​ In the world of performance arts, there exists a realm where gravity seems optional, and movement transcends the ordinary. It's a world where acrobatics, aerial arts, and the mesmerizing Cyr wheel take center stage, captivating audiences with feats of strength, grace, and creativity. At Acro Enso, this world comes to life, offering a haven for performers and enthusiasts alike to explore, learn, and thrive.

Unveiling Acro Enso: Where Artistry Meets Adventure
Acro Enso isn't just a studio—it's a vibrant community dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in acrobatics, aerial arts, and Cyr wheel. Nestled at the intersection of artistry and adventure, Acro Enso provides a nurturing environment where individuals of all skill levels can discover their passion for movement and unlock their full potential.

From beginners eager to take their first steps into the world of acrobatics to seasoned professionals seeking to refine their craft, Acro Enso offers a diverse range of classes and workshops designed to meet the needs of every enthusiast. Whether you're drawn to the thrill of aerial silks, the precision of hand balancing, or the exhilaration of spinning in a Cyr wheel, Acro Enso has something for everyone.

Embracing the Power of Community
At Acro Enso, community lies at the heart of everything we do. We believe that the journey of self-discovery is best experienced alongside others who share your passion and enthusiasm. That's why we foster a supportive and inclusive community where individuals can connect, collaborate, and grow together.

Through our classes, workshops, and events, participants have the opportunity to form meaningful connections with fellow enthusiasts, exchange ideas, and inspire one another to reach new heights. Whether you're practicing your skills on the aerial hoop or mastering the art of partner acrobatics, you'll find camaraderie and encouragement every step of the way at Acro Enso.

Empowering Creativity and Expression
At Acro Enso, we celebrate the unique creativity and expression of each individual. We believe that art knows no bounds and that every performer has a story to tell. That's why we encourage our students to explore their creativity, push their boundaries, and embrace the freedom of self-expression. 

Whether you're choreographing a dynamic aerial routine, experimenting with innovative Cyr wheel tricks, or mastering the intricate movements of acrobatic partnering, Acro Enso provides the space and support you need to unleash your imagination and bring your artistic vision to life.

Elevate Your Skills with AcroEnso
Whether you're an aspiring performer, a seasoned professional, or simply looking to try something new, Acro Enso invites you to join us on a journey of exploration, growth, and transformation. With our expert instructors, state-of-the-art facilities, and vibrant community, Acro Enso offers an unparalleled opportunity to elevate your skills, expand your horizons, and discover the boundless possibilities of acrobatics, aerial arts, and Cyr wheel.
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Come soar with us at Acro Enso and experience the magic of movement like never before. Your adventure awaits!

Hey folks, thanks for tuning in! This month we’d like to share with you why we’re excited to be offering alternative high school P.E. credit here at Acro Enso. First off, we need to ask: why do teens dislike P.E. so much? Whether you remember these adolescent years or not, we all know how unique this phase of life is. Not only do teens need to deal with changing bodies and fragile egos, but they’re also wading through a world of dogma where they must decipher their own truths on what a healthy life is. When we throw these kids into a gymnasium and tell them it takes this many pushups and pull-ups to be a healthy individual, it’s no wonder we see such resistance. This one shoe fits all mentality is thickly laden in our education system and it does nothing to support the diverse individuals our children are.

Even as adults there are many of us who disfavor going to the gym to run another lap on the treadmill to meet that half hour goal of daily fitness.  At Acro Enso, we value a more personalized approach to fitness that encourages continuous growth, individual creativity and personal drive. By offering a range of activities like cyr wheel, acrobatics, juggling and more, our members and students are able to discover a way to a healthy life that truly serves their unique selves. This form of meaningful play has boosted my and my partner’s life both physically and mentally, and as parents, we’re eager to offer this to our children.

When we came across the opportunity to join the extended studies program of the Washoe County School District, we were quick to sign up in order to offer the youth of our community the same means to choose their own path to a healthy life. If you have a teenager or are one yourself that is interested in learning more about our program, we encourage you to stop by anytime to chat or to sample any of our classes. Check out our Class Schedule to see all that we offer. We’re sure we’ll have something you’ll enjoy doing.

Thanks for reading!

~ Namastizzle

Acro Enso.

This week we’d like to introduce to you a very talented dancer that many of you might already know. Maggie Stack is well known in our community not only for her professional style, but also for her talented skills as a teacher and choreographer. Her ability to motivate raw beginners and challenge advanced contemporary dancers has been an awe-inspiring experience for us here at Acro Enso. We love and respect Maggie and are excited to share her story.

At five years old, Maggie discovered a true passion for dance that she voiced frequently to her mother and father. After a couple years of pushing, her parents finally caved and enrolled her at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre at the age of seven. She continued to study dance through her entire childhood. During her teenage years, you wouldn’t find Maggie chatting it up at the local hangout but instead happily sewing her point shoes. Even prom took second place when she chose to perform on the same night. After receiving her BS in Dance from Skidmore College in 2009, Maggie moved to San Francisco to train at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance under the direction of master teacher Summer Lee Rhatigan. Maggie built her professional career in the Bay working as a dancer and when her greatest teacher, Rhatigan, suggested Maggie become a teacher another passion was born.

Maggie teaches and choreographs for both ballet and contemporary here in Reno. When we asked why she chose these styles to pursue she answered with “I love that ballet is an impossibly difficult language to master. On the other hand, I love exploring the endless possibilities of movement in contemporary work.” After asking her how dance has changed her life Maggie replied with “Dance is my life.” Movement is only half the story though. She goes on to explain that the friendships she’s established over the years in the dance world are one of her greatest joys in life and that she is forever grateful for.

Well that’s all we have for now. We hope you enjoyed learning about Maggie and will come and discover your own movement by sampling any of our dance classes or other disciplines we have available. Or maybe you might visit and meet a cool friend, or two, or three…

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

These first months of business at Acro Enso have been such an amazing adventure. Up to this point, figuring out how to create a warm and welcoming space for all you movement enthusiasts, has been a huge focus for us, and has required us to make difficult decisions about how to grow this space. Based off recent inquiries we’ve received, we’d like to share a little context on a particular decision we’ve made on whether we should fill our studio with mirrors.

To decide yes or no, we first reached out to a group who would have a very strong opinion on this matter: the dance community. After all, dance is one of our main disciplines, and most dance studios you find are usually filled with mirrors. Surprisingly, we heard a wide range of opinions from dancers, both advocating and opposing mirrors. After going back and forth, we finally reached out to our good friend, Maggie Stack, who is also a highly educated and experienced dance teacher.

Maggie's philosophy on mirrors really struck home with us. She told us that mirrors are a great tool for understanding the body. However, after years of training with and without mirrors, Maggie found that her practice benefited more when she couldn’t see her reflection. Maggie believes, that as a dancer, the key to molding your body into various positions and shapes is a deep, physical understanding that requires you to feel every morsel of yourself from the inside. “There’s so much to investigate,” she remarks - “your bones, muscles, blood, flesh - and it’s easy to forget parts of the body when you’re seeing a one-dimensional version of yourself.” Maggie encourages all of her dancers to tune into the full 360-degree study of the body by directing focus on the self and away from the reference of a mirror.

We understand there are mixed opinions on this topic, however, we agree with Maggie on this concept of connecting with the self. We believe this kind of connection truly inspires authentic movement which is what we're all about here at Acro Enso. So, in the end we decided to not fill our walls with mirrors. We encourage you to come and experience our space for yourself though and share with us what you think. Stay tuned to learn more about Maggie Stack and the classes she teaches at Acro Enso in our next blog. Thanks for reading!!

~ Namastizzle

Acro Enso.

This week we’re excited to introduce you to Tegroc, the first Breaking (break dancing) teacher to join Acro Enso! Tegroc started Breaking when he was 14 years old and has gained extensive knowledge and talent over the years. He is now a current member of the Vibe Vultures Crew & BLCITY B-boys.

​When Tegroc first discovered Breaking in his youth he was captivated by the dynamic, gravity defying movements Breakers could do. He completely immersed himself into Hip Hop culture and went on to enter countless Breaking events. He’s learned from many older generation B-boys including a mentor from the world-famous Rock Steady Crew from New York City!! 

What Tegroc loves most about Breaking is the trance like sensation he feels when he dances. He explains how Breaking sends him into a world where he loses himself to the beat of his own self-expression. Tegroc believes this dance form has changed the way he sees the world, and has made him into the confident person he is today. 

Tegroc is excited to share the liberating life of Breaking with you. He believes you can really express your personality with this dance form and clear your mind of daily stress. He's looking forward to sharing with you the beauty of Breaking and the creative process of adding your own flavor and style. Come join Tegroc after our Grand Opening on April 6th and experience this awesome movement for yourself. Thanks for reading and have a great week!!

~ Namastizzle


Acro Enso.

This week we'd like to introduce you to Brad Summerhill a rad Tang Soo Do teacher joining us at Acro Enso. If you’re unfamiliar, Tang Soo Do is a karate-based Korean martial art that combines elements of shotokan karate, subak, taekkyon, and kung fu. When Brad first discovered martial arts he was teaching a writing seminar at Truckee Meadows Community College. After class one day, Brad started chatting with one of his students, John Whitehead, over a writing principle.

John mentioned how he studied and taught Karate and how he was able to relate his martial arts practice to the seminar. Not really understanding what this meant, Brad was later invited to come by John’s Karate studio. Brad said that “he’d always been interested and that he’d think about it.” John had looked at him and told him “Don’t think about”, “Do it!” According to Brad, this was his first lesson.

Brad continued his training and received his black belt in Tang Soo Do in 2010 and taught classes with his club organization until he was granted a master’ status (4rth degree) in 2015. He also had the privilege of earning his 1st and 2nd degree recognition by the Grandmaster John Natividad, a Tang Soo Do legend and a karate hall-of-famer. Brad also trains in the martial known as Aikido and has earned 1st Kyu status which is one level below a back belt.

What Brad loves most about Tang Soo Do and martial arts in general is the wide applicability of the endeavor to any mind or body activity. For example, Brad was an expert skier before he ever trained martial arts. Yet through martial arts, he says he became an even better skier and he also found himself becoming a better teacher. Brad explains how the elements of mindfulness and fitness embedded within the study of martial arts has had great application in his life.

Brad is looking forward to sharing the knowledge, the spirit, and joy he’s experienced in his martial arts practice with all of you here soon at Acro Enso. We hope you’ll join us at our grand opening on April 6th where you can meet and get to know our teachers and play with our community. Thanks for reading!!

~ Namastizzle

Acro Enso.

In anticipation of our upcoming events at Acro Enso, we’d like to introduce you to Sam Tribble, a prominent Cyr Wheel coach of ten years, who is coming to teach workshops soon here in Reno!! Before we share Sam’s story, we’d like to shed some light on the beautiful movement form of Cyr Wheel. A Cyr Wheel is a large metal wheel cased in a flexible pvc skin in which you spin around like a coin on a counter. Cyr Wheel is a fairly new practice in our culture and up until recently, it’s been fairly exclusive. This is because there aren’t many places in the world available to learn Cyr Wheel, and the wheels themselves are expensive and quite difficult to make.

