What kind of circus sounds fun to you?
You do not need to understand circus terminology before your first class. Pick an activity that looks interesting, then read a little more about what to expect.
Choose the experience first
Explore the activities that interest you, including popular ground options often added to private parties. Click a card and the page jumps to the full description below.
Flying Trapeze
Swing high above the net, learn a trick, and work toward a catch - all while secured in safety lines.
Aerial Silks
Climb two long fabrics, learn foot knots, poses and spins, then build toward inversions and drops.
Aerial Hammock
A loop of fabric that supports beautiful poses and gentle drops - one of DCC's easiest aerial starting points.
Lyra / Aerial Hoop
Learn basic entries, inversions, spins and short sequences on a suspended metal hoop.
Trampoline
Bounce, flip, and build air awareness on a competition-style trampoline with coaching scaled to your experience.
Handstands
Build balance, body control, shoulder stability, and confidence upside down — from first attempts to advanced shapes.
Flexibility
Work on mobility, active flexibility, and controlled range of motion that supports both circus skills and everyday movement.
For a first visit, choose Flying Trapeze - All Levels or any aerial/ground class marked Beginner or All Levels. The staff will scale the class to your current ability.
Flying Trapeze
DCC's All Levels class mixes first-time flyers with experienced students. First-timers begin with a short ground introduction covering safety and etiquette, then take turns swinging, learning tricks and dropping into the net. The pace is based on each student's ability and comfort level, and the last part of class is used for catch attempts when appropriate.
See the apparatus before you choose it
The existing DCC page has good descriptions; the redesign simply gives those descriptions hierarchy. A first-timer should be able to tell the difference between silks, hammock and lyra at a glance.
Aerial Silks
Beginner Silks is appropriate whether it is your first aerial class or you already have experience and want to focus on fundamentals. New students start with climbs, foot knots, basic poses and spins. As they progress, they build strength and control for inversions, hip keys and more involved sequences.
Aerial Hammock
DCC specifically recommends hammock for people looking for a beginner-friendly apparatus. The looped fabric supports students while they learn poses and gentle drops, and it provides a useful way to build grip and inversion strength before moving toward more difficult aerial skills.
Lyra
Lyra is the suspended metal hoop. Beginner students learn the basics of getting onto the apparatus, inverting, spinning and putting simple skills together in short sequences. DCC's current description explicitly welcomes brand-new students as well as people returning to circus.
More ways to get in the air
These are also active class types listed on the current Dallas Circus Center Class Descriptions page.
Aerial Yoga
Traditional yoga meets aerial hammock. The class uses the hammock to build strength, flexibility, and mind-body connection, and the current DCC description welcomes all experience levels.
Chinese Pole
Learn climbs, slides, drops, body position, and alignment on Chinese Pole. Classes also include conditioning that prepares students for more advanced skills.
Prefer to start closer to the floor?
These classes build body awareness and acrobatic skills without requiring the customer to choose an aerial apparatus.
Trampoline
DCC's trampoline class is mixed ability. Coaches tailor the work to each student's current skill level and goals, whether they are taking their first trampoline class or bringing prior acrobatic experience.
Handstands
All levels are welcome. Classes use core engagement, shoulder stability and body-position drills to build a handstand, then progress toward shapes, entrances and flowing.
Cyr Wheel
Students learn to spin and roll with a large metal hoop. The class can scale to different experience levels while building proprioception and endurance.
Flexibility / Conditioning
Build active flexibility, mobility, body control and strength through coached drills that support aerial skills, acrobatics and injury-resistant movement.
Already have circus experience?
Dance Trapeze – Intermediate: prior aerial experience; pathways, transitions, movement styles, creativity, and expression.
