Circus Camp
Get Instagram Worthy Photos on Hammock, Hoop & Silks
Circus Camp is a five day program June 15-19. Your child will learn the aerial apparatus of hammock, hoop and silks under the direction of three instructors. The week culminates with an outdoor nature photoshoot where your child will display what they have been working on in Instagram worthy pictures that will be available, after light editing, in a google drive for you to download.
There are two sessions divided by age:
- Junior session is for ages 10-13 and runs from 9am – 11am (early morning drop off can be added for an additional cost). This camp size is limited to 8 participants.
- Senior session is for ages 14-17 and runs from 12pm – 4pm with a maximum of 16 participants.
The cost for the week long program and photoshoot is $325 per student.
How is the Camp Week Structured?
Monday – Thursday of camp will take place at Aerial Dance Appleton. Students will warm-up and then work on all three aerial apparatus (Hammock, Hoop & Silks). When breaks are needed the time will be filled with useful supplemental discussions like Injury Prevention and Photoshoot Tips & Tricks.
On Friday class will meet at an off site location for the photoshoot. The location will be revealed in your welcome packet at the start of camp depending on conditions (aka which of our offsite locations has the best summer foliage at that time!) We will set up our free standing aerial rig for the photoshoot. After the shoot, your child’s photos will be cropped, lightly edited, and uploaded to a google drive that you will be sent the link to and can then download and distribute as you choose.
Why Circus Camp?
Give your child a memorable and FUN experience in June. Your child will gain confidence, coordination, and strength. They will have a blast playing on the aerial apparatus in a safe environment. They will also have cool pictures to share from the experience.
Learn from the BEST!
Instructor Kim
Kim has been doing pole and aerial since 2014, but dancing and performing her whole life. She is a Wisconsin state certified middle and high school science teacher with 10 years experience. She has experience coaching both middle and high school sports, as well as choreographing musicals and assisting with hair/makeup/costuming for 5 years. She holds multiple aerial teaching certifications such as Aerial Silks and Aerial Yoga, and is an internationally certified judge for the United States Pole Sport Federation.
Instructor Alison
Alison has been doing the aerial arts since 2015 after looking for an outlet to keep dance and movement in her life. She has a B.S. in Education and Music and has experience in leading elementary and middle school performance groups. She holds multiple aerial teaching certifications including a PDM Certification in Aerial Silks.
Founder Paula
Dr. Paula Brusky founded Aerial Dance in 2010 and brought aerial to the Fox River Valley. She specializes in shoulder health with a focus on injury prevention of the upper extremities. She holds numerous aerial fitness instruction certifications including: Biomechanics & Safety in Aerial Fitness Instructor Training, Aerial Yoga Teacher Training, and Aerial Hoop Instructor Certification. She is a certified Aerial Rigger and holds Aerial Dance to the highest safety standards in the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
YES! Circus Camp Is Co-Ed
No. This summer camp is only available at our Appleton location in 2026 as that is where the majority of our teen private students are.
Our Appleton studio is on the west side of Appleton, right off of Highway 41, only a ~20 minute drive from our Green Bay location. Don’t let that stop your child from attending this incredible opportunity!
- A lot of AMAZING aerial instruction by three of the best teachers (and spotters) in the nation.
- Use of our top of the line equipment.
- Instruction on relevant topics, like injury prevention, when not actively working on aerial skills.
- Small class sizes with lots of individual attention.
- A photoshoot using all three apparatus!
- A google drive folder with just your child’s images for you to download and use as you wish.
Your child will need to wear a workout top and leggings or joggers to camp days. Tighter fitted clothing is easier to move in on these apparatus. We also recommend bringing along a long sleeve top to prevent burns from the fabric.
For the photoshoot, have an outfit with top and leggings/joggers that you feel good in and you can move freely in. Bright colors are encouraged as they photograph best.
Snacks! We’ll be burning a lot of energy so send your kid to camp with a water bottle and snacks.
Your child will need to wear a tank top and leggings/joggers to camp. And have an outfit (top and leggings/joggers) for the photoshoot.
YES. Aerial is a fantastic activity for kids and teenagers to build muscle strength and coordination. And CONFIDENCE!
What you probably really want to know as a parent is if the equipment your child will be on is safe. ABSOLUTELY. Our aerial studio is rigged by a professional engineer to OSHA standards. All of the equipment is top of the line, regularly inspected and doesn’t have any weight limitations or restrictions. We also have crash mats of varying thickness depending on the trick difficulty and height of the trick. Lastly, we are intentionally having small class sizes with multiple instructors in the room so there is always a spot available when wanted or needed.
The aerial rig that will be used for the photoshoot is a “Ludwig” quad. This is one the very best free standing rigs available and has a “working load weight limit” for 2,000 pounds so there is no safety concern about using it for single aerialist doing static tricks.
We’ve tried. MANY times in our 15 years. Kids schedules are just too busy to have a consistent class time with minimum enrollment which is why we offer private lessons for adolescents instead.
If there was a dedicated group of 8 that wanted to do a weekly aerial class time for their kids, we’d be happy to schedule it!
Younger children need more one on one supervision when doing aerial. For this reason, the junior camp is limited to one per apparatus versus the senior camp we anticipate two students per apparatus and they will watch and learn during their down time. ALL students will end up having the same overall time on each apparatus.
We are REALLY hoping for a beautiful summer day. However, if that doesn’t happen we will pick a location that has an overhang we can set up beneath. Or change the venue to be back in the studio with a solid color backdrop. No matter where the photos take place, they will be beautiful!
Great, Contact Us! We’re happy to answer any and all questions so you are confident this is the best option for your child this June.
