FAQ

Each session has a pre-registration cut-off date about 4 days before the start of the session.  After that date, tuition goes up $10 per class. Tuition rates vary based on the type and length of class.  As of 5/1/2023, rates are:

• $33/class for most 90-minute aerial classes, or $264 for an 8-week session
• $30/class for 60-minute straps classes, or $240 for an 8-week session
• $30/class for 75-minute youth classes, or $240 per 8-week session
• $28/class for 75-minute handstand classes, or $224 per 8-week session

A non-refundable $50 deposit holds your space in the class. If you cancel before the session registration cut-off, we will credit the deposit to your VA account for future use.  If you cancel after the cutoff, you forfeit those funds. Tuition balance is due on the first day of class. Drop-ins may be available for session classes as space allows, for an extra $6 drop-in fee for most classes.

While most of VA’s aerial classes are session-based, we do offer some classes as drop-ins. Pricing is generally as follows:

• 1-hour:  $28
• 90-min: $39

Session classes may allow drop-ins as space allows and by permission of the instructor.

Open gym is always available as a drop-in for $15.

Points can be purchased in increments of 100, with more of a discount the more points you buy. Points can be used for almost any drop-in activity: classes, studio rentals, open gym, private lessons. Points cannot be used for session classes, workshop, event tickets, or merchandise. Point pricing as of May 20, 2018:

• 100 points cost $90
• 200 points cost $175
• 300 points cost $255
• 400 points cost $325

Note: points expire in one year and are non-refundable. Pointcards may be transferred within a family but are not otherwise transferable.

Punchcards are available again for open gym, one punch per visit.

10-punch card: $135

20-punch card: $240

Punchcards are valid for one year from date of purchase. They are non-refundable and non-transferable.

You may pre-pay for lessons, drop-ins, open gym, etc by creating an account with Versatile Arts.  Your account will then be debited any time you sign in at the studio, and the system will let you know when your balance is low.  These funds never expire. This is a great way to avoid having to write a lot of checks or enter your credit card number over and over!

Payments can be made by any of the following methods:

1. Mail a check to Versatile Arts, 7601 Greenwood Ave N, Suite 103, Seattle, WA 98103
2. Cash or check delivered to the studio.   Please contact us to find out a good time to come by and drop off your payment.
3. Credit card payments are accepted via the online registration system.  We do request that you pay the 3% fee charged by the credit card processing company; that fee is mandatory for charges over $50. You now have the ability to store a credit card in the system for ongoing use.
4. PayPal to versatile.arts@gmail.com. As with credit cards, we appreciate it if you add in the ~3% fee charged by Paypal on all business transactions.
5. Venmo to @versatile_arts. Please add 2% to Venmo transactions to cover their fee.
6. Direct ACH transfer. A good way to avoid fees is to use bank transfer. Please let us know if you’d like to use this method and we’ll be happy to provide our routing and account number.

If paying by check, please note what the check is for and which student, if not the person whose name is on the check. Returned checks will incur a $12 fee to cover our bank charge. All credit card and paypal payments can be made through our online registration system. Go to http://my.versatilearts.net to set up your login and make payments from the comfort of your own home.  If you prefer to use check or cash, those transactions must happen in person or by USMail. NOTE: Only existing VA students can use the online system. Filling out our online release form will add you to our database, after which you can set up your my.versatilearts.net login.

We are excited to offer a limited number of scholarships to folks identifying as BIPOC. Check out more information about this program here:  https://www.versatilearts.net/about/bipoc-scholarship/

We also have work trade opportunities pop up occasionally. Email va.studio.manager@gmail.com to express interest in future openings.

Treat that Special Someone to an Aerial Class! Versatile Arts offers gift certificates in any denomination. Common amounts are:

• $112 for a set of four ABC drop-ins
• $85 for a 1-hour private lesson (or some multiple thereof)
• $90 for a 1-month open gym membership (applies to students above the intro level)
• $135 for a 10-punch open gym card

If you want to gift someone online classes, each class has a suggested price of $15-20.

Click here to order online.

Gift certificates are good for one year from issuing date.

By default, we will create a physical certificate and mail it to you.  If you prefer, we can email a digital certificate, or can deposit gifted funds directly into a student’s VA account. Just let us know in on the gift certificate form or follow up to the confirmation email.

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 4 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! Another entry-level option is our Strength and Flexibility for New Aerialists class, which is a gentle class geared toward those with some physical limitations, fears, or injuries.

We love to host visiting aerialists at Versatile Arts!  If you’d like to come to open gym, just email us to set up a time for a quick evaluation so that we can ensure that you are safe to train without an instructor present.  We’ll also give you a quick orientation.  If you’re a professional and would like to train or rehearse outside of open gym hours, that can also be arranged but we do encourage you to contact us in advance. We do offer a few drop-in classes but prefer to have visitors go through our 1/2-hour assessment lesson so that we can get to know you before having you drop in to a class.  Email us if you’d like to set that up.

