Emerald City Trapeze Arts

What Emerald City Trapeze Arts does

Emerald City Trapeze Arts (ECTA) is a Seattle-based circus arts school and event venue operating in the SODO district at 2702 6th Ave South, housed in a nearly 20,000 sq ft former Canal Boiler Works building featuring one of the world's only fully indoor flying trapeze rigs, a 600 sq ft performance stage, and aerial rigging points reaching nearly 40 feet (the highest in Seattle). Founded in 2008, ECTA offers instruction across five core product lines: flying trapeze classes (the flagship, $75-$80/class), aerial arts (silks, hoop, rope, hammock, static trapeze at $35/class), circus fitness ($25-$30/class), acrobatics (Cyr wheel, handstands, trampoline, partner acro), and pole dance. The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with revenue generated from individual class fees, multi-class packages (Frequent Circus/Fitness Cards, Max Fly 12-class passes), private lessons ($70-$305), birthday and bachelorette parties ($250-$795), corporate team building packages ($400-$1,520), wedding and event venue rentals, gift certificates, and a subscription-based Open Gym Pro access ($100/month unlimited).

In 2023, ECTA was acquired by SANCA (School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and one of the nation's largest circus schools, integrating operations across SANCA's Georgetown location and enabling cross-brand gift certificates, unified booking via Amilia, and shared programming. The company serves a fragmented customer base of recreational adults, youth and families, corporate teams, party/event hosts, and wedding couples. The instructor roster is staffed by performers with backgrounds at Cirque du Soleil, Club Med, National Circus School of Montreal, NECCA, and other major circus institutions, supporting premium pricing and brand positioning. Recent product expansion includes the Sans Solo Trois cabaret show, the Acro Intensive workshop series, expanded summer camps, and the Aire Craft Festival in Issaquah, WA.

Name

Emerald City Trapeze Arts

Legal name

Emerald City Trapeze Arts

Website

https://emeraldcitytrapeze.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emerald City Trapeze Arts are the premier destination for Flying Trapeze, Aerial Arts, and Circus classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circus Arts Education and Aerial/Flying Trapeze Instruction

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Adventure Parks (Multi-Element Courses) (THAAACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Adventure & Aerial Parks (Ropes Courses, Zipline Parks, Climbing Parks) (THAJAEAI)

Keywords

• Circus arts education
• Aerial arts instruction
• Flying trapeze classes
• Corporate team building
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Class Instruction Fees: Revenue from flying trapeze, aerial arts, circus fitness, and acrobatic classes offered at various skill levels. Single classes, multi-class packages, and session courses are available.
2. Party and Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting birthday parties, bachelorette parties, and private events including Flying Trapeze Parties, Aerial Parties, and Circus Parties for groups of various sizes.
3. Corporate Team Building: Revenue from corporate team building packages including Collaborative Circus, Challenge Circus, Flying Trapeze Team Building, and Combo packages for businesses.
4. Private Lessons: One-on-one and small group instruction in flying trapeze, aerial arts, and circus disciplines with professional instructors at premium hourly rates.
5. Gift Certificates: Sale of gift certificates valid for any class at SANCA or ECTA, providing flexible gifting options for customers.
6. Open Gym Access: Unsupervised open gym sessions for certified pro-track and advanced aerialists, sold as single sessions or monthly unlimited passes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Emerald City Trapeze Arts operates a Seattle circus arts school and event venue delivering flying trapeze, aerial arts, acrobatics, pole dance, and circus fitness classes for all skill levels, plus private lessons, youth summer camps, birthday parties, corporate team building, and wedding/event venue rental. Programming is anchored by one of the world's only fully indoor flying trapeze rigs and the highest aerial rigging points in Seattle, supported by a 600-square-foot performance stage and nearly 20,000 square feet of historic SODO studio space.

