NOCA Student / Instructor Handbook

• Universal Rules
• NOCA is a safe space. All members of our community deserve to be treated by others with respect while at any NOCA facility or event.
• No one should be disrespected or treated differently because of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, physical abilities, disabilities, or body type.
• NOCA is a body positive community. Our goal is to make our classes accessible for everyone, regardless of age, body type, fitness, or physical abilities. It's unavoidable that different bodies will sometimes have experiences of our classes that inherently differ, and that's ok! However, it is important that all members of our community make every reasonable effort to support and respect people of all body types, and also to be thoughtful and understanding to the sensitive nature of these topics.
• NOCA is an LGBTQ-friendly, sex positive community. Homophobia, transphobia, slut shaming, kink shaming, hate speech, bullying, or any other form of disrespect based on a person's sexual orientation or preferences, or gender identity will absolutely not be tolerated.
• Violation of the rules above by any member of our community is taken very seriously, and may result in disciplinary actions including expulsion at the owners discretion.
• Occurrences that take place outside of a NOCA facility or event are generally outside of our purview - however, we do reserve the right to ban and expel anyone from the NOCA facility based on credible reports of threatening, violent or criminal behavior, even if that behavior occurred outside of NOCA. Such reports will be handled solely by the owners on a case-by-case basis.
• Interpersonal issues:
• This section pertains to disagreements that are purely interpersonal in nature, and don't fall under other violation of rules in this handbook.
• It is understood that anywhere where there is a community of people, such as exists at NOCA, disagreements and interpersonal issues will occur. In some cases, NOCA management may choose to take an active role in mediating such disagreements, while in other cases we may choose to stay hands-off. Regardless, it is not our responsibility to fix interpersonal problems if no rules are being violated.
• If an interpersonal problem is ongoing and persistent, the owners reserve the right to impose disciplinary actions equally against all responsible involved parties, including expulsion for severe cases.
• At NOCA, we take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. We follow the guidance of the CDC and state and local government to the maximum extent possible. Policies and procedures will change at NOCA over time as the status of the pandemic changes. All COVID-related policies and procedures will be listed on the NOCA website, in outgoing confirmation emails, and on signage at the studio. All such policies and procedures must be followed. Disagreeing with a COVID-related policy is not justification for disregarding it. Willful disregard of the current posted COVID policies will not be tolerated from any member of our community. We also will not tolerate mask-shaming, or the spread of misinformation about COVID-19.
• In a NOCA class, the instructor is ultimately in charge. Students are welcome and encouraged to discuss class structures and policies with instructors as they see fit, both during class, or in private meetings outside of class. More extensive, in-depth discussions of NOCA class structures and policies must take place privately outside of class time. It must be understood that it is not possible for an intsructor to have an in-depth discussion on class policies or structures during a regular group class with other students present.
• Universal rules of safety when training aerial arts:
• NEVER train alone. There must, at all times, be someone present who can help you if you are hurt.
• NEVER try new moves you saw in videos online without the guidance of a professional aerial instructor who is familiar with that specific move.
• NEVER train on unsafe rigging. Safe aerial rigging must be installed by a professional aerial rigger, and usually also requires the approval of a structural engineer. Residential structures are typically not appropriate for aerial rigging without major, expensive modifications.
• NEVER rig from trees. This is extremely dangerous, and a lot of people get hurt this way. It's impossible to know whether a tree is healthy, and the forces we create when we rig to a tree are easy to underestimate.
• Teaching or performing aerial arts takes years of extensive, formal, in-person training from a reputable aerial studio. Teaching or performing prematurely before you've reached an adequate level of training and skill is extremely dangerous.
• NOCA reserves the right to deny access to its services to students or instructors who are found to be knowingly violating these basic safety principals, even if this is occurring outside of our facility.
• Definitions:
• At the time of writing (September 2021):
• "The owners" refers to Craig Lewis or Mikaela Lewis.
• "Studio Manager" refers to Vianna Isbister.
• "Assistant Studio Manager" refers to Caroline Daniels.
