Seattle’s School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA) offers a series of trapeze circus arts classes for the public. They’re fun, a good workout, and give the swinging world a whole new perspective.

Each class begins with stretches and exercises, followed by instruction on particular moves and tricks appropriate for your experience and comfort levels. Then it’s a revolving stream of a small group of students climbing up a 30 foot ladder to a platform and jumping off into space hoping for the best. The coaches provide safety lines and yell instructions at each step, so there is a figurative safety net as well as the literal one.

The experience is especially interesting since timing is important and it keeps the personal focus level high, plus each step in a series of moves needs to be remembered and instantly done. It’s definitely easier reciting it in your head on the ground than when actually hanging upside down listening for commands, but that’s what makes the “flying time” all the better.

School of Acrobatics and New Cirucs Arts training and performance tent

Grabbing trapeze bar and preparing to launch from platform

Upside down knee-hang from trapeze bar

Synchronizing swings with a SANCA instructor on another trapeze bar

Hanging under swinging trapeze to prepare for next trick

Back flip into air off the trapeze bar

Practicing stretch and hand positions for mid-air catch

Practicing a mid-air catch fully in motion, with SANCA coach on left