Getting Started for Youth

Welcome to Sky Candy!

We’re here to support your awesome Austin aspiring aerialists as they start or continue their journey with aerial and circus arts! This page provides an overview of the many programs we offer and how your family can get started.

Feel free to reach out to our team at frontdesk@skycandyaustin.com if you have any questions that aren’t answered below.

What We Offer

Based in Austin, TX, our incredible team has been helping kids and teens learn aerial and circus arts since 2010!

Circus arts encompasses many different movement modalities including flow skills like juggling and hooping to other activities like partner acrobatics. They develop and refine the body's movement capabilities and skills through techniques focused on coordination, strength, endurance, mobility, performance and play! Aerial arts lets kids take those same skills and apply them in the air on our four core apparatus; trapeze, silks, lyra, and sling.

Safety is paramount - all apparatus is regularly inspected and have been hung according to best practices provided by structural engineers and aerial rigging professionals. Sky Candy offers a slew of ways to be active, develop awesome skills, and increase your kids’ confidence. In addition to hosting youth and teen classes on these aerial apparatuses after school and on the weekends, we also offer camps during school breaks including summer camps for children and teens, guided practice, special events, performance opportunities, and more!

Types of Classes

There are lots of ways for your child or teen to train and have fun at Sky Candy. Whether they are looking to try something new, increase their strength and flexibility, or just want to pick up some mad skills, we are here for it! 

Read more about our class options for kids below and to see all of our class calendars and booking options.

Series Classes

Join a small weekly group class designed especially for kids or teenagers to develop aerial arts skills in a specific discipline. Most of our youth series are semester long and last about 15-18 weeks. Shorter courses are sometimes available.

Series classes are split out by level and most students can expect to do the same leveled series class multiple times before advancing to the next level. Our Beginner Youth and Teen series classes focus on Silks & Sling or Trapeze & Lyra. 

We know every student is different and we support our students of all ages on their journeys with us, meeting them where they are with safe progressions, unique challenges, and supportive coaching!

Drop-In Classes

Is your child or teen curious about aerial arts and wants to try something new or different? Maybe your family’s schedule makes series classes challenging to commit to and you’re looking for more flexibility? 

Our Intro to Aerials drop-in class is the best option for kids and families interested in exploring possibilities. Drop-in classes are conveniently available after school and on weekends. 

For newer students who want to regularly practice, but cannot commit to a series, we recommend Silks & Sling Fundamentals for Youth or Lyra & Trapeze Fundamentals for Youth.

Private Lessons

Does your child thrive in a one on one environment? Do you want their training to be tailored to their specific needs and expectations? Then private lessons are the answer!

Private lessons must be scheduled either through our Front Desk team or directly with instructors. You can book for one, two, or three people and it can be a one time thing or a regular thing depending on what works best for you!

Private lessons are also a great option if you would like to do a lesson with your child. We love starting families on their aerial journey together!

Guided Practice Time

Okay, so your child has got some classes under their belt, but they’re looking for more practice time so they can progress faster, focus on specific moves, and improve their confidence on an aerial apparatus they’ve been working with?

Check out our Guided Youth Practice Times! Youth and teen students will be supervised by one of our youth instructors as they work on skills they’ve learned in class so that they have more airtime. This is a great way for kids to work towards leveling up on lyra, slings, silks, and trapeze!

Sky Camp

Does your child, tween, teen, or young adult want to attend the best, most fun summer camp in Austin ever? Look no further than Sky Camp! 

With full day and half day options for students of all skill levels (beginner to advanced) and ages (between 1st and 12th grade), we have something for everyone! We also offer additional camps during other long school breaks, spring and winter, so please see our schedule for details.

Make new friends, learn new circus and aerial arts skills, and create memories that’ll last a lifetime!

Parties & Events

Need a unique and amazing experience in Austin to wow your group and impress your kids? Looking for something momentous to reward your cheer, dance, or drill team, or other kid’s club for a job well done? Maybe you’re looking for something different and magical for your next family reunion? 

We love to party and whether you’re celebrating a very special birthday, graduation, and any other exciting life event, we have lots of fun options to get your group energized and excited! 

Private parties must be scheduled through our Front Desk team and depending on the activity, we can accommodate groups from 4-48!

Frequently asked Questions

  • If your child is brand new to aerial arts, we recommend starting off with our Intro to Aerials for Youth or Intro to Aerials for Teens class. In this class, they will have the opportunity try out at least two our four main aerial apparatus: silks, sling, trapeze, and lyra.

    Sign them up for their first class today!

    If Intro to Aerials for Youth or Intro to Aerials for Teens is not available or does not fit in your schedule, we recommend scheduling a private lesson if you’d like to try out one class before committing to a 10 Week Series.

  • Most of our classes happen in 5 or 10 weeklong series, wherein students work on level appropriate skills in their chosen apparatus or discipline. Series classes ensure that we can offer safe progressions as students learn new skills. Registration for these classes generally opens anywhere from 4-6 weeks before the first class.

    There are no makeup sessions if you need to miss a series class.