At Acro Enso, we’re passionate about making this beautiful movement form more accessible for the general public to learn. That's why we’ve invested into sixteen Cyr Wheels as well as a specialized 6,000-sf platform that we’ve built by hand. Now that our studio is ready for business, we’re excited and very fortunate to be hosting renowned and experienced teachers, like Sam Tribble, to educate and support our growing movement community.

As an All American Gymnast, Sam was first attracted to the Cyr Wheel because it challenged him in similar ways to gymnastics. Like many youth gymnasts before him, Sam started to coach during and after his time as a student so that he could gain regular gym access and continue his training as an adult. He quickly realized that he had a true love for teaching because of the meaningful impact that sharing has on a person’s well being. After many years of training and teaching Cyr Wheel, Sam became the first USA World’s Team Coach for Cyr Wheel and went on to develop a teacher certification program known as PAT - Progressive Axis Training ™ - to bring up more Cyr teachers like himself.

There are many things that fuel Sam’s passion for Cyr Wheel. To name just a few: it’s low impact and forever challenging; it’s inclusive to everyone with a great capacity for personal expression; and unlike other sports that rely on dominant legs and arms, Cyr Wheel is able to work both sides of the body, which has a huge impact on creating musculature symmetry and movement patterns that benefit our longevity in sports. According to Sam, however, the only reason you need to try Cyr Wheel is because it’s simply so much fun to do!!

We hope that you’ll take advantage of Sam’s time in Reno by joining his workshops at Acro Enso the end of this month and by coming to our Grand Opening on April 6th to see him perform in his wheel. Sign up now to reserve your spot!! You can find more information on these events HERE! Thanks for reading and we look forward to seeing you soon!!

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

This week we’re excited to introduce you to Vinnie Lucido, a certified Budokon Yoga teacher, joining our team at Acro Enso. Many of you might already know this mindful human as one of the seasoned founders of our play community. You’ll often see him strolling around town on his one wheel dressed as a werewolf or waving down at you from the top of his towering stilts during fun events. This man of many talents has been practicing Budokon yoga for over five years and is looking forward to sharing his primal movement practice with all of you.

So, you might be wondering what exactly Budokon is. We weren’t quite sure when we first learned of it, so we asked Vinnie to educate us. According to Vinnie, Budokon is a trademark self-help program based on Japanese principles that incorporates three main disciplines: yoga, martial arts, and calisthenics. Vinnie informed us that Budokon originates from the ventures of a martial artist named Cameron, who desired to create a program that combined both his martial arts and yoga practice. After opening his first program Dojo Om, Cameron changed the name to Budokon which translates to ‘the way of the warrior spirit’. Cameron went on to create the Budokon University program to bring up teachers like Vinnie.

When we asked Vinnie what he loves most about Budokon Yoga he shared his value of how Budokon Yoga allows oneself to experience the true nature of the body, the fluidity of the spine and the balance of the warrior spirit and the yogi presence. But most of all Vinnie loves the story in which the  7 series of Budokon Yoga  unfold. Vinnie says this story(featured below) relates to the human in its most primal state and is what keeps him excited about Budokon Yoga!! We hope you’re looking forward to learning the refined movement practice of Budokon Yoga with Vinnie once we’ve opened our doors. Thanks for reading and stay tuned to learn about more teachers joining Acro Enso next week!!

The 7 Budokon Yoga Series

Rolling Salutation Section One - Awakening
The Warrior sits observing self, preparing for the unification of mind, spirit, and body - the greatest of battles. The Warrior rises and begins the rolling salutations. The rolling wave is the letting go of the rigid, clinging mind and the embracing of the effortless flow of time as it passes from new to old. The cobra roll represents the snake that sheds the old skin and old way of thinking, and embracing the now. The floating develops fearlessness and creates internal fire preparing the body for the battle that lies ahead.

Archer Series Section 2 - Divided Mind
The Warrior is now ready to confront the enemy - the divided mind. The enemy is strengthened by the resistance of the Warrior to accept what is. The Warrior must battle with the desire to cling to what has past, or what may never be, and embrace what is now. The archer releases the arrow of truth, and the enemy responds by lunging forward with more illusion. The Warrior defends, and returns with sword in hand. The battle continues.

Section 3 - Pride
The warrior is thrown to his/her back, yet refuses to surrender. The Warrior is battling pride now. The need to be right, to control, to direct the course of things. The rising into chair, the crane, the warrior 2, and flying warrior, proud warrior, to kicking warrior, to warrior 3, and finally to falling warrior.

Dancing Dog Section 4 - Unification
The warrior begins to recognize the emptiness of resisting what is. The battle transitions into a dance of unification. The unwavering courage of the warrior is demonstrated here and harmony is now the goal. The dancing dog represents the dance between the warrior and his/her mind. The half split and lizard poses are an effort to rest during the battle. The reverse prayer represents the prayer for peace. Warrior 1 to coiling dragon demonstrates the sword being thrown to the ground. The war has ended. The Warrior is now one with the mind.

Section 5 - Balance
Now balance must be established and sustained. The warrior now seeks to experience true balance. Finally having unified and become one with the mind the goal is now to demonstrate the balance between mind, spirit and body.

Animals Section 6 - Remembering
The Warrior remembers his/her original state before the divided mind. The animals represent rebirthing and returning to our natural state of single mind. A reconnection to the earth. A returning to all fours and to pure playfulness.

