Classes

Class Descriptions

Discover what you can do when you runaway to the circus!

Training at Ruccis can take you on a journey you may not have thought possible! We’re a proudly non-competitive space and welcome all abilities, so if you’re looking for fun, fitness, strength, friends – or a little bit of each! – you’re in the right place. Find out more below about what a class involes and where it can take you!

Your Circus Journey

Basics/101

The place to start! Learn the basic skills, strength and conditioning to start your circus journey. You might enjoy staying in a basics class for several terms to develop your technique and confidence.

Foundations

These classes start to build on basic skills in a specific apparatus, and form the foundation for more technical skills and tricks.

Experienced / Extra

For students wanting to push their skills a little further. Experienced classes have prerequisites for specific skills – see below.

Advanced

For students who have been training their specialty and looking for more complex skills with more intense conditioning and advanced tricks. Experienced classes have prerequisites for specific skills – see below.

Class Descriptions

Circus Mix

Try a little bit of everything in Circus Mix! These classes are the perfect place to explore general circus skills as students work through rotations of aerial, tumbling, manipulation and balance. Find out more about each discipline:

Manipulation

Develop fine motor skills through thorwing, catching, spinning and twirling objects. Example include juggling, hula hoops, devil sticks, plate spinning, poi, scarves diablo and more.

Aerial

Get up in the air and build your strength through climbing, hanging, swinging and spinning on various apparatuses including static and dance trapeze, silks (tissu), aerial hoop (lyra), cloudswing, spanish web, corde lisse, slings and cube.

Tumbling

Learn body control and incorporate some of the skills of artistic gymnastics on the floor and trampolining. Some examples of specific skills are ground tumbling, handstands, mini-tramp, double-mini-tramp, conditioning and acrobalance (partner acrobatics)

Balance

Balance, sometimes called Equilibrium, is the art of balancing on static or moving objects. Find your centre on the tightwire, unicycle, walking globe, rolla bolla or stilt walking.

Aerial

Perfect for students wanting to get up in the air! These classes cover both tissu and trapeze, and we’ll cover basic climbs and wraps on tissu and shapes and sequences on trapeze and aerial hoop.  

Tissu

Sometime called Silks, Tissu are the long lengths of material suspended from ceiling where you can climb, wrap and perform drops.  Build your strength, learn tricks and poses, and then how to sting them all together.

Trapeze & Lyra

The bar apparatuses – Explore dynamic tricks and transitions on the lyra (also called Aerial Hoop), as well as on our static and single point trapezes. Great for working on your core and upper body strength.

Yah Yahs

Yah-Yahs is for the Young at Heart – a Circus Mix class designed for adults who want a gentler approach to circus training or who are coming back to regular exercise after some time away. This class covers everything a Circus Mix class covers: manipulation, tumbling, balance and aerial.

Preschool Circus

A super fun circus class just for toddlers. Kids will have a chance to play with various circus equipment, work through an obstacle course and try aerial equipment in a safe environment. A great place for toddlers to develop gross motor skills, body awareness and confidence, and most importantly have fun! Parents are welcome to assist or watch.

Circus Buddies

A Circus Mix class where 3 – 5 year olds get to try circus with an adult buddy! Kids work with a parent, family member or friend through all the elements of a Circus Mix class and adults will get to work on skills as well!

Hula Hoops

Focus on hula hoop skills in a fun, social class for all abilities. Get a fantastic cardio workout covering a range of skills including traditional body hooping, hand manipulation skills, and more!  It’s a great way to get fit and welcomes beginners as well as experienced hoopers.

Tumbling

For students who love to be airborne! This class will cover rolls, jumps, flips and saults using floor, mini tramp and our double mini trampoline. Learn body control to also work on handstands and conditioning.

Balance

Covering all things balance, this class will help you polish your tightrope and globe walking skills, as well as rolla bolla and complimentary balancing conditioning.