• "Performance Company Director" refers to Samantha Sander.
• "Management" or "we" refers to any of the above collectively.
• "Instructors" refers to anyone currently on NOCA payroll as an instructor.
• "Students" refers to anyone signed up online through CircusDB for a NOCA class.
• "Observers" refers to anyone present inside the studio or lobby during a NOCA class, private lesson, or rehearsal who is not signed up for the class, and therefore should not be participating in class activities.
• "Employees" refers to any member of "management" who is acting as an employee in that capacity.
• "NOCA" refers to Night Owl Circus Arts LLC.
• Students
• You're here to learn. Not to show off your skills. Act accordingly. Leave your ego at the door. Don't be competitive. Don't compare anyone's abilities or journey as an aerialist to your own. Support your peers in their journey, regardless of how it compares to your own.
• Work on the skill being taught, using the apparatus being taught, and nothing else. Classes are a structured learning environment, and should not be used like open gym.
• Do not teach other students. This includes spotting, or telling other students how to do a move. When a student is in the air, the only person interacting with that student in any way should be the instructor. Once the student is back on the ground, it's ok to provide constructive artistic feedback if invited to, but not technical guidance. In some very limited scenarios, instructors may specifically invite students to assist each other, but this interaction should be structured and supervised, and done with caution and close instructor supervision.
• Stay off the equipment before the class starts, and after it ends.
• Students must be completely sober at all times. Any indication of consuming alcohol, marijuana, or illegal drugs prior to attending a NOCA class is grounds for expulsion from NOCA.
• NOCA instructors taking classes as a student should act purely as a student at all times. Instructors should not use their role as a NOCA instructor to receive different treatment during a NOCA class. Instructors should not try to help teach the class unless the instructor of that class has explicitly requested their assistance during that particular class.
• It has been generally established as a consensus within the wider aerial arts community that practicing aerial as a beginner while pregnant is not a good idea. For this reason, our policy is that we cannot offer any aerial, pole, or acroyoga classes for pregnant students. For ground-based classes with no aerial component, please talk to us first! We will request written permission from your OB/GYN, and will also request that you contact us in advance for approval at (423) 212-6622. It is essential that you do this before paying for class credits.
• For aerial / pole classes:
• Students must remove ALL jewelry or piercings. This includes, but is not limited to rings, necklaces, earrings, watches, toe rings, piercings, and surface piercings. Reasonable exceptions may be made for VERY small piercings that pose absolutely no threat of getting caught. This decision is made purely at the student's own risk.
• If a piece of jewelry or piercing truly cannot be removed, it must be covered with a band-aid, or covered with tight clothing that remains in place throughout the class. This solution should only be considered as a last resort, as it does still present a risk of injury. This decision is made purely at the student's own risk.
• Open Gym policies
• Open gym is a time for our students to freely use the equipment to practice skills on their own which they have learned in our classes.
• To attend open gym, you must be over age 16, and have taken at least 10 NOCA aerial classes on your chosen apparatus, with the most recent being in the past 30 days, as well as instructor permission.
• Teaching during open gym is not permitted, either by students or instructors. Providing purely artistic guidance is acceptable if everyone's feet are on the ground.
• Trying new moves you saw online is, as always, not permitted, as it can be very dangerous.
• Students must be trained on the specific apparatus they want to use. Ie. if they've only taken silks classes, they can't use the lyra at open gym.
• Cancellation policies:
• If you cancel before 24 hours, your class credit will automatically go back into your account. This is an “early cancel”.
• If you cancel within 24 hours of the class start time, or don't show up for your class, you will lose your class credit. The comprehensive list of exceptions is all follows:
• If your instructor cancels the class, your class credit will automatically go back into your account.
• If you are the only person signed up for a class, you can early cancel online anytime earlier than one hour.
• If there is inclement weather that affects your ability to reach the studio safely, let us know and we will record this as an “excused” cancel, meaning the credit will go back into your account. If you don't let us know, and simply don't show up, this is still recorded as a no show.
