Toxic studio culture: what is it and how to avoid it
By Casandra Newkirk
It’s no secret that recreational aerial studios have increased in number in the last few years. As more and more people are drawn to the sport, it has upped the demand for places to train within a reasonable distance from a person’s home. While this is fantastic, it can also leave space for toxic people to capitalize on this and open studios that do not have the best studio culture simply because people are excited they have a place to train.
I think most aerialists have encountered a toxic studio, whether just in passing or having spent a good portion of their aerial training there. Sometimes right away it can be hard to spot a toxic studio because many times the true nature of a place does not come out until after you have spent time (and MONEY) there. Toxic studios tend to treat clients as just another number, and usually have a hard time maintaining clients over a long period of time. There is usually some type of drama happening at the studio on a regular basis, and shortcuts are taken in regards to safety aspects. I have chatted with friends and fellow aerialists about red flags they spotted from a toxic studio, and I’ve put together a brief list discussing some of the ways to spot a toxic aerial studio.
1. They get upset or deny you access to train at other studios or with other coaches.
A good aerial studio or coach will actually encourage you to train with other people outside of their studio in order to gain a fresh perspective on your aerial training and to expand your aerial network. If you find that the studio owner or a coach is being salty that you have sought out outside training, maybe reconsider spending your money there.
2. They seem to prefer only one type of clientele.
Though it’s true that diversity in the circus arts has been slow to come, that does not mean a studio should only cater to or take seriously a person who is thin, white, and cis. A studio with a healthy culture will embrace people of all different types of backgrounds. Not only will they embrace different people, they will create a safe place where people can be themselves without fear or judgment or discrimination.
3. They get cagey on questions about safety.
If you go up to the studio owner and ask them questions about how they rig, where they get their aerial gear from, or how they work to prevent injury and the clam up …RUN! An aerial studio owner should be 100% open when it comes to discussing all things safety. They should be able to provide detailed answers and have an open door policy when it comes to any concerns a student might have. Safety is the #1 priority when training circus arts. It is serious, and no one should get upset if someone inquires about it.
4. They treat their employees poorly.
This one can be much harder to spot, because many employees keep negative experiences under wraps as they cannot afford to lose their job. If you constantly hear whispers of dissatisfaction among employees (or former employees), it probably means that studio is not the best place to train. If they don’t treat the people that help them run the business well, they probably aren’t a place where you want to train and spend your hard earned money.
5. Squash your ability to level up over silly things.
It is definitely important to have a solid base foundation of aerial skills before moving on to the next level. This will keep you safe in the air, and allow you to get the most out of a more advanced class. Some studios however have very overly strict (in my opinion dumb) rules on what it takes to level up. As I stated in a past blog about body types in aerial, there are just some things certain people will not be able to do. I cannot do a ball inversion and at some studios this would keep me stuck at a foundational level almost indefinitely. It is silly that me, a person who knows how to do a triple star safely, would not be able to be promoted because my boobs prevent me from fitting under a bar. Many times this is a money grab as you are forced to take the same series or class over and over again to try and land one skill that is holding you back. Again it is important to understand aerial safety and be competent in the air before promotion, but a good studio/coach will understand that it will likely look different for each student and not have too strict and unmovable checkpoints.
At BMA we try our best to create a space where everyone feels welcomed and safe. We want to make sure no one ever leaves feeling defeated or judged. I know not every space operates like this, but I can only hope over time that many of these toxic spaces are exposed for what they are. I think we are heading in a better direction as a whole to make that happen, but it will take all of us speaking up and recognizing toxicity to make it happen.
With so much love, Casandra ♥
