What is the minimum and maximum age?
Sky Gym adult classes are for students ages 12 and above, and Junior Sky classes are for children ages 5-11. There is no maximum age. All of our classes except Junior Sky are designed for students with an adult level focus, judgement, self preservation, and information processing. Children under the age of 12, even with parent accompaniment, are not allowed in our adult classes. We have Junior Sky Practice just for our young flyers under 12! 

Why we believe that “Circus is for EVERY BODY”. 

We strive to make our studio a place where everyone feels comfortable. Sky Gym classes deliver a low-impact workout and can be done by humans of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Our instructors are skilled in adapting classes for those with all levels of experience, previous injury, ability and general comfortability upside down. Everyone is unique, and while we encourage folks to get out of their comfort zone, we never push students to the point of fear. You don’t have to climb to great heights to enjoy our classes! But if you are a thrill-seeking, height-loving daredevil, then we’ll help you get there too, no matter your fitness level.

Sky Fit and Sky Yoga are great classes for building your grip and arm strength in preparation for Sky Dance classes.  While all of our classes are high intensity, they are also very low impact because you are training in the air. This means that you’ll get a great workout without putting excessive stress on your joints. If running or jumping causes pain or stress to your joints, Sky Gym may be just the workout you’re looking for.

Students must be in good health to participate in aerial activities. Clients with the following physical limitations should consult their doctor before participating in aerial acrobatics: Pregnancy, glaucoma, recent surgery (esp. shoulder, eyes, back, hips, hands or wrist), heart disease, very high or low blood pressure, easy onset vertigo, osteoporosis / bone weakness, recent head injury, cerebral sclerosis, propensity for fainting, carpal tunnel syndrome, severe arthritis, sinusitis or head cold, hiatal hernia, disc herniation or acute, discogenic disease, recent stroke, artificial hips, radiculitis (inflammation of nerve root in spine), severe muscle spasms, botox injections.

What if I’m a master mover?

Are you a super gymnast-dancer-climber-yogi-fitness guru? Are you uber strong, ridiculously bendy, or both? You may find some classes such as Rope, Tails 1 or Intro to Straps will give you the challenge you’re looking for right off the bat!

If you’re coming in with master level training in an intensive physical discipline, you may also consider private or semi-private coaching sessions where a trainer can work with you individually at your own pace.

Can men take class? Is your studio gender inclusive?

Yes, men are encouraged to take class too! In fact, you’ll see our rainbow flag flying out front – we truly mean circus is for EVERYONE regardless of gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religion, genetics, national origin, or age. Although you will usually find a majority of female-presenting folks in our classes, we have a variety of folks who attend and are actively incorporating normalizing pronouns into introductions.

Aerial training develops arms, back, shoulders and abs, increases muscular control and body awareness for EVERYONE —  and no splits are necessary!

What if I have previous aerial experience?

We are glad that you have chosen to expand your aerial training with us! Your first step is to come to a Sky Practice. The trainer will take you through an evaluation of basic skills to determine what Sky Gym classes would be best suited for you. We are looking for control, stability, an understanding of the skills, and endurance. Even if you can do the quadruple godzilla drop, if its sloppy, we will recommend more foundational classes until the skills meet our standards. If you are more advanced but lack a significant portion of our vocabulary, we may also request that you take some lower level classes to fill in the gaps.

Everyone must be evaluated, even if you’ve been in Cirque du Soleil for 20 years. If you are traveling from out of town, you can also send us an uncut video, no older than 1 year, of a 3 min choreography including a basic climb, foot knot, and inversion. If you can’t make it to a Supervised Practice, you can also request a private lesson to be evaluated. Once we give you the pre-requisite approval, you will be able to reserve classes online.

What to expect in class

Will I be sore after class?

Aerial work is a highly intense fitness program. Expect to be sore after class. Soreness should last 2-3 days, and typically occurs in the fingers, forearms, back, and abs. If soreness lasts longer than 5 days, consider taking a break until completely healed. Even if new students are in good shape, as with any new movement practice, they will probably still experience soreness. Aerial work is a unique fitness program because it introduces the body to the instability of suspended motion. The body must strengthen all the tiny stabilizer muscles that don’t always get used. Expect to experience soreness regularly after class for about 4-6 weeks. Calluses are normal on the palms and fingers.

What should I bring?

We have all the equipment you’ll need at the studio, so just bring a bottle of water and a positive attitude!

What can I do to build up my strength for aerial silks?

A great way to condition for aerial silks is to join our Sky Fit or Sky Yoga classes.
Here are some of the most helpful exercises to do outside of class:

• Pilates type leg lifts
• Forearm grip toners (squeeze balls, springs, gyro-balls)
• Pull Ups
• Lat Pull-downs
• Incline Sit-ups
• Hanging leg-lifts

There are plenty of free resources available out there due to the pandemic, and you’ll find lots on our Instagram as well – YouTube is your friend for ground-based conditioning movements to build up your shoulders, grip, core, hamstrings and more!

Studio Policies

How do I get credit for my online class purchase?

When you pay for a class online, you are already in the system, and we will check you in at the beginning of class.

What if I need to cancel a class?

Since class space is very limited, we cancellations less than 24 hrs in advance will result in the forfeit of class credit.
Clients who do not call or text will be charged a  $12 fee for any cancellations less than 24 hours in advance. Cancellations more than 24 hrs in advanced will be rescheduled for free.

If Sky Gym has an emergency class cancellation, we will e-mail and/or call/text everyone registered as far in advance as we can.

Refund Policy
Classes and packages are non-refundable. Purchases may be transferred to another party or traded for account credit at the discretion of the studio.

Activation and Expiration
Refer to the terms and conditions of the packages on the purchase page.

Late Policy
Students who are more than 10 minutes late to class will not be allowed to join. Yoga classes cannot admit students more than 5 minutes late.

Non-participants
We do allow non-participants to observe classes, but they must stay in the warm-up area and off the mats and equipment.We have couches and chairs for seating. We ask that they keep their voices low so that the participants can hear the instructor. We also do not allow any pets in the studio.

Photography
We do allow students to photograph themselves and/or friends for personal use only. Please wait until the instructor designated time to take photographs or during supervised practice. Unfortunately we cannot let students take photographs after the class has ended because we have to prepare the space for another class. Instructors may from time to time take promo photos during class for our social media. If you are not comfortable being photographed, please let us know. We would love for you to tag us in your photos and check-in! #SkyGymAtlanta, #TheSkyGym, @TheSkyGym and our website, #AerialSilksAtlanta !