• If the instructor for your class changes unexpectedly during the 24 hours prior to the class, you can have the option to get an “excused” cancel if you let us know.
• We generally give ONE “freebie” on someone's first late cancel. This does not apply to no-shows. This is done solely at management's discretion on a case-by-case basis.
• We do NOT make exceptions for sickness, injuries, transportation issues, or any other circumstances.
• If a student is injured (including minor injuries) during a class and prefers to leave early, we will generally record this as an “excused” cancel, as long as the injury is confirmed by the instructor, and was not caused by any reckless behavior by the student.
• We generally treat cancellations as "excused" if they are reported as being related in any way to a potential COVID exposure, symptoms, or quarantine. These exceptions are made by management on a case-by-case basis.
• Since the unlimited subscription does not provide the same built-in incentive as class packages to avoid cancellations, you MUST keep your late cancel rate under 15% in order to maintain an unlimited subscription. If your late cancel rate is over 15%, you'll receive a warning by email. 30 days after this, if your late cancel rate is still over 15%, your unlimited subscription will be canceled. You will be allowed to finish out the remainder of your current payment period that you've already paid for, but will not be able to renew. After that point, you'll need to switch to class packages.
• Your cancel rate is calculated as the number of times you've no-showed or late cancelled in the history of your account, divided by the total number of classes you've signed up for. We find that 5% is the average cancel rate. Your cancel rate affects a lot of things! Here are things that can be affected by your late cancel rate:
• How far ahead you can see on the class schedule varies automatically based on your cancel rate, among other factors, including how many total classes you've taken at NOCA. This allows our most reliable students to get first choice on class spots.
• If your cancel rate is high, we are less likely to consider you for performances, showcases, or teacher training. For these things, we want to know that you're reliable.
• We are less likely to have any leniency on late cancel policies if your late cancel rate is high.
• If you arrive to class more than 5 minutes late, you are considered tardy. It is completely at the instructor's discretion whether to allow you to participate the class. If your instructor chooses not to allow you to attend the class, you will be recorded as a no-show. If they do allow you to attend, you will be recorded as "tardy". Warm-up is an extremely important part of the class, and is crucial for your safety and injury prevention. Arriving late means you miss the warm-up portion of the class. It's not always possible for the instructor to ensure that you are warming up adequately on your own.
• In certain non-aerial classes, or open gym, some instructors may choose not to use the "tardy" feature at their own discretion if late arrivals are of no consequence to them. This is considered a rare exception to the usual rules that only applies to very specific classes at the instructor's discretion.
• Other registration policies:
• NOCA does not provide refunds under any circumstances. Class credits have no cash value.
• Class packages can be transferred only if they are “intact”, meaning no class credits in the package have been used, and the entire package is being transferred in full.
• Multiple students cannot share a class package or subscription. This includes siblings and family members.
• Unlimited subscriptions MUST be paid for using PayPal.
• For new students, we are happy to take payments using credit card over the phone, and help extensively with online registration, and getting things initially set up. But ultimately, regular students MUST learn to use our online system. This is how students should purchase class credits, sign up for classes, and cancel (including late cancels). NOCA does not have a full time receptionist, and it can become very burdensome for us to manage students' accounts for them over the long term. If a student or parent habitually calls, texts, or emails us for tasks that can be completed easily using our online system, we reserve the right to refuse this service.
• Class credits from packages expire 1 year after purchase, unless otherwise noted at the time of purchase.
• Aerial class credits can be exchanged for private lesson credits at an exchange rate of 4 circus = 1 private.
• Fitness class credits can be exchanged for aerial class credits at an exchange rate of 2 fitness = 1 circus.
• In the event of NOCA closing permanently, unused class credits will be refunded in the following way:
• Unused class credits purchased within the last 90 days from the date of the last class will be refunded upon request within 30 days of the last class. Packages or subscriptions will be prorated.
• Unused class credits purchased within the range of 150-91 days prior to NOCA's last class will be refunded at a rate of 50% upon request within 30 days of the last class.
