• Circus Warehouse

  53-21 Vernon Blvd., nr. 53rd Ave. Long Island City; 212-751-2174

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  The balance beam and pommel horse seem positively retrograde compared with the stuff you’ll find at Circus Warehouse. Located in an 8,000-square-foot Long Island City warehouse, the professional circus school offers 7-to-11-year-olds a taste of the big top with its weekly Kid’s Circus Sampler ($40 for one class, $175 for five). A 90-minute class might have them climbing silk ropes, posing upside-down on a static trapeze bar, juggling with a team, or (buyer beware) clowning. Mats are fully padded and all activities take place at a relatively low elevation—so while it feels sufficiently dangerwous to kids, parents can rest assured they’re safe. While classes are in session, moms and dads usually stick around to watch former Cirque du Soleil and Ringling Bros. pros swinging by overhead.

From the 2011 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine