Clean & Sober
At Sky Candy, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. We want our students to have fun learning circus and aerial arts in a safe and supportive environment. But there’s one little word in that previous statement that we are very serious about indeed: safe. The rules we ask you to abide by when you’re in our studio were all made with your safety in mind, which is why we’re so serious about enforcing them.
There’s one rule in particular that we’d like to address today: no training or performing aerial skills while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it still comes up as an issue. Save happy hour for a day you don’t have aerial class, or go out afterwards. Hanging with a friend or out at a party? Stay off of any poles or aerial equipment if you’ve been imbibing. Save it for a sober day, when your safety (and that of those around you) is less questionable.
What Could Go Wrong?
Substances like alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs have strong effects on your body and brain. Some slow down your reaction time or make you foggy and impair coordination. Some can amp you up, making you feel fearless or even invincible. All of them are bad news when paired with aerial work, a discipline that requires precise control of mind and body, as well as a healthy sense of self-preservation. We do not want you to feel invincible as you climb to the top of the silks. We want you to be fully aware that you’re facing very real consequences. What we do is inherently risky and deserves to be practiced with the utmost respect.
Why We’re Serious About Sobriety
Keep in mind that if you were to be seriously injured (or worse) while ignoring this rule, your friend, your instructor, your studio, and/or the entire industry could potentially be affected. Anytime safety issues arise, everyone involved takes a step back and carefully considers who is responsible and how the incident could have been prevented.
While we can (and will) bar you from attending a Sky Candy class or Open Studio if you’re visibly intoxicated, we can’t watch you all the time. Please take your own safety seriously. Also, every time you jump on an apparatus, you are potentially representing Sky Candy. If you value your experience here, please keep our safety expectations in mind when you’re outside the studio.
How Sober Is Sober?
Does one drink really make a difference? It can. And rather than split hairs over individual tolerance levels, body weight, and how much you’ve eaten that day, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’ve been drinking, don’t get in the air. Period.
Do Prescription Drugs Count As Drugs?
When you find yourself under the weather, note that many medications could affect your ability to safely perform aerial work. If your medication makes you drowsy or impairs cognitive function or motor skills, please do not actively participate in class while taking it. Basically, if the warning label tells you not to drive or operate heavy machinery, consider that a no for aerial work as well. You are always welcome to attend class to take notes and support your fellow students.
We want you to have fun, but we want you to stay safe as well. And that means staying on the ground when you’re not 100% sober.