• Unused class credits purchased longer than 150 days prior to the closing date will not be refunded.
• In the event of NOCA closing temporarily, such as a closure caused by temporary pandemic lockdowns:
• No refunds will be given, except for pending individual class credits, which may be refunded by request (for example, you had paid for one class credit, and the class you were signed up for got cancelled)
• Those class credits will still be there in your account when we re-open! If you have any credits with expiry dates then we'll extend those expiry dates by the length of our closure.
• The price of the monthly unlimited subscription has changed several times over the past few years. If you maintain an active subscription, then price changes will not affect you, as you are grandfathered in. If you cancel your subscription for a week or more, and later wish to re-subscribe, you will lose your “grandfathered in” status and need to re-subscribe at the current price.
• Student Drug Policy
• Students are expected to be fully sober at all times when attending a class. Being under the influence of any mind-altering substance (including alcohol or THC) or abuse of performance-enhancing drugs such a steroids, regardless of legal status or prescription, while taking a class is grounds for immediate expulsion from NOCA. The comprehensive list of exceptions to this policy is included below.
• Physically bringing any illegal substance (including THC if purchased or posessed illegally) onto the NOCA property is grounds of immediate expulsion from NOCA. Criminal charges may be pursued in severe cases involving substances other than THC, large quantities, or suspected distribution.
• Physically bringing any common date-rape drug such as GHB onto NOCA property without a prescription will result in immediate expulsion. Criminal charges may be pursued.
• Legally prescribed prescription drugs brought onto NOCA property must be stored in their original orange child-proof prescription bottle with the instructor's name printed on the bottle, and kept out of reach of children.
• Criminal convictions:
• Any criminal conviction for a serious drug-related offense is potentially grounds for immediate expulsion from NOCA, including posession or distribution of any illegal substance.
• Misdemeanor Simple Posession of Marijuana, which in Tennessee is defined as 0.5oz or less, or Violation of Implied Consent (in the absense of a DUI/DWI), is usually of little concern in isolation, but minor punitive action may still be taken on a case-by-case basis purely at the owners' discretion. Expulsion will not occur for these offenses in isolation unless management determines that other NOCA students were put in danger.
• DUI, DWI, Open Container, Public Intoxication, or Consumption under 21 charges are generally of minor concern in isolation, but punitive actions may still be taken on a case-by-case basis solely at the owners' discretion. Expulsion for these offenses should be rare, but may occur in repeat or extreme cases.
• Felony possession or distribution charges, or any criminal charge related to methamphetamine, cocaine, heroine, or narcotics is grounds for immediate expulsion, solely at the owners' discretion.
• Voluntary disclosure of any criminal charge, especially those related purely to THC or alcohol, may often result in more leniency solely at the owners' discretion, and so long as other NOCA students were not put in danger at any point.
• Reasonable exceptions to the drug policy may be made for cases of drugs that are prescribed by a doctor to treat a medical or mental health condition, which are being used strictly as directed by a doctor, and which pose no threat of impaired judgement as an instructor.
• Examples of such exceptions would include, but are not limited to, the short term use of prescribed steroids to treat an infection or injury, or the use of medication to treat a diagnosed mental health conditions (such as antidepressants to treat clinical depression, or central nervous system stimulants to treat ADHD).
• Opioid pain medications (also known as narcotics) will in no case fall under this exception, even if they are prescibed. If a student needs to legally use opioid medications for a period of time, they must take a leave of absense until the use of this medication has ceased. Failure to do so is grounds for expulsion. Class credit expiry dates will be extended accordingly.
• Students are under absolutely NO obligation to share any medical or mental health information with management. In some cases, however, sharing this information voluntarily with instructors and/or management may be adviseable. Any such information shared will be ketp strictly confidential.
• Safe, moderate recreational use of legal mind-altering substances such as alcohol or THC while outside the studio is completely acceptable and considered irrelevant, so long as the substance is being purchased and consumed legally, and the substance is never in the student's system, or their posession, while they're participating in NOCA classes.
