergency occurs at Circus Complex staff will work together, within the scope of their training, to ensure student safety.
STAFF ROLES IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY:
The injured student’s teacher stays with the injured student and must call management if not on site already.
PROTOCOL:
1. Circus Complex staff will call for professional medical assistance if necessary and/or if requested by the injured student. If the injured student is non-responsive, call 911 immediately.
2. Circus Complex staff will begin administering care within the parameters/scope of staff training. *The first aid kit can be found in the front desk, additional first aid materials can be found behind the staff/admin desk.
3. The emergency contact of the injured person is contacted.
4. Staff still will notify the Circus Complex manager of the incident. For minor injuries not requiring immediate medical care, staff must fill out an incident report and email management the same day to report the incident. For injuries requiring immediate/on-site medical care, staff must call management immediately.
5. Circus Complex staff will file an incident report, found on the Circus Complex desktop/drive and filing cabinet, for review and reflection.
IMMINENT DANGER:
Evacuation: In case of fire or other inside danger staff members will determine the safest of the five exits from the studio and will lead the students to safety outside of the building. Staff members will keep the group together and will call 911 as soon as possible.
Lock-Out: In case of outside imminent danger all doors will be locked by instructors and students will be led to safety inside the building; either in the bathrooms, lobby, or studio. Staff members will call 911 as soon as possible.
Lock-Down: In case of inside imminent danger all relevant doors will be locked by staff to contain the danger and students will be led out of sight outside or inside of the building depending on the danger. Staff members will call 911 as soon as possible.
Disruptive Person:
Should a person become disruptive, from within the studio or without, the staff shall ensure the safety of the students as a first priority.
Should the person become violent or appear to be escalating towards violence, the staff shall notify the police immediately.
Staff will attempt to calm a disruptive person if possible, but shall never engage a violent person physically.
RIGGING AND EQUIPMENT
STUDIO SAFETY INFORMATION:
Circus Complex is continually assessed by a structural engineer to make sure our equipment can take the force we are putting on it. Everything that we hang from is rated at a safe working load of more than 2,000 pounds. Our rigging is made of a mix of recreational grade and construction grade materials. If you have any questions about our rigging, please contact alissa@circuscomplex.com
RIGGING INSPECTION INFORMATION:
All aerial equipment and rigging is inspected every month. Rigging logs are kept on a cloud storage device and maintained by the General Manager.
STUDENT AND STAFF RIGGING AT CIRCUS COMPLEX:
1. Staff are not to advise students on rigging aerial apparatuses outside of the studio.
2. Students may not touch any rigging unless specifically given permission by an instructor.
3. Students may ask a staff member to rig their own apparatuses/equipment after equipment is inspected by a competent staff member.
4. Students are not allowed to store equipment unless given specific permission by the general manager. Lost, stolen, or damaged items will not be replaced or reimbursed by Circus Complex Corp.
VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Students are permitted to take photos and videos of themselves, instructors, or other students, provided all of the following:
1. Students must receive explicit and verbal consent from all other students and instructors that are in the frame. If the student is under 18 years of age, permission must come from the student’s guardian.
2. Students must not post videos of instructors to any video hosting or social media outlet.
3. Students must not interrupt class time while capturing a photo or video.
VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON SHOWCASES
For our shows, virtual and in-person, we require the following:
Students must be enrolled in a class to participate in the show.
A minimum of three privates is necessary for act creation.
Music: We suggest non-copyright, royalty free music to be used for show production. This is to adhere to Youtube, Facebook, and Twitch platforms to avoid DMCA complaints.
Whether virtual or in-person, a recording of the show will be available at a later date on our facebook and/or Youtube page.
The video will be hosted on Circus Complex’s social media platforms. All rights to the video are reserved to Circus Complex Corp. as per our waivers indicate. Under no circumstances are they to be reproduced. Reproducing a video without consent to the company is not allowed. If a participant would like to host the video on their own channel, that can be done but will be a separate quote. Email info@circuscomplex.com for a quote.