Rigging and Teching

Learn the back stage tricks to keep performers safe and spectacular! Spot backflips and aerial skills with lunge lines, try counter weighting with harnesses to make aerialist fly, plus handy knotting skills for secure ties and quick releases, and so much more.

Partner Acro

A perfect class to do as a family, this class is an introduction to acro-balance with a partner. Have a go at counter balancing, basing and flying in a fun and supportive environment. No experience necessary.

Aerial/Tumbling

When you can’t decide between the ground and the air, why not have both? Half the class will cover tumbling and acro skills on the ground and mini trampoline, and the other half getting you up on the tissu and trapeze (alternating each week).

Handstand Icon

Handstands

Train with like-minded folk and learn the tips and tricks to build your strength and correct technique to be upside down. Handstands are a skill that compliments many other circus disciplines and this class is great way to prepare you for cane and chair balancing too.

Prerequisite Classes

Your student’s coach will be able to let you know if your student has achieved the required prerequisites. Speak to you coach before enrolling in these classes.

Circus Mix Extra
  • Cartwheel on a line
  • Forward roll to standing on the floor
  • Kick to handstand against the wall
  • Straddle jump to motorbike landing from the tramp
  • French climb (three steps up)
  • Unassisted straddle from the floor
  • ‘Throw throw, catch catch’ juggle with two ball cascade
  • Spin hula hoop on waist
  • Balance on the rola bola or bongo board with hands off the block
  • Balance on all fours on globe
Tissu - Intermediate and Experienced
  • Both French and Russian climb to the top
  • From a climb: invert, Russian hiplock, catchers hang, crochet cross back
  • 10 sec dead hang
  • Tricks: hammock (britney spears), supported bridge (space man pose), star drop from catchers (catchers drop)
Tissu - Advanced
  • Hiplock climb
  • continuous star rolls
  • 5 straddles from a climb
  • angel drop/candy cane
  • egg beaters
  • 20 sec dead hang
  • foot hang on each foot
  • double star roll (curly wurly),
  • knee/straddle climb to the top
  • 4min improv
Lyra/Aerial Hoop - Intermediate and Experienced
  • flower to swan (front balance)
  • amazon (front and side)
  • 10 knee hang pulses
  • mermaid
  • lazy hang/cradle
  • pike and straddle under the bar
  • sit on top bar
  • forward roll to one knee/waterfall
  • walking man no hands
Lyra/Aerial Hoop - Advanced
  • Top to bottom bar drop to hips
  • star back balance to crucifix
  • 5 chin ups
  • 5 flowers
  • one knee hang both sides
  • gazelle drop to knee
  • half angel drop from sitting
  • 1 arm meathook
  • mermaid roll through
  • swan dive drop
  • tombe drop
  • amazon around the world
  • 4min improv
Trapeze - Experienced
  • flower to swan (front balance)
  • amazon (front and side)
  • 10 knee hang pulses
  • mermaid
  • pike and straddle under the bar
  • forward roll to one knee (waterfall)
  • clicks, birdnest in the ropes
  • single arm hangs
Trapeze - Advanced
  • star back balance to crucifix
  • 5 chin ups
  • 5 flowers
  • one knee hang both sides
  • cherry bomb/bluebird drop
  • half angel drop from sitting
  • meathook 1 arm
  • crochet handstand
  • 4min improv
Aerial Hammock - Experienced
  • Straddle from a climb on silks
  • Catchers climb from above on silks
  • Pullover on a bar
  • Cross back straddle on silks
Acro - Intermediate
  • Birdie into candlestick
  • Thigh stand into flag
  • Confident two high (base walking)
  • Back birdie into walkover
  • Standing in hands (base laying down)
Super Troupe and Troupe Xtreme

Troupe students need to have been at Ruccis for at least 12 months, and have at least one year of experience in their main specialty. Student will also have an entry interview with the lead coach prior to attending a trial class. This can be booked by emailing.