Section 7 - Death & Rebirth
The Warrior is now prepared to die. Opening, surrendering and vulnerability are present. Allowing what is to be, be. And with that the opportunity to return again from the corpse pose to rebirth and finally back to our observation of self. The cycle is complete.


Acro Enso.

When we were babies, we used touch as a vital tool to gauge the world around us. Our little fingers would grab hold of everything we encountered, and with a speculative coo we would analyze and play with the objects in our hands to learn all we could about their roles in our reality.

This natural inclination for touch was especially true for Jon Gunzel, a juggling teacher at Acro Enso. Jon describes how his desire to handle everything in sight was quite bothersome to his parents for the majority of his childhood, yet his obsession for object manipulation stuck with him well into his adult life, inspiring him to become an avid juggler.

When we asked Jon what he loves most about juggling he told us how he loved how juggling makes him use parts of his brain he wouldn’t normally use day to day and that being able to use both sides of his body simultaneously is an amazing feeling! He continually challenges himself by juggling with everything from balls and clubs, to hoops and knives.

Jon is very excited to share his passion with all of you in his weekly class at Acro Enso. He explains how his inner child is one of the most cherished parts of himself and what he hopes most to give to his students is the ability to tap into their own inner child by stirring that natural desire for touch we all have inside of us. We hope you’ll come find your inner play in Jon’s juggling class, once we’ve opened our doors! Thanks for reading and stay tuned to learn more about the teacher’s joining Acro Enso next week.

~ Namastizzle

Acro Enso.

When you discover a passion you love, a new path of exploration manifests in your life. As you journey down this path and gain insight, you start to meet the community around you who also shares the love for this passion . Once you’ve dipped your toe into the collected wisdom of this community, your world begins to open up to a network of valuable connections and resources that help you grow your passion.

At Acro Enso, partner acrobatics is a passion we love to explore and learn. One of the resources we use in our community to grow this passion is quality coaching from teachers like Aaron Lind, a founder of the Lift School of Acrobatics. When we asked Aaron why he values quality coaching in partner acrobatics, he shared with us his philosophy that good coaches are trained to help you find the right technique that fits your unique body type. Since the same technique doesn’t apply to everybody in partner acrobatics, having personalized instruction from an experienced coach becomes very beneficial to the understanding and application of your practice.

When Aaron first learned partner acro and experienced quality coaching like this, he says he was astounded by his teachers’ abilities to accurately assess his individual body mechanics. He made amazing progress in his training with the help of famous partner acro coaches like Niko Douwes and Jean-Luc. He was so inspired by their quality coaching that he decided he also wanted to help others this way and become a partner acrobatics coach himself. He’s trained many acro partnerships and with the help of his colleagues and community he created a program through the Lift School of Acrobatics to train and certify acro teachers as well.

At Acro Enso, we’re so excited to be working with skilled coaches like Aaron to learn and coach quality partner acrobatics to our community. We hope that you will join us for the upcoming immersions and workshops happening soon with Aaron this year to experience his expertise first hand! For more information on upcoming events check out their Events Page. Thanks for reading and have a great week.

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

Have you ever joined a yoga class and experienced an unforgettable moment that had nothing to do with the yoga? Perhaps you were stretching low into your downward dog, when your nose picked up on an unmistakably familiar odor drifting from a fellow classmate who hadn’t made friends with a shower in the past few days? Or maybe you were attempting a difficult movement and became totally lost because the couple in front of you were chatting through the teacher’s instruction?

Situations like these are unpleasant to say the least and may prove quite disruptive to your overall class experience. If you’ve been through something like this then you probably agree that there’s an art to being a good student that every person would benefit from learning. Just as creating a delicious meal depends on the individual ingredients, the makings of a quality class depends on the effort of all the participants.

To help spread awareness of what it means to be an ethical student at Acro Enso, we will be asking all of our guests to read and sign an ethical student agreement before attending our classes. We know that a piece of paper isn’t going to change habits like poor hygiene, however, what this does allow for is a means to address these issues head on. If a fellow student is consistently disruptive during class, teachers will be able to approach him or her with the signed agreement in order to work towards a mutually beneficial solution. At Acro Enso we value your quality class experience and are excited to share this with you soon once we’ve opened our doors!

The Acro Enso Ethical Student Agreement

I __________________ acknowledge my responsibility as a student at Acro Enso, to abide, to the best of my ability, by the following ethical student guidelines.

As an ethical student, I agree to…
- Practice consent at every opportunity
- Accept responsibility for my actions and behavior
- Encourage and support new faces in class
- Respect and communicate boundaries
- Report dangerous, inappropriate, or disruptive behavior
- Respect the teacher’s program and instruction
- Set a model example for new and beginner students
- Mind my personal hygiene and presentation
- Practice nonviolent, gender neutral, and nonsexual communication
- Respect the time to ask questions and the time to listen
- Take care of the equipment and space I use
- Be present and mindful with my teacher and classmates
- Support the quality of my class by practicing the guidelines of the ethical student
 



Acro Enso.

If you’re a parent with young children who love fun activities, then you probably know what it’s like to be a personal taxi driver for your kids, rushing them from one hobby to the next after your day job is done. Once you’ve completed your fare and accepted that there is no tip for your service you must decide how to pass the time while your little ones complete their martial arts lesson or dance class. Many places require parental presence for these 30 minute to hour long classes; however, if this isn’t the case, you most likely wait around anyways because of how small this window of time is.  Once they’ve finished, you hustle home to begin their school night routines, then you’re off to bed to do it all over again in the morning.