• If management suspects substance abuse by a NOCA instructor in violation of the above policies, management reserves the right to require a drug test at NOCA's expense in order to continue teaching. This drug test must be completed within 48 hours of notice to the instructor. There will be no random or routine drug tests. Drug tests will only be requested in cases where management has reason to believe that an instructor is violating the drug policy. Examples of reasonable grounds for a drug test could include, but are not limited to:
• Voluntary disclosure of a violation of the NOCA drug policy may result in a more lenient outcome in some cases. If management feels that other students were put in danger as a result of a drug policy violation, then no leniency will be given. These determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis purely at the owners' discretion.
• For the above section, THC is defined as marijuana in any form (live, fresh, or dehydrated), or any processed product containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (such as edibles, hash, etc), or any other psychoactive cannabinoid such as Delta 8 or Delta 10, regardless of legal status. CBD products are, at the time of this writing, legal at a federal level, and not psychoactive, and therefore do not fall under our definition of THC or psychoactive cannabinoids.
• Observers (including parents / family members):
• Observers are not permitted during any classes with a sensual element, such as Pole classes, Sexy Floorwork, etc - even if the class they're there to observe is not that class.
• Observers are not permitted during any class with an element of relaxation or meditation, such as Aerial Yoga.
• Observers are not permitted while any class is taking place in the NOCA lobby.
• Observers may be denied access for reasons that relate to the current COVID-19 policies, which may change over time.
• Any instructor may request that observers not be permitted for any class they teach.
• Observers must stay in the lobby, unless given explicit instructor permission to enter the studio. Permission to enter the studio will only be given in limited special cases, and can be revoked at any time.
• Observers may use the bathroom in the studio. In this case, observers must minimize their time in the studio so as not to disrupt the class.
• If observers are present on a hot day, the lobby door may remain open to allow air flow. Otherwise, the lobby door must remain closed anytime that observers are present.
• Observers may not take photos or videos during classes without explicit permission from the class instructor, and also from all people appearing in the photos, including people who may inadvertently appear in the background.
• Observers may NOT interact with students in a class in ANY way, except under the following circumstances:
• The instructor has specifically given permission for a given specific circumstance, such as a designated time for photos at the end of class.
• A student has a serious physical injury, medical emergency, or mental health crisis, and the observer is rendering aid.
• A minor student is disrupting the class or exhibiting serious behavioral issues, and the parent / guardian is stepping in to remove them from the class.
• Observers may not in any way touch any equipment in the studio or lobby, including the poles, aerial equipment, mats, rigging equipment, and ladders.
• Children observing classes:
• Children ages 17 or under must be supervised by a parent or guardian, or a person designated by a parent or guardian (age 18+) at all times, and must remain in the lobby at all times. If the child becomes disruptive to the class in any way, they must be escorted outside until the incident is resolved.
• For children over 12, this designated person may be a participant in the class. For children under 12, the person designated to supervise the minor may NOT be a student in the class. Exceptions may be made solely by the owners.
• ALL minors under 18 observing a class require instructor approval to be in the NOCA lobby. Any NOCA instructor may request at any time that minors leave the studio if they feel the minor is being disruptive to the class, EVEN if above rules are being followed. If this forces an adult parental student to leave their class, no refund will be provided.
• All minor observers may enter the studio to use the bathroom as needed, but 12 and under MUST be directly and closely supervised by an adult when entering the studio.
• Leadership Roles
• Studio Manager Responsibilities:
• Be a go-to contact person for other instructors for questions about day-to-day operations in the studio, including (but not limited to) keys / studio access, rigging, equipment, supplies, and policies.
• Help with social media
• With Craig's help, keep the studio organized and help with odd jobs around the studio
• Make supplies runs for drinks, snacks, cleaning supplies, and other small items
• Keep the studio clean
• Answer calls / texts 1 day per week
• Take credit card payments over the phone as needed
• Handle class scheduling
• Weekly cleaning tasks: Dry-mop studio floor, clean bathroom (toilet, sink, stock toilet paper), take out trash, restock fridge, empty Roomba trash bins and return them to chargers, clean lobby floor where needed, tidy up rigging ropes in laundry hampers, clean mirrors.
