New fitness studio in Colorado Springs offers circus bootcamp, aerial classes | Arts & Entertainment

It’s the kind of joke that pops up often online.

So Katrina Diaz sees plenty of friends share this playful lament about the responsibilities of growing up: “I just want to quit adulting and run away with the circus.”

“That’s literally what I did,” Diaz said.

At least some version of the circus.

It happened about five years ago, when adulting was taking a toll.

Diaz was worn out from her busy corporate job, which came with a schedule that left little time with her husband and young daughter. When she made time for working out, it felt like just another thing on her to-do list.

“I was looking for a therapy outlet for myself,” she said.

Diaz walked into her first aerial class, the kind that involves working out while suspended in the air.

“It very rapidly took over my whole life,” she said. “I just fell in love with it.”

It was far more exciting than an hour on the elliptical machine.

“I could go and unplug from reality for an hour,” Diaz said. “It’s this crazy full body workout without feeling like it was a full body workout.”

Soon, she started calling that weekly class her “Thursday therapy.” She signed up for more classes. She started filling in for some teachers. Soon, she quit her corporate job. She was teaching classes full time.

“This sparked a new obsession for me,” Diaz said.

She has since kicked it up a notch.

In January, Diaz opened her own aerial studio called Urban Cirque.

The studio, offering several types of classes, is located near the intersection of Platte Avenue and Powers Boulevard.

Her place joins a small but growing aerial community in Colorado Springs. Studios like Pole Revolution and Springs Dance offer aerial classes. During the Meadowgrasss Music Festival in 2021, aerialists performed with live music in the background. Downtown spots such as La Burla Bee and CO.A.T.I. host performers.

“Over the last several years, it’s become more accessible,” Diaz said. “People are looking for new and exciting ways to have fun and challenge themselves.”

For beginners, this type of activity can certainly be challenging. And intimidating.

“It’s pretty common for people who walk through the door to be unsure and thinking there’s no way they can do it,’” she said. “When they leave, they just can’t wait to come back.”

That’s how Diaz felt, which she often reminds her students.

“I did everything wrong at first,” she said. “It took me 100 times to get something right.”

She loves seeing that happen for others.

“I very much enjoy helping other people realize what they’re capable of,” she said. “We can really surprise ourselves.”

Urban Cirque’s classes offer chances for that, with beginner and intermediate options.

The lineup also features “Circus Bootcamp” and a class geared toward “teen flyers who are dreaming of joining the circus someday.”

“I think that’s something special about us,” she said. “We’re the place any beginner can go.”

Diaz’s classes often include her 13-year-old daughter. Aerial has brought them closer together.

“It’s a fun escape,” Diaz said. “It shows you you’re capable of things you never thought you could do.”

She hopes to show others that, too.