clubs

Open aerial gym is a friendly, fun and safe place to work on established and developing skills, build community, get circus strong, and find new friends to collaborate with!

Open gym generally happens Fridays 5-7pm under the truss, but always check the calendar before attending, as it is sometimes affected by shows and other programming. 

Attendance is free, but there is a suggested $10 donation for non-members to help cover the cost of annual rigging inspections and new equipment.

Who can practice:

• Current MCS aerial members; current MCS aerial members who have not tested in on a specific apparatus but received approval to practice it.
• Lapsed MCS aerial members who are not currently paying membership dues.
• Visiting aerialists who have received approval from the aerial board rep.
• Aerial students who take classes through MCS and have received explicit written approval from their instructor(s)

For more info about open aerial gym rules and policies, see 

Open Aerial Gym — Info & Rules

Handstand Club is open to everyone at all skill levels. You do not have to be a MCS member or student to attend.

Handstand Club is an open training session with no instructors or curriculum. Handstand Club is all about making friends, encouraging each other, and carving out a regular practice time for all levels of handstanders! Wake up early and join us!

When:   Wednesdays, 7:45 am – 9:00 am

Where:  MCS lower dance studio, check the MCS calendar

Costs:  Free to attend, donations to MCS welcome!

What do you usually do at Handstand Club?

1. We warm up together. (15 min)
2. Everyone works on their own goals and play. (45 min)
3. End with a little bit of conditioning. (5 min)

We can help you if you’re a beginner! Spotters, mats, and helpful tips/drills are available.  Go upside down for the first time, learn to kick up against a wall and bail safely, practice drills for balancing, walk on your hands, explore some handstand shapes, get that press or endurance hold… Whatever excites you!

Info for MCS members:  Handstand Club often plays music but is flexible on volume. Handstand Club can accommodate many types of other circus training. Contact Amanda at akgatewood@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Acro Club meets for a weekly acro jam at MCS during the winter months. This is an unstructured time to practice and play, with no formal instruction. All levels of experience are welcome and you don’t need a partner to join.

When: Saturday 10 am-12 pm during the colder months of the year. Check the MCS calendar and/or the Madison Acro Community Facebook group for cancellations or schedule changes.

Where: The main room on the ground floor of the Madison Circus Space

Cost: Free to attend, but donations to MCS are always welcome! 

Additional Info

• MCS Waiver: Participants must read and sign the MCS waiver each calendar year prior to participating in Acro Club that year.
• Newcomers: You do not need a partner or prior acro experience to attend Acro Club. Please feel welcome to come alone, introduce yourself, and participate at your level of comfort and ability. If it is your first time coming to Acro Club, please check in with the host(s) when you arrive.
• Children must be accompanied by an adult and be appropriately supervised.

Acro Club Policy

• Acro Club is an open practice time. It is not a time for formal instruction.
• Acro Club hosts do not assume any liability for any Acro Club participants. 
• Acro Club hosts can ask any participant to stop practicing a particular movement or to leave the facility if they believe that participant is not exercising caution or adhering to proper safety protocols.

Acro Safety Guidelines

• Work within your safe skill range and use accurate self-assessment for any given skill or partnership. If you don’t know if a skill is at an appropriate level for you to work on, talk to the host(s) or other experienced community members.
• Use spotters when you don’t yet have full control of a skill or the ability to safely bail. Make sure the spotter is familiar with the skill, understands what level and type of spotting you may need, and is able to provide it. Crash mats may be used if appropriate for a particular skill.
• Be aware of the space around you and what people nearby are doing. Leave enough space away from others and from the edge of the mat when you are finding a spot to practice.
• Please only share skills that you are able to share safely and that are at an appropriate level for the person you are working with to understand and attempt.

COVID Policy

Refer to the MCS COVID-19 policy. 

For more information

Contact Darci Macur at drawninstone@gmail.com.

Info for MCS members

Acro club typically uses both roll-out mats, gigantor, and, depending on the number of people, sometimes blue panel mats as well. A slackline is often rigged across the back of the room, running under the D beam of the truss. We cannot accommodate anyone wanting to use the sound system. We can accommodate ground training that doesn’t use much space (stretching, etc.) in the main room along the wall that borders the dance studio. Because it’s time consuming to move the mats around once everyone has started working on them, if a member wants to use one of the rig points along the back wall (except on the D truss) during the club time, it would be very useful to know in advance so that we could set up the roll-out mats accordingly at the beginning. Please direct requests or questions to Darci at drawninstone@gmail.com.