• Monthly cleaning tasks: Clean inside of Roombas, replace filters, use duster to eliminate cobwebs (where easily accessible), clean mirrors and windows, wipe down mats.
• Restocking items: Toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, trash bags, cleaning supplies, vodka, bottled water.
• This role will evolve over time. It may expand or shrink. In future it could potentially include answering NOCA calls and texts throughout the week, as well as handling social media messages and emails, instructor payroll, etc. Conversely, the role may shrink as needed based on availability.
• It is explicitly NOT the responsibility of the studio manager to directly intervene with personnel issues, such as interpersonal issues, instructor disciplinary issues, etc. If there's a problem that's not easily resolved with one conversation, then the studio manager should instead simply report back to me. If instructors have problems or concerns, it's still completely acceptable to come straight to me!
• Assistant Studio Manager
• Answer calls / texts 2 day per week
• Help with class scheduling
• Can be routinely hired for admin work under Studio Manager up to 4 hours per month, with more available by request when needed on a case by case basis
• Performance Company Director
• Oversee safety during rehearsals and performances
• Schedule audition, and all rehearsals.
• Set performer requirements and rehearsal attendance requirements, and communicate those requirements to performers.
• Direct audition, and make decisions on which performers will be cast, and in what rolls.
• Write an outline of the show, listing what order performances will happen in, rigging changes, and theme (or storyline, if applicable) of each scene. Communicate this to performers.
• Write rehearsal schedule with attendance requirements, and performer guidelines.
• Direct rehearsals. Track performer attendance and enforce requirements.
• Assist performers with choreography where needed. This may require some limited private teaching time with performers outside of main rehearsal times if necessary.
• Assist with mediating interpersonal issues that may arise.
• Work with Craig to make artistic and budgetary decisions regarding costuming, props, rigging, and tech.
• Coordinate any volunteers needed for performance-day.
• Disciplinary Actions
• This section applies to every person that steps foot inside NOCA. We've used the term "students" for simplicity, but it applies to observers, performers, and instructors as well.
• "Suspension" refers to a temporary ban from NOCA classes. During the timeframe of a suspension, the student is not permitted to enter the NOCA facility for any reason. Classes already registered will be cancelled, and exceptions will not be made for the late cancel policy. Suspension may last anywhere from a few days, to a few months, to be determined solely at the owners discretion. No refunds will be provided.
• "Expulsion" refers to a permanent ban from NOCA, and is reserved for very severe infractions of NOCA's policies. The student is no longer permitted on-site at the NOCA facility in any capacity. A legal trespass notice will be served within 48 hours. The student's CircusDB account will be locked, and they will be removed from the NOCA Students FB group. No refunds will be provided.
• "Termination" refers to taking away an instructor or employees's role as a NOCA instructor or employee, or barring an individual from the performance company. They are still welcome to participate at NOCA as a student in group classes.
• For minor infractions, students get three warnings. Instructors will record and date warnings in the student's notes in CircusDB. If another incident occurs after their third warning within a year timeframe, students may, at the owners discretion, be suspended, expelled, or terminated. Examples of minor infractions include, but are not limited to:
• Attempting moves the instructor has explicitly told the student not to attempt.
• Attempting to teach other students in the class.
• Being mildly disrespectful to an instructor or fellow student.
• Disrupting the experience of other students in the class.
• Extremely high cancellation rates.
• For serious infractions students will be expelled. Examples of serious infractions include, but are not limited to:
• Making sexual comments, or otherwise sexually harassing other students, or instructors.
• Making racist, homophobic, transphobic, or body-shaming comments.
• Deliberately damaging NOCA equipment.
• Refusing to leave the premises when asked by an instructor or employee.
• Extreme angry outbursts and profanity.
• Repeated disrespect of a NOCA instructor, manager, or owners' authority within the space.
• Threat of violence.
• Major violation of NOCA drug policies.
• Committing a crime on NOCA premises.