More than a Fad - LiveStream Classes!

LiveStream Virtual Classes

LiveStream or Virtual Workouts are not just a fad, they’re an incredible way to keep connected, get in shape, and save you time and money. We’ve been rocking these classes since March and have been loving the format. They’ll be here to stay for the long haul!

What is it?

LiveStream classes are virtual fitness classes beamed right to your internet enabled device! You’ll participate in a home workout from wherever you are, guided by your loving instructor, and supported by other virtually connected friends. They are an easy way to get in your workouts when getting to the studio is not possible or are a great way to get a taste of what Ascendance is all about without the commitment.

Why should I join a LIveStream Class?

• Because exercise in general is just good for you! Exercise offers incredible benefits that can improve nearly every aspect of your health from the inside out.

o   Exercise can make you feel happier!  It produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety, as well as releases endorphins.

o   Moving is good for you muscles and bones.

o   Exercise is also a great energy booster.

o   It can help your brain health and memory.

o   Regular exercise can improve relaxation and sleep quality.

o   Exercise has been proven to boost sex drives. ;)

• Because LiveStream workouts are awesome!

o   Join from the comfort of your home. No need to rush out of the house, remember to pack a bag, or spend time stuck in traffic. LiveStream workouts come right to your home device!

o   LiveStream classes are much more budget friendly. You get the same great instruction and workout for nearly half the cost.

o   Get accountability and the camaraderie benefits that group fitness offers, while staying safe and healthy at home.

How do I join?

Easy! You can browse our LiveStream Class schedule below. Pick out a class, walk through the registration process, and you’ll be added to the class roster.

Prepping for your class:

• With enough room to move and a good internet connection, you’re ready to roll.   

• If equipment is needed, the class description will let you know what to bring. We will e-mail you a link to the class 30 minutes prior to class. Your email will come from our partner, Hello@Fitgrid.com. 

• If you do not receive the link 10-15 minutes before class, please reach out via text (425-256-2246) and we can re-send the video link.  

• Log in a few minutes early to test your audio and video, so you’re ready to go when class starts.

We know life happens in your home – don’t stress if you think kids or pets might be a distraction. We enjoy seeing you all in your element and are more than happy to have them join in.

So, tell us. Have you tried a LiveStream class? What’s holding you back? We hope you’ll join in on the fun.

From 10/5 - 10/11, take advantage of this special deal! 5 LiveStream classes for $50. Use the Promo Code “5for50” at checkout.

Ascendance Turns 2! Time to celebrate our Core Values!

As we celebrate 2 years as a studio, it’s a fitting time to finally unveil our Core Values!

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Core Values were something we were slow to adopt at Ascendance.  I was really averse to slapping together some cheesy words and not having it feel authentic, so it was something we put off during our first year of operation.  Our team knew we wanted our studio to have a real heart and passion, not just a list of words like “Integrity” and “Accountability” on our wall that were empty and void of meaning. 

So why Core Values? Why do they matter? 

Core Values are the ideals we refuse to compromise as we conduct our mission in pursuit of our vision. In order for a group of people to work together at the highest level, we have to have a shared belief in where we are going, how we’re getting there, and the ways in which we interact with one another along the way.  These values are our essential and timeless guiding principles. They are what define our culture, and guide all of our actions. Core Values are the source of our distinctiveness – our identity.

Our Team BBQ - July 2019

The challenge for us was that our team was so diverse, and so different in backgrounds, styles, passions, and strengths.  It felt like a daunting task to puzzle out who exactly we were.

So, in the beginning when we set out to develop our Core Values, we just listened. We watched. We looked at other companies and studios we admired for inspiration. Then we started by throwing ideas out there in a Slack channel. Later, we met for an All Staff BBQ last summer with a stack of sticky notes and we asked ourselves these questions: 

• What is important at our studio?

• What is unique about working here and Why do you enjoy working here?

• Think of someone here at the studio you really enjoy working with, learning from, or want to be more like. What attributes do you love about them?

• What are we not?

