Mission

It is our mission to help students discover, nourish, and connect to what ignites their inner spark. By inspiring enthusiasm in the world of circus arts we bring purpose into our students’ practice guiding them to flow effortlessly into alignment of what they want to express in this world.

boy doing aerial acrobatics

Who is the ideal TFAF Academy Student?

A TFAF Academy student is committed to progressing their personal development within circus arts. Tahoe Flow Arts and Fitness provides a safe space for individual expression in an environment where artistic and athletic development is professionally mentored and supported.

TFAF Academy students and families recognize that through commitment to disciplined progressive skills and performance training, a student can flourish as a performing artist-athlete. The following principles guide the TFAF Academy program:

Movement Progression

The courses and classes available to TFAF academy follow intentional and thoughtful curricula that prioritize building strong foundational skills in order to set students up for success as they move forward to more advanced skills and expressions. Our Aerial Fabrics Basics courses follow Kelly Smiley’s ALIGN curriculum.

Emotional Intelligence and Self Expression

Discipline in foundational skills and techniques is the first step, but as students grow they will be able to take what they learn and personalize it into a form of self expression. Our intent is to hold space for the younger generation to openly honor themselves and feel free through self-expression. We are guided by the internal journey of self and its many phases and as performers, we are free to discover our personal depths and express them confidently. Performing with purpose and relating to audiences are two key focuses of our performance oriented instruction.

Whole Self Alignment

By training physical skills such as strength, coordination, movement, and mobility with the mindset of the previous three principles, TFAF Academy hopes to help the developing artist grow all aspects of themselves as performing artists- both physically and mentally. Developing an upside-down perspective stimulates imagination and play. Both of which are important to incorporate into our everyday lives for happiness, health, and success.

Community Perspective

Living in a close-knit mountain town we acknowledge the importance of community. In our community, everyone is expected to look out for one another and do their part. No one gets left behind, or tangled up in the fabrics. TFAF instructors mentor students in both self confidence and peer support, encouraging bonding between students. Our instruction is holistic and fun, developing well-rounded individuals that care for themselves and others. Academy students take classes with other members of our facility and have access to many nested communities.

Self Expression

Developing artists are encouraged to grow into their individuality.  Discipline in foundational skills and techniques is the first step, but as students grow they will be able to take what they learn and personalize it into a form of self expression.  Developing an upside-down perspective stimulates imagination and play. Both of which are important to incorporate into our everyday lives for happiness, health, and success.

Aerial student progression

Aerial progression flow chart

Schedule & Registration

Winter/Spring 2025

Session I: Jan 6 – Feb 16 (6 weeks, Skill-Building)
Session II: Feb 24 – March 30 (5 weeks, Skill-Building)
Session III: March 31 – May 11 (Take the week of 4/14 off for Spring Break) (5 weeks, Performance Development)
Session IV: May 12 – June 14 (5 weeks, Performance Refinement – A Day of Healing Arts on June 14)

Summer 2025

Summer Circus Camp: Tykes (Ages 4-7) Meg Cooper
Jul 21-25, 2025, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Summer Circus Camp: Ages 8-14 Meg Cooper
Jul 28 – Aug 1, 2025, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Summer Circus Camp: Ages 8-14 Meg Cooper
Aug 4 – 8, 2025, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Summer Circus Camp: Tykes (Ages 4-7) Meg Cooper
Aug 11-15, 2025, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

Register for Academy

Youth programs schedule won’t load? View the complete youth schedule in MindBody.

Ribbons with kids in front
girl with hoola hoop
kids in forest with aerial equipment

How does TFAF Academy work?

Academy is sold in sessions that are based off of the school year calendar. There are 3 trimesters per year, with 3 sessions in each trimester. The session lengths can vary from 4-7 weeks. Pricing works out to be $60 per week. Students that commit to the entire year receive 10% off Academy pricing.

TFAF Academy Students receive:

  • Unlimited memberships ($137 per month value) which allow access to gym facilities/amenities; as well as ongoing fitness, yoga, and dance classes including aerial drop in classes and open gym sessions.
  • Enrollment in up to 6 of our commitment based courses at a time. In order for TFAF Academy to be financially worthwhile, students should take at least two commitment based courses per week.
  • 10% discount on workshops hosted at our studio.
  • Early registration and an additional 10% discount on summer circus camps.

Each trimester, Sessions I & II are dedicated to skill building and Session III is dedicated to performance development. There will be performance opportunities at the end of the Fall Trimester and Winter/Spring Trimester at our studio events (The Holiday Bazaar and A Day of Healing Arts, respectively).

During Sessions I & II, it is recommended that students attend at least one aerial skill based class per week and at least one conditioning, dance, or other skill based class per week. It is imperative for all levels that students build solid foundations before performing, and even seasoned aerialists need to revisit and refine their basic skills and conditioning to further develop their performances.

During Session III, it is recommended that students attend at least one aerial skill based class a week and at least one performance based class per week. It is required that a student has completed at least one skills based course before performing at the Holiday Bazaar or A Day of Healing Arts. There may be additional performance-focused courses that students are required to attend in order to perform at certain events.

The Summer Trimester scheduling is different and will coordinate with our Summer Circus Camps. There will be no regular weekly enrollments during this trimester but Academy students will get early-registration and an additional 10% discount on circus camps.

Students MUST pre-enroll in classes to attend. Enrollment is required through the MindBody app/desktop or our website TahoeFlow.com. For help with enrollment please email Admin@TahoeFlow.com. Youth classes will be canceled for the day if the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District calls a snow/smoke day. No credits or refunds will be given for inclement weather cancellations.