DETROIT – Metro Detroiters might not know it, but the circus is happening year round at the Detroit Flyhouse Circus School. The venue not only showcases the art form but offers classes to teach everyone and anyone how to do do the high-flying stunts themselves.
The Detroit Flyhouse Circus School, located in the Eastern Market, has classes for all the circus arts: aerial yoga, fire breathing and more.
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Many of the students who take the classes gain the opportunity to perform for an audience. The school puts on a Student Circus Showcase several times a year according to the company's website.
"I think a lot of people come to take our classes because they've tried other types of exercise and they're bored," said Matt Buss, who runs the Detroit Flyhouse with Micha Adams. "I think a lot of people come because they want to something that scares them a little bit and we provide a very supportive environment for them to do that."
Adams opened the Detroit Flyhouse Circus School several years ago.
Each Flyhouse instructor is an accomplished circus artist and have completed a training program geared towards teaching circus art according to the company owner.
The company's website says, "Instruction at The Detroit Flyhouse is customized to meet each student's needs: while some come for the rigorous exercise, others seek to build skills to help them advance their careers in the circus arts. No one escapes without having fun."
The skills that students learn in class are part of actual performances.
"We perform all the stuff that you would see taught in class," say Buss. "We perform aerial acrobatics, we perform partner acrobatics, we perform fire eating and breathing, stilt walking, stilt acrobatics, contortion, hula hoop dance, all sorts of juggling so we're a, we're a fully functioning circus."
Buss and Adams and the other circus artists make up Detroit Circus. They perform all over Michigan and the Midwest.
When they're not performing, they are teaching people of all ages circus art. Many of their classes quickly sell out.
Tonya Ross, of Waterford, waited months to get into her first class. Ross said she was a cheerleader in high school and wanted to get back into gymnastics now as an adult. But, the only places that teach gymnastics are promoted to children and said she refused to run on a treadmill.
"I don't really like to do normal things and this would be perfect for me," said Ross.
That was a year and a half ago -- now she is hooked and thinks you could be, too.
"Do it! Do it! Do it! It's so much fun. I mean all age groups. There is a 13-year-old in our class, their is ladies in their 60s here, so its tons of fun" said Ross.
"You need absolutely no training, no background, no experience in anything circus, acrobatic gymnastics related to come take classes here. All you have to do is come take the class," says Buss. "You will be blown away by what you're able to do."
The Flyhouse shares the circus arts with people, but each person decides their reason for doing it.
"I do it because it is a really good exercise and it's just a lot of fun and it's just a good way to have fun," says Craig Thompeson from Rochester.
"You don't have to be able to do a pull up, you don't have to be able to do a sit up" said Buss, "All you have to be able to do is muster up the courage to just and come through the door and take the class."
To learn more about Detroit Flyhouse Circus School click here.