Please wear snug-fitting clothing that covers your midsection and all the way down your leg. Thick tights are better than loose-fitting yoga pants. Wide-legged pants are likely to get in your way. Make sure your shirt fits snugly enough that it will stay in place when you invert. Layers are useful and sometimes you will want a shirt with sleeves to protect your arms/armpits, but often you can get away with a tank top. Cotton is better than nylon. Neoprene ankle wraps can also come in handy for protection.

Make sure your clothing has no zippers, belts, studs, or anything else that could catch on the equipment. We will ask you to remove all watches, rings, large earrings, etc, so you might want to leave your valuables in the car or at home to make sure you don’t leave things at the studio.

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. Do use deodorant.

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. We also sell stainless steel bottles for $15 and will make a label for you!

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

A notebook or camera can be useful for recording what you learn in class.

Versatile Arts offers afternoon classes for children aged 11-17. Private instruction can be arranged for mature teens who are serious about their aerial training. We highly recommend SANCA (the School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts) in Georgetown for younger children’s circus classes. They have an extensive program and excellent instructors.

The best way to get strong enough to do aerial work is to do aerial work!

Other things you can do to build upper body and core strength include: pull-ups, bent-arm hangs, Pilates-style abdominal work, yoga, and rock climbing.

In terms of stretching, focus on shoulders, hamstrings, and low back. Working on your straddles and splits is very helpful, but only stretch them when your muscles are warmed up!

Because every teacher offers a slightly different curriculum, we require all visiting/transferring/cross-enrolling students to schedule a half-hour assessment lesson so that we can determine the best fit of student to class. Please contact us at versatile.arts@gmail.com to schedule an assessment.

Open gym is available to all adult aerialists who are able to work safely and independently. To be approved for open gym usage, please contact us at versatile.arts@gmail.com to schedule an evaluation/orientation during one of our open gym sessions.

If you have a Chinook Book coupon for the intro series (which we are not currently offering) you may instead use it to get 25% off a set of 4 of our ABC classes, which replaced the intro series.  Pay for three classes, get the 4th free. Alternately, you may use the coupon to get 25% off a 1-hour private lesson. Please email us to arrange either of these options and make sure to bring the coupon with you when you come in.

Versatile Arts strives to provide a welcoming environment for everyone who wishes to train with us. Our bathrooms are all gender. Regarding age limits, many of our aerialists are over 50!  We have not worked with many types of disability but are willing to explore if you are – just know that our main studio is up a flight of stairs but we do have ground-floor studios as well. If you ever feel unwelcome at VA, for any reason, we want to hear about it.

You bet! You can read all about them here – just be aware that our policies do change so bookmark this page rather than downloading a copy:

Versatile Arts Policies and Procedures

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 session.

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.

We are not currently allowing pro-rated tuition except in the case where a student joins a class midway through a session. We are, however, providing open gym punchcards as credits for qualified absences. The number of qualified absences varies according to the length of the session but is never more than 2 per class. If you know you will miss a class, use the  Manage Absences page to let us know when, and we’ll assign you a make-up punch.

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

1. Dogs must be leashed, crated or otherwise under human control everywhere other than the lobby. Clean dog beds are acceptable as long as your dog will actually stay in its bed.
2. Doggy feet are not allowed anywhere that human shoes are not allowed, which includes the Cathedral floor, the Blue room carpeted mat area, the Ballroom floor, and all mats. Likewise, please no dog toys or bones in those areas.
3. If you pet a dog, please make sure to wash your hands before getting on the equipment. Some dog breeds are actually hypoallergenic so are less of an issue, but in the name of studio cleanliness, let’s just err on the side of caution.

Circus arts can be hard on the body!  Luckily, we have a number of excellent bodywork professionals in the Versatile Arts family, all of whom understand the demands made on an aerialist’s body.  Some of these folks will give discounts to members of VA community, so please do tell them we referred you.

Adrienne Mays, LMP

Alex Goldstein, LMP, CSP

Soma is a form of bodywork that uses a systematic approach to re-educate the body to be aligned in gravity. Over time, the body can forget its natural alignment. Postural deficiencies, repetitive movements, and injury compensation can lead to imbalance and tension which, uncorrected, can lead to pain and decreased mobility. With a focus on the connective tissue and its relation to structure, Soma re-balances the body and restores its natural alignment by combining deep-tissue techniques with movement education and greater body awareness. With improved alignment, the body experiences improved posture, less pain and greater range of motion — it can move effortlessly with ease and grace.

Soma has the greatest benefit when experienced as “the series” — 11 sessions, each designed to address specific areas of the body while bringing balance to the whole. Standalone sessions are also available for treatment or maintenance or for those who do not wish the whole series. Single sessions are very effective but results will not be long-term.

ensobodywork.com/
alex@ensobodywork.com
206-707-9340

Anneka Deacon, LMP

I provide therapeutic massage with a variety of techniques including (but not limited to) Swedish, deep tissue, sports massage, injury treatment, trigger point therapy, and prenatal massage.  I also teach aerial arts in Bellingham at the Cirque Lab, the Bellingham Circus Guild’s shared space.

