Fall 2024 Youth Aerial Class Updates:
We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates and changes for our upcoming Fall 2024 season! Our youth classes have been a wonderful addition to the studio, and we’ve learned a lot through experimenting with different approaches and gathering valuable feedback from parents. Instead of packing all this information into a lengthy newsletter, we decided to create a blog post to give you a comprehensive look at what’s new and what’s changing.
Performance Element: From our parties to our youth camps we’ve started incorporating a performance element and have received positive feedback from both kids and parents. Working towards a performance gets kids working together as a group and also shows parents/family what the kids have been learning in the classes. It takes the focus off of trying to get through the classes as quickly as possible to join the level II class and shifts it to learning as an experience in itself that can be enjoyed with “beginner” level skills. We are a studio that thrives in creativity, so we have plenty of ideas for performances and piecing things together so that by the time that the kids enter the level II class they are not only strong enough, but aware of the ins and outs of how to get into a trick which builds confidence and is also safer.
Series to Semester: With the intention to create a performance at the end of a series/session, we have decided to lengthen youth series from 4 to 6 classes. This will allow us to have enough time to teach new things and also give the kids time to rehearse the routine so that they feel comfortable sharing with an audience.
New Studio Policy: We’ve noticed that kids become self conscious when there are parents in the room, especially if they are struggling with self confidence/esteem/ anxiety. We are also not able to use the entire space when every parent stays. However, kids also want to share what they’ve learned with their parents but may feel pressure to do everything perfectly when parents are present. So we’ve decided that parents are no longer allowed to stay in the studio. (sorry!) We would love to be able to offer a supplemental class in the pole studio while the youth class is happening so that parents don’t have to commute as much, but in the meantime we are conveniently located near walking paths and downtown to hang out for an hour. At the end of each series, we will invite parents to come in the last half hour to watch the routines the kids have created.
We are incredibly excited for the upcoming Fall 2024 season and the new direction we're taking with our youth classes. By incorporating performance elements and extending our series to a semester format, we aim to provide a richer, more fulfilling experience for our young students. Our new studio policy is designed to create a more focused and supportive environment for the kids, while still keeping parents engaged through end-of-series performances.
Thank you to all the parents who have shared their feedback and helped us shape these changes. We believe these updates will enhance the learning experience for the kids and make our studio an even more vibrant and creative space. We can't wait to see the growth and achievements of our young aerialists this season!