If this description fits you, then you probably know how difficult it is to find time in your tight schedule for the hobbies you enjoy. Even on the off days when your kids don’t have anywhere to be, you’ll need to find a babysitter before you’re able to take that yoga class you like or that jazz class you’ve always wanted to try. At Acro Enso, we understand the demanding schedules of parents and we empathize with their struggle to find time for fun. We believe parents deserve to play just as much their kids do. This is why, at Acro Enso, we’re creating a family focused program that benefits both parents and their kids.

You won’t need to sit around while your child attends one of our dance or acrobatic classes because you’ll have the opportunity to join one of our many adult classes that run concurrently alongside your kid’s class. If a class setting isn’t your cup tea, then you might enjoy our open play hours where you could spend time having fun with your entire family or you could take advantage of our supervised playtime while you work out in our fitness area or enjoy an independent passion like cyr wheel. Once we’ve opened our doors Acro Enso will be a place for the entire family to enjoy. To learn more about our movement center and our offerings, visit our website or social media and contact us anytime. Thanks for reading!!

Namastizzle ~


Acro Enso.

As we spend the next two weeks constructing our 6,000 sf sprung dance floor at Acro Enso, we’re eager to share with you how excited we are to welcome the growing dance community of Reno into our new space! We believe dance is a primal essence of movement, and as such, a fundamental part of our vision at Acro Enso. As our dance floor comes to life, we thought it might be fun to share with you some of the interesting science and history we’ve learned around why we dance in this week’s blog.

When you ask dancers why they dance most will probably say it’s because they enjoy it. Scientists believe this is because coordinated movement is one of the many things that stimulates our reward centers in our brains. Even if you don’t enjoy dancing yourself, scientists have theorized that you are likely to experience great pleasure just by watching a dancer because of how your brain is wired to mirror what it sees. Basically, when you watch a performer dancing parts of your brain, that control your own body’s movement, light up like a light bulb as if you were dancing yourself. By simply observing dancers you may experience innate pleasure that is comparable to the internal rewards you feel from eating delicious food or sleeping! We don’t need current science to tell us how rewarding dance is though, because we’ve been enjoying it for over 9,000 years.

Many historians believe that dance performance was evolved to pass on religious and mythical stories from one generation to the next before written language had arrived. This makes dance one of the original human entertainments and an essential factor to the formation of early human civilizations! Today, with all its different styles, dance is a universal practice that the entire world shares. So, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, whether you have two left feet¸ or an extensive background, dance is a beautiful and timeless activity for everyone to enjoy! At Acro Enso, we’re extremely grateful to be working with so many talented dance instructors to offer a variety of dance styles for you to experience and enjoy. We hope that you will join us to move and groove together once we’ve opened our doors. Thanks for reading and have a great week!

~ Namastizzle


Acro Enso.

Your decision to move with another human being recognizes you as one half of a partnership. At Acro Enso, we like to share this statement with everyone who is interested in sharing a movement practice with another person. No matter which partner activity your heart fancies, whether it be dance, acrobatics, juggling or something you see on America’s got talent like partner roller skating, we believe it is important for you to understand from the very beginning the equal responsibility involved in movement partnerships.

When you and your partner choose to create a life of movement together you form an intimate and dynamic relationship that both of you have a role in nurturing and maintaining. Not only must you both work physically together to achieve a common goal you must work mentally with each others’ needs, fears, frustrations, and insecurities. We’ve learned that if you devote the same amount of energy into addressing the interpersonal issues that arise from working closely with another person as you put into the movement itself, you’ll be able to build a strong partnership with a foundation based on trust and communication.

At Acro Enso we hope to share more than just movement with you. We aim to be a center for education in our community by providing resources, like communication and mindfulness workshops, for you to join and learn helpful tools to support your movement relationships. We believe in building our minds just as much as we build our bodies so that we are able to be our best selves for our partners and the movement we share. To learn more about movement partnerships join us at Acro Enso once we open our doors. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week.

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

“What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” ― Karl A. Menninger

Over the last year, we have interviewed and spoken with many amazing teachers interested in joining us here at Acro Enso. After listening to the valuable insights of each of these community leaders, we’ve learned that a true teacher is defined by much more than what he or she is able to teach. A true teacher is defined by the ethical model he or she represents and cultivates within our community.

The Ethical Teacher understands the responsibility of shaping and growing our community from the ground up. This responsibility requires these teachers to invest daily in themselves and in their students in order to create and maintain a safe container and thriving learning environment. They must set the example by leading the conversation around respect, communication, and proper conduct within our community. A commitment like this is undertaken by passionate teachers who care about what they’re teaching and how their teaching is received. These teachers will utilize all of the tools available to them to support the healthy growth of their community.

At Acro Enso we require all of our teachers to read and sign the Ethical Teacher Agreement which illustrates a standard code of conduct for all teachers. Simply agreeing to this document will not be enough, however. We expect all of our teachers to lead by example and to take action by upholding the principles of the Ethical Teacher. Here at Acro Enso, we aim to set the standard for quality and excellence in everything we do.

The Acro Enso Ethical Teacher Agreement

As a teacher at Acro Enso, I ______________________ accept that I am a respected leader of my community and that my role is to establish and maintain a safe and nurturing container in which all students may grow and learn. To rise to the role expected of me, I will abide, to the best of my ability, by the ethical teacher agreement as follows:
 
I...
     - Am passionate about what I do
     - Am responsible for myself, for my class, and for my students
     - Accommodate and respect the needs and boundaries of every student
     - Lead by example for healthy and honest communication
     - Invest in my studentship and in my practice to provide quality instruction
     - Maintain my integrity by treating all people equal
     - Practice and teach consent at every opportunity
     - Am responsible for resolving any inappropriate or dangerous misconduct in my class
     - Uphold a professional relationship with my students
     - Am accountable for my mistakes
     - Adhere to my sobriety leading up to and during my class
     - Practice gender neutral, non-sexual, and non-violent communication 
     - Respect power differentials and the vulnerability of the student teacher relationship
     - Give credit to my lineage and strive to foster my own ingenuity in my practice
     - Strive to speak positively of others
     - Motivate and encourage every student, especially the shy and timid
     - Provide constructive and concise feedback to all my students
     - Take care of my physical and mental presentation during class

Acro Enso.