Product overview

Emerald City Trapeze Arts is a circus school and performance venue offering a comprehensive portfolio of circus arts instruction and event services. The core educational offerings center on Flying Trapeze and Aerial Arts classes, complemented by Acrobatics, Circus Fitness, and Pole Dance programs spanning beginner to advanced levels. The venue operates as a rental facility for Birthday Parties, Corporate Team Building, and Wedding/Event Hosting, alongside seasonal offerings including Summer Camps, Professional Shows (such as Sans Solo Trois), and the Aire Craft Festival. Class access is facilitated through booking platforms Amilia and Bookeo, with pricing structured around individual classes, frequency cards/multipasses, and private lesson packages. In 2023, SANCA (School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts) acquired and now operates Emerald City Trapeze Arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gift Certificates Digital gift certificates redeemable for any class at SANCA or Emerald City Trapeze Arts, providing flexible gifting options for customers.
• Flying Trapeze Classes Instructional flying trapeze classes for all skill levels from absolute beginners to advanced flyers, including ground school, safety line training, and catching with professional catchers. Single classes priced $75–$80, with multi-class packages (4, 8, or 12 classes) available for ages 6+.
• Aerial Arts Classes Instruction in various aerial apparatus including Silks, Hoop/Lyra, Rope, Hammock/Slings, and Static Trapeze across multiple skill levels from introductory to advanced. $35 per class.
• Circus Fitness Classes Fitness-focused classes including Fit to Fly ($25), Aerial HIIT ($29), Active Flex ($29), Hard CORE ($30), and Strength and Flex designed to build strength and conditioning for circus arts.
• Acrobatics Classes Classes covering Cyr Wheel, Handstands, Trampoline, Contortion, Partner Acro, Standing Acrobatics, Juggling, and related circus skills.
• Pole Dance Classes Pole dancing instruction from beginner through advanced levels, including Exotic Pole, Floor Work, Low Flow, and Pole Conditioning.
• Birthday Party Packages Private party experiences including Flying Trapeze Parties ($795 for up to 8 people, ages 6+), Aerial Parties ($425 for up to 8 people, ages 18+), and Circus Arts Parties at SANCA Georgetown ($250 for up to 6 participants).
• Corporate Team Building Packages Team building experiences including Collaborative Circus (starting at $400 for 1.5 hours, 8–20 people), Challenge Circus, Flying Trapeze Team Building (starting at $1,200 for 2 hours, 8–16 people), and Combo packages (starting at $1,520 for 2 hours, 8–20 people).
• Wedding and Event Venue Rental Event hosting services for weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, and special occasions featuring the historic SODO venue with trapeze rig, aerial performances, and 600-square-foot performance stage.
• Private Lessons One-on-one or small group instruction in Flying Trapeze, Aerial, and various circus disciplines with personalized coaching. Flying Trapeze private lessons start at $305 for up to 3 participants ($100 facility fee plus $75/hour per coach). Private Aerial Lessons range $70–$100 per hour.
• Circus Summer Camps Seasonal summer camp programs for youth featuring Flying Trapeze, Aerial, Acrobatics, and Circus Arts instruction at Emerald City Trapeze and SANCA Georgetown locations. 2026 camp enrollment is open.
• Professional Shows and Performances Seasonal circus cabaret shows featuring professional and student performers, including Sans Solo Trois (now entering its third year) and Mardi Gras Spectacular, ticketed to the public.
• Open Gym Pro Unsupervised open gym access for certified professional-track and advanced aerialists at $25 per two-hour session or $100 for a monthly unlimited pass. $10 certification required.
• Class Frequency Cards and Multipasses Prepaid class packages including Max Fly (12 classes for $450), Medium Fly (8 classes for $350), Mini Fly (4 classes for $200), Frequent Circus Cards (5-class for $166.25; 10-class for $315), and Frequent Fitness Cards (5-class for $137.75; 10-class for $261).
• Aire Craft Festival Annual festival featuring outdoor flying trapeze experiences, performances, and street arts held in Issaquah, WA. The 2026 edition is planned.

Quantifiable outcome

• Classes available for ages 6+ for flying trapeze, ages 12+ for most other classes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SANCA (School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023In 2023, SANCA (School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts) acquired Emerald City Trapeze Arts to keep the community rich with opportunities for artistic creation and cultural experiences. SANCA is one of the nation's largest circus schools and a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the community through access to circus classes and performances. The acquisition brought flying trapeze back to SANCA's offerings and integrated ECTA into the broader SANCA organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Trapeze School New York (TSNY): TSNY is the most direct peer to ECTA — a flying trapeze and aerial arts school with multiple locations (NYC, Boston, DC, LA) offering beginner-to-advanced classes, parties, corporate events, and private lessons with comparable pricing models and target customers.
• SANCA (School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts): SANCA is ECTA's parent organization and operates as a sister circus school in Seattle offering youth circus, acrobatics, aerial, and general circus arts classes — direct overlap in product mix, geography, and customer base post-2023 acquisition.
• NECCA (New England Center for Circus Arts): NECCA is a Vermont-based circus school offering professional training programs and recreational classes in trapeze, aerial, and acrobatics — directly comparable curriculum and target market (recreational learners to aspiring professionals), though in a different geography.
• Aeroficial (Aerial Arts studio network): Aerial Arts Inc. and similar regional aerial studios (e.g., Aerial Arts of Austin, Aerials America) offer silks, lyra, and aerial fitness classes without the flying trapeze rig — direct overlap in aerial apparatus curriculum and adult recreational fitness customer segment.
• Circomedia: Circomedia is a UK-based circus school and performance venue offering professional training and recreational classes in trapeze, aerial, and acrobatics — directly comparable to ECTA in curriculum and target customer segments, though geographically distant.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil - Creactive: Creactive by Cirque du Soleil operates flying trapeze and circus arts experiences at Club Med resorts globally — broader scale, resort-based delivery model, and premium branding, but overlapping product (flying trapeze instruction, catchers, aerial apparatus).
• Club Med - Creactive: Club Med's Creactive program delivers circus arts (including flying trapeze) at resort locations globally — overlapping in product and instructor pool (multiple ECTA instructors worked at Creactive), but operating through a hospitality/resort delivery model rather than standalone venue.

Regional players

• Teatro Zinzanni: Teatro Zinzanni is a dinner-theater circus experience in Seattle combining aerial performance, trapeze, and dining — overlapping in venue-style entertainment and aerial talent pool, but operating a different business model (ticketed show vs. instruction).

Emerging players

• iFLY Indoor Skydiving: iFLY operates indoor vertical wind tunnels offering aerial flight experiences to consumers — adjacent experiential/aerial offering that competes for the same "try something thrilling" customer occasion and party/event market, though via different physical mechanism.
• House of Air (and indoor trampoline/aerial parks): Indoor trampoline and aerial adventure parks (e.g., House of Air, Trampoline Nation, Altitude Trampoline) overlap in the family/party/event customer segment and aerial acrobatic entertainment — partial product overlap with circus fitness and acrobatic training classes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Emerald-City-Trapeze-Arts/99362567007
• Instagraminstagram.com/emeraldcitytrapeze
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ectrapeze
• Xx.com/ECTrapeze

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emerald City Trapeze Arts