How to join the circus

(Credit: Cirque du Soleil)

With the recent surge in L.A. cirque troupes, it's understandable that you've developed trapeze envy. Take a look at some of our top picks for schools offering classes and programs in the circus arts. From just toning up with an aerial silk routine to mastering a unicycle or fire breathing, there are plenty of places to nuture your inner freak.

Fire Groove teaches classes in fire hooping, blazing darts spun around on a rope, and anything else that looks cool at night but might set your hair on fire.

FocusFish is a circus collective that bounces around from studio to studio, usually taking up residence at martial arts spaces to teach aerial techniques and trapeze bar routines. While some schools are geared toward future performers, Focus Fish designs programs for "the other 95%" who are bored with the treadmill and want a new, more challenging workout.

L.A. School of Gymnastics Circus Arts Program is helmed by Gina Rock, who ran away with Barnum and Bailey's at 18 before spending 21 years blazing down as wire in a nightly gig as Tinkerbell at Disneyland (Yep, that was her.) Her classes range from beginners stilts, to juggling, to trapeze, tight rope and slack rope, unicycles and aerial silk classes. She also runs a talent agency for circus performers, so if you've always wanted to break into the biz, she's a good person to know.

Absolution L.A. is a West Hollywood school with a slick attitude and wry sense of humor, offering programs from gun handling and “how to be a spy” alongside a respected program for aerial and trapeze bar training. For those who want a workout with a swankier feel, these might be the instructors for you.

Tigri Volanti Center For Aerial & Eccentic Arts is set to open later this fall in a 10,000 square foot space in Venice and features a roster of impressive instructors like Cirque du Soleil veteran Eric Newton and Chantel Durell, who is spearheading the school’s formation. Keep an eye out for their grand opening later in the year.