Happy Tuesday everyone!! We hope the first few weeks of this new year have been treating you well and have brought you many new insights. If you’ve made a resolution this year to add more movement into your life, then this blog is made just for you! If not, keep reading anyways to learn how we celebrate and cherish the movement (a.k.a exercise) in our life here at Acro Enso. Too often in our culture we overshadow the glory of exercise, when we think we need to do it just to burn off last night’s dessert or because we have to for the sake of our health. If exercise is viewed as something we must endure, like a shot at the doctor’s office, it easily morphs into this burden of necessity; when in reality it could be quite the opposite. If approached in a genuine way, movement has the potential of being a desirable and celebrated part of your life.

At Acro Enso, we follow and encourage one simple rule that allows us to embrace and enjoy the glory of movement: If you’re not having fun doing what you’re doing, then do something different that is worth celebrating! If you wish to fully utilize the amazing tool of exercise to support your physical and mental well-being in the best way possible, then we suggest you seek out the kinds of movement that speak to your heart and unique individuality. If your motivation to exercise comes from a place of genuine passion it will no longer seem like a burden that you must endure; instead you will crave and celebrate the movement in your life because it makes you happy, and the health you gain from it will become a wonderful bonus.

At Acro Enso we’ll be offering a diverse range of fun disciplines for you to choose from to help you find your passion in movement. Join us this year to discover more ways that move you by trying classes like cyr wheel, juggling, acrobatics, dance, yoga, conditioning, martial arts, and more. Come and find your play at Acro Enso once we open our doors! For more information or if you have any questions please feel free to contact us at our website or visit our social media anytime. We hope you enjoyed this blog and we’re excited to play with you soon!

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

Happy Monday!!! This week we’d like to share with you why cross pollination across diverse movement forms is so important to Acro Enso. In case you don’t already know, Acro Enso is a new movement arts studio coming to Reno which will offer a variety of disciplines ranging from partner acrobatics to dance, cyr wheel, yoga, martial arts, and much more. You might be wondering, why are we offering so many different kinds of movement? Our answer is a simple one. We believe that movement informs all other movement!! As movement lovers ourselves, we desire to build a home that will bring together the unique talents in our community so that we can inspire and learn from one another.

At Acro Enso, you will have immediate access to a variety of offerings, each of which will greatly benefit your practice, whatever your practice might be. The aspiring acrobat who wishes to learn how to move gracefully in between skills will be able to join our weekly ballet classes. The dancer who wants to improve his or her flexibility will be able to attend our daily yoga classes; and the new cyr enthusiast who dreams of going upside down in a wheel will be able to train in our handstand classes. We believe that you, as a movement artist, shouldn’t be restricted to a singular focus, and that you shouldn’t have to search high and low in order to diversify your practice. Instead, you should be encouraged to easily intermingle from one form to the next to allow your movement to evolve and grow in the best way possible.

Even if you are new to the wonderful world of movement, there will be great opportunity for you to explore and dip your toe into whatever you may fancy here at Acro Enso. We aim to create a melting pot of movement that caters to all people, interests, and ability levels. We are thrilled to see how the movement community will grow and develop over time at Acro Enso, and are so grateful for the support we’ve received from all of you. Stay tuned and feel free to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions you may have via our website or social media. Thank you for reading!!

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

As the countdown begins for 2019, Acro Enso would like to take the time to reflect on this past year and to share our resolutions for the new year to come. This year has been difficult, exciting, fun, and a lot of hard work; and it has taught us many valuable lessons. One in particular, is that no matter how much we may plan and organize, life has a peculiar knack for stirring up a beautiful and terrifying chaos. As a great mentor once advised, we are embracing the pandemonium with a wink and a nod, and a heartful exuberance that is driven from a deep passion for the dream we are ushering into this world.

At the beginning of this year, we were deep in the middle of a search for a home for this idea we were calling Acro Enso. What had once been a simple concept for a small Cyr Wheel studio had grown in scope and magnitude to become a large-scale multi-disciplinary movement arts studio that would need a building to match. This building came in the form of the old Anchor Auction building on East 4th St. The soul in this building was undeniable, and before we knew it, we were signing a 7 year lease. Of course, the vision of Acro Enso would have to adapt to what this building is able to offer, but we knew deep in our hearts that this building would be a wonderful platform to support our dream.

What we did not anticipate is that we would be trying to open our doors in the middle of one of the largest construction booms Reno has ever seen. Even simple jobs, such as building a bathroom, had become daunting tasks, even just to find a person to quote the work. It became clear that this would be a lesson in patience. This would be the mud from which will bloom our lotus.

East 4th St. now has power lines that have been buried under the ground; better street lights; wider sidewalks; and more parking. Our building now has a new roof, and we have just received word that we will be able to pick up permits from the city to continue work on the inside of the building!! We are so excited for everything to come in 2019, and we are committed to walking the path that has been laid out in front of us. We are learning our lessons and we are embracing the pandemonium. Our resolution for 2019 is to be able to open our doors and share this vision with all of you. Thank you for your patience, warm thoughts, and positive energy. It keeps us going every single day. Have a Happy New Year!!!