    If series classes don’t work for you for any reason, we also offer private lessons for students of all ages. These are customized one-on-one or small group lessons.

  • Group classes in our youth program accommodate students ages 4 - 17.

    Aerial Beginnings: 4 - 7 years old

    Youth: 1st - 6th Grade

    Teen: 7th - 12th Grade

    Occasionally, we are able to accept younger students for private lessons. Please contact our Front Desk team for more information.

  • Our drop in classes are $35 per class.

    You can purchase a class pass or become a member for a lower price per class.

    If it’s your very first class with us, we offer all newbies $15 off their first class with the code FIRSTFLIGHT.

    Our 10 Week Series classes is where we do our apparatus specific skill building. Those classes are $350 for the full 10 weeks.

  • Our Intro and Beginner classes are great for newcomers with no experience in aerial arts or other movement disciplines. There are no prerequisites to join any of these classes.

    We welcome your children to come as they are and we’ll use our experience in working with diverse bodies with safe skill progressions to help them have fun and reach your goals!

  • To help us ensure the safety of youth and teen students under our supervision at Sky Candy, we have revised our pick up and drop off policies. These policies will go into effect August 2023.

    Series Classes

    For the first class of the series: Parents/guardians must come into the studio to drop their student off and fill out any necessary paperwork. 

    Subsequent weeks: Parents/guardians do not need to come into the studio for drop-off.

    Pick-Up: Parents/guardians must come into the studio and pick up students at the Front Desk unless unless they have signed a Drop-off and Pick-up Consent Form for their child. This form permits students to leave Sky Candy independently and is part of the Student Info Form that parents/guardians receive before every session.

    Drop In Classes and Private Lessons

    For all classes/lessons: Parents/guardians must come into the studio to drop off and pick up their youth or teen.

  • All of our rig points utilize hardware that is rated to hold at least 22kN (or roughly 5000 lbs). We do this to ensure that all of our equipment is well-suited for dynamic movement from folks in a wide array of bodies.

    If you are interested in a home rigging set up, we strongly recommend consulting with a structural engineer or purchasing an aerial rig from a reputable manufacturer.

  • In general, we do not offer refunds for any purchases.

    If you any questions, please get in touch with our Front Desk team.

  • While we do call some of our group classes “drop ins”, we do strongly recommend that folks sign up in advance to secure their spot. Some of our classes get booked up weeks in advance. E-mail frontdesk@skycandyaustin.com if you’re having trouble registering!

  • Aerial Classes: We recommend wearing close-fitting workout clothes that cover the underarms and backs of the knees. Yoga pants or leggings and a T-shirt would be an appropriate outfit.

  • A water bottle is highly recommended for all of our classes.

    You are also welcome to bring any of your own fitness equipment (yoga mats, blocks, etc).

    If you are interested in bringing your own apparatus or hardware, please refer to our Personal Equipment Guidelines page.

  • We recommend leaving your valuables at home. Please remove jewelry (particularly rings) before attending class to avoid damaging the apparatus or hurting yourself.

    While we love our furry friends, we do not allow pets of any kind at the studio for safety and allergy reasons. We do allow registered service animals in the studio.

  • We generally recommend that students aim to arrive 10-15 minutes before class to get settled into the space before class begins.

    We have a 10 minute grace period for late arrivals. If you and your child arrive 10+ minutes after the start of a class, they will not be allowed to participate for the safety of themselves and other students, but they are welcome to observe class.

  • Parents are welcome to stay and hang out in our student lounge. We ask that parents not disrupt class by entering the class area. Any siblings or other children must be supervised for the full duration of class. We ask that the number of folks who stay remain limited as we have limited space to accommodate parents alongside our adult students who utilize the same space.

  • We are in a very cool complex called Springdale General that features restaurants, a coffee shop, a tea shop, art galleries, and more. There is also a large public indoor and outdoor seating area at Building 1 near the yellow steel structure with free WiFi that is a great spot to hang out while you wait for your child’s class to finish.

Studio Policies

  • Arrive on time. Late arrivals may not be allowed to participate.

    Please make sure that you arrive at Sky Candy on time for your class and please allow time to locate parking on site. If you are more than 10 minutes late to any class, you will not be allowed to participate, as it is dangerous to engage in any circus-related activities without a proper warm-up.

    Empty classes may be cancelled.

    If there are fewer than two students signed up for a Drop-In class twelve hours prior to the class start time or fewer than three students signed up for a Series class two days prior to the class start time, the class may be cancelled. If you want to ensure that we keep a class on the schedule, be sure to schedule your place in advance for it on our website.

    Adult classes are for students ages 16 and up.

    We only allow students 16 and up into our regularly scheduled Drop-In and Series classes. On occasion, a teacher may make exceptions for particularly mature students.

    Students who have successfully completed kindergarten-age 13 are welcome in our Youth classes, and students ages 12-17 may attend our Teen classes. Students who have not yet successfully completed kindergarten may be eligible to take Private Lessons. Please contact us at frontdesk@skycandyaustin.com for more details.

