Anyone can do circus arts.
That's what the owner of Tucson's newest circus school wants you to know.
"People have this idea that circus is not for them. That it's too hard. That they have to be strong or flexible, but that's really not the case," said Kelsey Erickson, owner of Circus Sanctuary. "It's by doing circus that you gain strength and flexibility, but you don't really need that to start. We do a really good job of working with people where they are and helping them build it up."
Erickson has been participating in circus arts for a decade and has worked with a few circus schools around town, as well as her own space several years ago.
"I think one of the cool things about it is there's never an end," Erickson said. "It's never like 'oh I made it now.' You get to keep challenging yourself and keep learning new things and there's always something fun and exciting to do."
Erickson's new school, Circus Sanctuary, opened at 3113 E. Columbia Street in January, 2018.
The school offers a variety of circus classes including aerial silks, pole dance, beginning contortion, flexibility, inversion, fixed apparatus aerial (lyra, trapeze), and kids' classes in both group and private settings.
Holly Indigo carefully slides down the Chinese pole, wrapping up her set during a rehearsal for the upcoming show, Circus in Bloom, at Circus Sanctuary, 3113 E. Columbia, Wednesday, March 21, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
Most classes meet once a week for ten weeks. Group classes are $12 an hour, but you have to sign up for the whole ten-week session, Erickson said.
The spring session starts April 1 and runs through June 10. Registration is open now.
There are three drop-in classes for those who want to test the waters before committing to a whole session, as well as three open studio days where you can play. Click here for a schedule.
Starting in April, Circus Sanctuary will offer 'Yogay', a yoga class for the queer community.
"I actually have a friend who used to do that years ago and I'm queer," Erickson said. "I have a fiance who is a woman and so I really believe in finding spaces for the queer community to come together that aren't bars, that have healthier connotations. So, I talked to her about it to see if she'd be open to picking it back up and we're collaborating to offer it at Circus Sanctuary."
To showcase the new school and what it has to offer, Circus Sanctuary is hosting a free community event on Sunday, where you can take a "circus taster" class to get an idea of what it's all about, a Yogay class and a student performance.
Kelsey Erickson does her routine on the silks while Mika Deslongchamps watches her practice during a rehearsal for their upcoming show, Circus in Bloom, at Circus Sanctuary, 3113 E. Columbia, Wednesday, March 21, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
If you go
What: Circus in Bloom
When: Sunday, March 25, 2-6 p.m.
Where: Circus Sanctuary, 3113 E. Columbia Street
Cost: Free. Bring cash for lemonade and popcorn. Donations of money or plants for the garden are appreciated.