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

“If you want to go fast you go alone; but if you want to go far you go together.”

In the spirit of the holidays, a time for friends and family to come close and appreciate one another, this week’s blog is inspired by our love and gratitude for our community. One of our primary motivations for creating Acro Enso is to provide a home in which our community may lay down its roots, grow, and thrive. We believe that one of the greatest rewards in life is to sincerely connect with those whom we love. This is why we have signed a seven year lease which will allow us to build a community hub where all shades of people are welcome to play, learn, and connect with each other.

Without our community, Acro Enso would not be as close to becoming a reality as it is today. We are so grateful for the genuine support from all of the people who have been with us from the very beginning. Each person, from the wonderful teachers with whom we’ve had the pleasure of speaking and working to the excited movers who are ready for us to open our doors, has given us nothing but encouragement for the hope and potential of this project. With the love of this community Acro Enso is becoming a living, breathing dream molded by the people it serves. Just as the community evolves and grows, so will Acro Enso, because its life depends on the people who believe in it.

Thank you, to each and every one of you who have shared your support, as well as to all of the people we hope to meet and grow with from here on. You are the true heart of Acro Enso. Your vision for this community hub is important to us because this project is all about you. So please reach out to us through our website, or social media to learn more, and to let us know your desires and wishes for Acro Enso. Thank you for reading and happy holidays!!

Namastizzle ~

Acro Enso.

How do you support the value of your art form? Whether you are a performer, teacher, or student, how you support the value of your art will determine the type of relationship it has with the community you share it with. As movement artists we are all responsible for fostering healthy, universal standards in order to cultivate a thriving community. This week Acro Enso would like to share how we support the value of movement art within our own community.

The Performer
If you have the goal of pursuing a career as a movement artist or are already in the business of entertaining, then you most likely understand the physical, emotional, and time commitments necessary to create a genuine act. You mind your health; you set a training program; you hire coaches; you work through difficult mental blocks; all in order to provide your audience a unique experience. After all of this, the success of your career depends, to a large extent, on the bar you set for the value of your effort and your art. To support this value, Acro Enso strives to respect and meet the bar set by the performers we hire. Furthermore, as movement artists ourselves, we maintain a consistent rate for our work based on our experience, knowledge, and standing with respect to our peers and teachers. We do this so that we may help to maintain a known standard in our community.

The Teacher
Teachers are the pillars of our community. A teacher supports the value of their art form by devoting their time, energy, and personal resources to learning, bettering themselves, and sharing their knowledge. A teacher is responsible for providing a safe container in which all people may grow and learn. Too often, we hear of the disservice that happens to our teachers when they are not compensated properly and in a timely fashion. When we decrease the teacher’s value in our community, we make it difficult for that teacher to continue to grow and share their art form. In this way, we are holding our community back by not allowing its fullest form of expression. At Acro Enso we hold the firm belief that a teacher who feels valued will express this value in their own work, and in so doing, will pass this value on to their students and the community at large.

The Student
As students, we are all supporting the value of our art forms by seeking out, supporting, and learning from the teachers who inspire us. If the instruction you receive is tailored to you as a person, and with your growth and well-being in mind, a deeper understanding and appreciation for the art form is nurtured. At Acro Enso, we aim to provide high quality instruction from teachers with experience and extensive training so that every student who comes through our doors may enjoy a safe container in which they can play, grow, and express themselves to the fullest extent.

In short, at Acro Enso, we work to support the value of our movement arts from each facet of which we are a part. We hope to share this message so that we may help to foster a healthy and vibrant community for all movement artists.

Thank you for reading. Stay connected to learn more about Acro Enso.

Namastizzle~

Acro Enso.

Hello friends! This week, Acro Enso would like to share an important topic that is central to the heart of our vision: the reason behind our decision to focus on collaboration instead of competition. Unlike many gymnastic/dance studios, Acro Enso will not be offering or hosting competitive teams or events. We believe that removing the competitive element from our program will allow you, the individual, to practice a more connected form of movement motivated by genuine intention and interpretive creativity, rather than the desire to win.

What is Your Intention?
Why do you do the things that move you? Is it to prove something to somebody? Is it to win? Is it to be the best? Of course not! You do the things you love because they are fun, and they connect you to yourself and to the world around you. This is the message we aim to share with every person who walks through our doors; and specifically, to the youth who join our program. Our intention is to show what movement looks like when it comes from a place of passion. Instead of competitive teams, Acro Enso will be offering performance groups for both children and adults in which individuals can come together, collaborate, and enjoy a shared passion. Instead of competitions, Acro Enso will be offering events such as festivals, jams, and open stage nights for any and all artists who feel inspired to share their work. At Acro Enso our focus is to connect and collaborate instead of compete.

Freedom From the Box.
In order to liberate movement for the art form that it is, we aim to remove the box that competition implicitly places on interpretive creativity. Our good friend, Jason Craig, is an amazing movement artist in his own right. His paint brush is his kayak, and he has participated successfully in competitive freestyle play-boating for a large part of his life. Jason has shared with us how he developed a new, unique, and incredibly cool trick in his play-boat, but was unable to score points during competition with his signature maneuver because it was not a ‘recognized skill’. In essence, he was prohibited from fully exploring his art form due to arbitrary competitive restrictions. At Acro Enso, we believe that shifting the focus from competition to collaboration will provide freedom from the competitive box and allow people to explore their passion with confidence and support.

We hope this blog helps provide you with a better understanding of our values here at Acro Enso. If you’d like to learn more, check out our website and visit our other blogs. Have great a great week!