    All services must be paid for in advance.

    To guarantee a spot in a Series classes, Drop-In classes, Private Lessons, Parties, or Workshops, students must pay in advance.

    Check expiration dates on purchases.

    Please note that for all individual drop-in class, open studio, and series purchases: Credit for these purchases expires one year from the purchase date. We do not offer refunds or extensions on purchases that have expired. Please check on the individual expiration dates for other classes and passes, including multi-class passes, unlimited passes, and special deals or discounts.

    No refunds.

    Except in very rare circumstances, we cannot offer refunds for any of our services. In cases where students have given us sufficient notice (12+ hours for Drop-In classes, 24+ hours for Private Lessons and Open Studios, 48 hours prior to the first class for Series enrollments), we can offer an account credit for the amount paid that can be applied to future classes. We do make exceptions for serious injuries or illnesses for which the student can provide us a note from a medical professional, within a reasonable time frame. For information on complete refund policies, or to cancel a class, e-mail our Front Desk at frontdesk@skycandyaustin.com.

    No makeup classes in a Series.

    Unless you have specific permission from a teacher to make other arrangements, we do not offer free make-up classes for missed classes during a Series. We strongly recommend scheduling a 30 minute Private Lesson with your teacher to catch up on missed material.

  • Everyone must sign a waiver.

    Everyone must sign a waiver before attending class, training, or engaging in any activity at Sky Candy. To sign our waiver, click the waiver link in the header at the top of this page.

    Dress appropriately.

    Dress appropriately for your apparatus. NO METAL OR SHARP OBJECTS PLEASE.

    For most aerial apparatuses, proper attire means close-fitting workout clothes that cover the legs and underarms. Do not wear jewelry, unsecured eyeglasses, grommets, or any other objects that can snag or damage the equipment, yourself, your fellow students, and/or teacher! Look above for more detailed info.

    All students must wear a well-fitting facial mask covering their mouth and nose for the entirety of their time in our studio at the current time.

    Train healthy.

    Absolutely no training under the influence of drugs or alcohol is permitted. If your teacher suspects that you may be compromised in this or some other way (i.e. injury, illness, or severe sleep deprivation) you may be asked to sit out and observe your class. If your teacher or a Front Desk member suspects that you may be ill, you may be asked to leave the studio.

    Get warm and stay hydrated.

    Please arrive to class on time and ready for warm-up. If you are attending Open Studio, be sure to warm up on your own in the studio before beginning aerial work. Come hydrated and stay hydrated!

    Exercise good hygiene.

    In a shared training space, it is important that all students practice good hygiene. Additionally, we request that everyone avoid heavy fragrances and lotions as they can irritate other students and staff and can make the equipment difficult to use.

    Respect your environment.

    Be respectful to the teachers, employees, your fellow students, and the studio. No photography or video recording is allowed without the express permission of the person or people being photographed or filmed. No shoes on the mats or apparatuses. Please wear appropriate footwear when walking around outside of the Sky Candy studio. Please be considerate with cell phone use.

    No glass, ceramic, or open containers of any kind.

    With hard floors and bare feet, it’s not worth the danger. Please bring water in other kinds of containers. Only water is permitted in the mat-covered areas of the studio.

    Be aware of your surroundings.

    Do not walk under apparatuses while they are in use. The people in the air have the right of way. Always be aware of your surroundings. Please keep a minimum 6′ distance from all other persons in the studio at all times.

    Do not rig equipment.

    Do not attempt to rig any equipment. Please ask a trained member of the Sky Candy staff if you need equipment adjusted for any reason.

    Open Studio is for practice.

    Open Studio is intended to be a forum in which to practice what you learn in class; do not attempt to execute new moves or to teach other students. The safest way to learn any aerial or circus skill is with a qualified instructor. We do not recommend ANY other method of learning aerial or circus skills.

    Don’t take unnecessary risks

    Ask for assistance if you are unsure about a move or trick. Never train alone and always use a crash mat. If you are injured during class or Open Studio, inform your teacher or host immediately.

    By choosing to practice aerial and circus arts, you are knowingly engaging in an activity that comes with inherent risks. As a studio we do our best to mitigate risks to keep our staff, students, and other participants safe, and to this end, we ask that you do not take unnecessary risks.

  • Sky Candy does not offer monetary refunds, except as an option when we need to cancel an already scheduled class. Product purchases, such as gift cards, Drop-In or Open Studio passes, water, or clothing, are all final and are nonrefundable.

    For services, if students have given us sufficient notice (see below for specifics), we can offer account credit for the amount paid that can be applied to future classes.

    Series Classes: 24+ hours before the first class in the Series

    Private Lesson: 24+ hours before the lesson begins

    Individual Drop-In Classes & Open Studios: 12+ hours before the class or Open Studio begins

    Workshops & Private Parties: 7+ days before the workshop or party

    Sky Camp: 7+ days before the camp begins

  • We have a comprehensive mat policy, based on research and industry best practices. You can find the full policy here.

    In general - when in doubt, use a mat!