Gravity Therapeutics  |  Bellingham, WA
360-305-6690

Emily Scherb PT, DPT

I am a physical therapist who specializes in the movement analysis and care of performing artists and individuals with musculoskeletal pain or dysfunction. I spend a full hour with each of my patients to ensure skilled hands on care and professional guidance throughout the entire course of treatment. I have been a professional aerialist and instructor for the past 17 years and I look forward to applying that knowledge to your care. Free screenings are available for Versatile Arts students.

Dr. A. Corinne Xidos, DC

An alternative health care clinic in Capitol Hill including Chiropractic, Massage and Naturopathic Medicine.  Most medical insurance plans accepted, 10% discount on cash rates for chiropractic services for VA members.

Atlas Chiropractic Health Center  |  1422 Harvard Ave  |  Seattle, WA 98122
www.atlaschirohc.com
P: 206-324-2225
F: 206-324-5244

These are the main vendors used by Versatile Arts for the most common equipment purchases. If you are hanging equipment for the first time, please make sure that an experienced rigger is involved!

Custom Built Equipment, http://www.cbe-circus.com, (937) 372-7581. They are in Ohio so figure in a 2-hour time difference from Seattle. A standard Spanish Web is 32′ long but you can order them in any length.

These are the main vendors used by Versatile Arts for the most common equipment purchases. If you are hanging equipment for the first time, please make sure that an experienced rigger is involved!

• Sal Tex in Los Angeles is where most folks are getting their fabric these days.  Many nice colors, low- and medium-stretch, tested to 5000 lbs. 213-623-1447
• Fabric Depot, http://www.fabricdepotco.com, 979-758-3100. They are in Texas – 2 hrs later than Seattle. The fabric you want is the 40-denier tricot.

These are the main vendors used by Versatile Arts for the most common equipment purchases. If you are hanging equipment for the first time, please make sure that an experienced rigger is involved!

A custom trapeze is likely to run you $300-400. Before you order, you need to decide how wide you want the bar to be and how long the ropes should be. Standard rope length at VA is 9′.

Thomas York (mrheatmeiser@gmail.com) is a local fabricator and rigger who makes trapezes and other equipment.

Sam Rose (duorose@gmail.com) has made several of VA’s trapezes, including the triple trapeze. He is based in the Midwest so you will also pay shipping charges.

Aerial Animals (https://www.aerialanimals.com) is a well-regarded purveyor of many kinds of gear, including trapezes at several price points.

There are many options for buying carabiners and other hardware. Make sure you buy a known brand with a load rating stamped on it (look for something of the form “kN <-> 23”, meaning the end-to-end load rating is 23 kilonewtons). It should also be locking (screw-gate or auto-lock, either is acceptable), and generally D-shaped gives you more options for use.

Brands with good reputations include Petzl, Omega Pacific, and Rock Exotica. VA has used Fusion and ClimbTech as well. The Fusion Tacoma screw-gate is a 50kN D-shaped carabiner at a good price (https://www.fusionclimb.com/collections/carabiner-1/products/tacoma-screw-gate-steel-1).

Rescue-8s are commonly used to rig tissus and sometimes slings. There are aluminum and steel options available. Again, make sure you buy a reputable brand with a stamped load rating.

• REI no longer carries these, but you can order them online at various places, include Karst Sports:  http://www.karstsports.com/33002.html.
• Amazon carries a few reputable kinds as well – http://www.amazon.com/BlueWater-Ropes-Rescue-8/dp/B00182V9HW for example
• If you want steel, you can order from Nimble Arts in Vermont:  http://nimblearts.org/equipment/ (and it looks like good old  Amazon now carries steel as well)

If you want to be able to adjust the height of your equipment easily, invest in either a personal anchor system or an OmniSling. In both cases, each attachment point is rated the same as the whole system; typical climbing daisy chains with sewn pockets should NOT be used as an adjustable system.

https://www.rei.com/product/825820/metolius-pas-22-personal-anchor-system

https://www.dynamicrescue.com/products/omni-sling-rsi?variant=793963957

West Coast Wire Rope, (206) 767-4144. 7777 7th Avenue South. You order them “pull to pull”, meaning the distance between the ends when you stretch it out. Most common lengths are 3’, 4’, and 18”.  The black ones are fine (different colors = different strengths).

• Petzl is probably the most reliable, long-lasting option out there. http://www.karstsports.com/peswlp58la.html (there is also a smaller version for $10 less – both are good)
• Fusion makes an oval swivel that we’ve been happy with so far and is available from a few different vendors. https://www.firetoys.com/oval-swivel.html
• Rock Exotica makes excellent products but on the higher end of the price range. If you have height limits, they do make some products that combine swivels with shackles or carabiners to save you a little space. https://www.rockexotica.com/rotator-round-large
• ClimbTech is a newer company with less-expensive options. Time will tell whether they last as long as the Petzl – make sure to inspect frequently.  http://www.climbtechgear.com/swivel-hook/

These are the main vendors used by Versatile Arts for the most common equipment purchases. If you are hanging equipment for the first time, please make sure that an experienced rigger is involved!

• VVolfy Metalworks makes a wide range of high-quality lyras.

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