Namastizzle ~


Acro Enso.

What is a Sacred Spotter?
Let’s start by leading you through the colorful streets of Portland, Oregon to the largest convention center in the Pacific Northwest. Inside the main room you’re greeted by a warm breeze of try hard b.o. from hundreds of determined acrobats. Here at the Divine Play Festival - a three day long training event - is where Cyrus and I (Keisha) met up with Emily Montesinos (a Lift Certified Teacher). During the time we spent here with Emily, I learned about her project - The Sacred Spotter Movement - and now we’d like share this movement with you. For those who don’t know, a Sacred Spotter is a trusted person who is trained on the methods of beneficial spotting for individual or partner acrobatics.

Why Do We Need Sacred Spotters?
Emily shared her concerns with us that Sacred Spotters aren’t used or talked about enough in the growing acro community. It’s easy to see how this leads to unnecessary injuries, and gives our tribe a poor reputation of being unsafe. Cyrus and I experienced this issue  first hand at one of the advanced workshops of the festival. I’d fallen unexpectedly from a dynamic standing skill straight on to the knee of an unaware spotter. I was too injured from the hard fall to finish the workshop and after some recovery I was very hesitant of who my spot would be for the rest of the festival. It seemed that even some of the advanced acrobats lacked proper spotting experience.

Support Your Sacred Spotter
Fortunately, Sacred Spotter education is spreading with the help of instructors like Emily and the rest of the teachers at the Lift School of Acrobatics lead by Aaron Lind, Christine Moonbeam and Eric Asay. We attended one of their immersions in Colorado this year and had great success not only because of their excellent teaching but also because of their comprehensive spotting instruction. At Acro Enso, conditioning classes will be available to anyone who would like to expand their experience in proper training in acrobatics. It is an honor to earn the title of a Sacred Spotter! Follow Emily on Instagram, @sacredspotter and use the hashtag #sacredspotter in your social media to support the movement of quality spotting in acrobatics. We’d like to thank the Lift School of Acrobatics for inspiring this post and their continued education in our community. Check them out at their website to learn more.

Thanks for reading and as we say in Reno, Namastizzle!

Acro Enso.

In life, there is a first for everything. A first breath, first step, first kiss. A first love, and a first loss. Right now, you are reading the very first blog post published by Acro Enso - which is another first. Acro Enso will be the first large scale movement arts studio in Reno with a focus on partner acrobatics, cyr wheel, and dance; and with a full offering which will include everything from yoga and general fitness to clowning and magic. Happiness is our first principle, and we hold the firm belief that meaningful play is a necessary foundation for a healthy, happy, and well-balanced life. We are also of the opinion that meaningful play is not limited to any particular age, body shape, experience, gender, or race. Whether you are young or old - new to movement or a seasoned pro - whether you like pink balloons, blue balloons, or no balloons - our mission here at Acro Enso is to provide a home, a community hub, and a safe container in which you can find connection in your own body and with others through meaningful play expressed in authentic movement.
 
Your first question might be: Why Acro Enso? What does this name mean? As in most things that we do, we chose this name with a very specific intention. In modern parlance, the word acro is most often associated with acroyoga, made popular by the organization which bears its name. If we dig further, it is not difficult to see that the word acro is derived from the word acrobatics, which elicits in most people thoughts of the circus. But what is this word, acrobatics, and where does it come from? Acrobatics is most commonly defined as something along the lines of individual or partner skills involving strength and dexterity, including body rotations, twists, flips, balances, jumps, and turns. This is actually the definition given by the National Institute of Circus Arts based out of Australia. Evidence of acrobatics throughout human history can be traced back to most ancient civilizations and cultures.

Looking back in time, there are the acrobatic women who danced during festivals in ancient Egypt, and the children of the Qin dynasty who performed balancing acts on high poles for the royal palaces. Even in the early Minoan civilization there are records of people practicing ceremonial bull leaping!! Acrobatic movement consequently is an umbrella term which ecompasses everything from horse vaulting to trapeze to cyr wheel to L-based and standing partner acrobatics likely going back as far as humanity itself, and is expressed through a multitude of traditions, philosophies, cultures, and forms. In its most basic form, acrobatics - which we will call acro - is the expression of humans playing with the physical world in a never-ending game of exploring and pushing limits. In other words, Acro is meaningful play.
 
And what is enso? As we state on our website, enso is Japanese for Circle. Historically, enso is the Zen meditation and spiritual practice of self realization, and symbolizes strength, elegance, enlightenment, harmony, and simplicity. Enso is the universe, in all its presence and absence, with the acknowledgement that form and void are interdependent of each other. Hence, enso is also nothing. Enso represents perfection through the beauty of imperfection. An open enso is said to allow for movement, development, and the perfection of all things. In practice, the enso is drawn in a single fluid stroke and is believed to reflect the mind when it is most free to let the spirit create through the physical body. Just as in life, once the enso is drawn, it does not change; and in its form, it evidences the character of its creator and the context of its creation. Enso is authentic movement. Put together, Acro Enso is meaningful play through authentic movement.
 
Welcome to the Acro Enso vision. We are so much looking forward to cultivating a connected and vibrant community centered around this idea of meaningful play through authentic movement. It is our wish that this first breath of life is the beginning of many first experiences, and that it is a gentle breeze which will nourish our dreams and allow them to take root and thrive.
 
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions, ideas, concerns, or desires you might have. We love to connect and communicate, and would love to hear from you!! We are looking forward to opening soon, and in the meantime, we encourage you to continue to explore your play and to live freely and happily.
 
In true Reno acro tradition, Namastizzle ~