Wheel Club is open to Cyr wheelers and German wheelers of a variety of skill levels. It is an open session with no instruction where students can practice moves that they already learned.  Join us!

• German wheelers must have some prior experience (such as completion of a 5-week wheel class series) or permission from the club host to attend.
• Brand-new Cyr wheelers are welcome and may use wheels that MCS members already own, with permission from the owner(s). You may want to write to inquire whether MCS has a wheel that is the correct height for you before attending.

When:   Sundays, 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Costs: Free to attend, donations welcome!

Info for MCS members: Wheel Club often plays music but is flexible on volume. Wheel Club can accommodate many types of non-wheel circus training if wheel club attendance is low that week. Contact Amanda at akgatewood@gmail.com to determine whether we can accommodate your need.

For more information:

Contact Amanda Gatewood at akgatewood@gmail.com.

Madison Circus Space Wheel Club Policy                  

GENERAL NOTES:

• Wheel Club is an open practice time. It is not a time for formal instruction.
• Youth over age 12 who have wheel experience (see below) are welcome to Wheel Club. Parents of youth must remain in MCS while the youth is participating.
• Wheel Club hosts do not assume any liability for any Wheel Club participants.
• Wheel Club hosts reserve the right to ask any participant to stop practicing a particular movement or to leave the facility if they believe that participant is not exercising caution or adhering to proper safety protocols.

CYR WHEEL:

• Wheel Club is open to all Cyr wheelers, including complete beginners.
• Because all Cyr wheels are privately owned, brand-new wheelers must check in with club hosts to see which wheels are available for their use.
• Wheelers performing advanced maneuvers or inverting in their wheels should always wear appropriate safety gear and ask for trained spotters while still learning.

GERMAN WHEEL:

• Wheel Club is open to German wheelers who have completed a five-week Beginning class series or have equivalent prior experience.
• Complete beginners must obtain prior permission to come and may only participate with the assistance of an instructor and club host.
• Wheel Club is a time for wheelers to practice movements they have already learned rather than to attempt new skills.
• Wheelers should always ask for trained spotters and wear appropriate safety gear, if applicable, while practicing movements over which they don’t yet have complete control. If trained spotters are not available, wheelers should stick to movements that present a low risk of falling and that they know how to get out of safely.
• Skill sharing is permitted for movements that do not involve inversions out of straps (i.e. cartwheel variations, low sit rock and stomach rock, etc.). Approved instructors are permitted to teach more advanced movements during Wheel Club time, but participants who are not instructors may not attempt to teach those movements.

When: Sundays, 2pm – 4pm (Check the calendar to confirm meeting times)
Cost: FREE!

The Madison Area Jugglers is open to everyone. We are a very informal group, with no dues, membership restrictions, age requirements, or attendance records. In other words, we’re just a bunch of folks who like to get together and throw things.

Info for MCS members: We often accommodate ground training and aerial. Rigging points in the back corner or close to the wall are preferred. Wheel is more difficult to accommodate. In general, the club plays music, but we are flexible on volume, and we expand to fill the spaces not currently being used. Anyone training during this time should expect noise, Ripsticks, and flying objects. Questions about whether the club can accommodate your training? Contact Steven at steven@giantzoc.com

For more information visit, www.madjugglers.com.

We are a group of people who practice to get better together in a fun and supportive environment. We meet in the Main Room of Madison Circus Space from 6-8 pm each Sunday in the colder months and monthly in the warmer months. Confirm that Hoop/Flow Jam is meeting by checking the MCS Calendar.

• November through April: weekly meetings starting November 9
  • Note that we will not be meeting November 30, December 28, or April 5 due to holidays.
• May through October: monthly meetings

 

Info for MCS members: We’re always glad to have members come to train as long as there is room and members are okay with the music levels and lighting. We often play and need very loud music, and objects sometimes fly around unexpectedly. If you have questions about whether flow jam could accommodate you, contact Danielle at danielle@hoopelation.com

These open practice jams have no formal instruction, and are geared as a time to play,  practice, socialize with other hoopers and flow artists, and dance to the music.

All ages, experience levels, and flow disciplines are welcome, and those under 15 must be accompanied by adults. There are hoops and other flow props for use if you don’t have your own. The Madison Circus Space features 40 foot ceilings, a sprung wood floor, and also has mats available for use. There is a ton of space to move in.

Please join our WhatsApp group to connect and to find out about any cancellations or changes to the schedule. We often cancel around holidays or for neighborhood festivals.

There is no cost to participate, but donations are alway welcome.