Our sticky note exercise

We used sticky notes to put up our responses on my kitchen window. Then we compiled the responses into categories that featured similar ideas.

Those categories ultimately grew into our Core Values! It was a lot of collaboration and soul searching, but finally, we’ve created a concrete list that truly represents our business, our team, and our community. 

So… drum roll… we present: 

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July 2019. We’ve picked up a few new Ascendance Fam since last year. <3

Our Values

Together, we share these values

Fun!

Ascendance is our playground, and here it is recess all the time. We take full delight in fun, play, and laughter. We are here to cut loose and shake our asses, squeezing every drop of joy from each moment. If there is no music in the air, no cheers echoing from our walls...if there is no one hanging upside down...then there’s probably a global pandemic to contend with.  You can bet we’ll be back at it when the coast is clear!

Community

We believe that as we learn together in class, as we give each other support, we bind ourselves together and create something entirely new. Our community is built through the common love of movement, education, and the beauty found in everyone. We accept all people. We celebrate all lifestyles. We are stronger together.

Grace & No Egos

Grace is more than elegance of movement. It is about leaving room for others to succeed in the place they are without fear of comparison. When we walk through the doors of Ascendance, we leave our egos behind. We give ourselves room to learn and grow, and to not be perfect. We reject assholes and embrace the perfectly imperfect. 

Explore & Experiment

We encourage our students to investigate the meaning of pole and aerial arts for themselves. We want them to experiment and then tell us their unique stories with motion. Try something new, test and learn, create and recreate. 

Sustainability & Longevity

Our art and our community is something that must be nurtured and grown over time. As individuals, we know that it takes time to develop mastery. As artists, we advocate for our medium, investing in what we love and pushing it forward to develop new audiences. As business leaders, we actively seek ways to reduce waste (material and otherwise) and to prevent burnout. Most importantly, we advocate for the sustainability and longevity of people. Understanding the power of our bodies and the connection of a healthy body to a healthy mind is true Ascendance.

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So there you have them!

These values aren’t just a collection of words that we thought sounded nice -  they represent the essence of our studio! They are Ascendance!

I’m so incredibly proud of what this team has come together to accomplish, proud of what we’re building, and excited for what is to come. This year has brought on challenges we could have never anticipated, and we’ve risen to each one. I’m looking forward to many more years of growing and Ascending.

Thank you to each and every person who has been a part of the studio, as a friend, cheerleader, student, leader, volunteer, and everything in between. We would not be here without each of you.

Join us in celebrating the studio and embracing our values as we celebrate our 2nd anniversary.

Brightly,

Tara Steed

Our New Vision

Pandemic be damned! We are committed to not just surviving, but growing during this unprecedented time. We know that now, more than every, people need movement, physical expression, and a brave space to explore, create, and experiment. We have ambitious plans to grow our LiveStream, Hybrid, and In Studio offerings to meet the new challenge COVID has presented us. To do that, we plan to invest in new technology to integrate our digital and in-studio offerings and provide each one of you (those near and far) a place to deepen your movement journeys. 

We can’t do it alone. We’re looking to our community to help us build a better connected studio. With your donation and support, we can invest in more robust audio/visual equipment to better stream classes, to record and edit our Video On Demand offerings, and to provide enhancements to studio rentals. This will free up operations expenses for things like rent and payroll and allow us to keep

We’ve partnered with Fractured Atlas as our Fiscal Sponsor so that all donations can be tax deductible and so that you can stretch employer matched gifts even further. If you feel called to help us build a more technologically sophisticated studio that will stand the test of whatever the climate is, we would be so appreciative of your one-time or recurring donation.

Pride is never cancelled.

Pride is never cancelled.  

So many events have had to be cancelled or postponed this year, including Seattle’s Pride Parade and Festival.  With all of the losses we have suffered this year, from Coronavirus, police brutality, transphobia and racism, it wouldn’t feel right to celebrate like in years past.  It feels more appropriate to take time to reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.  

Whereas Pride has become a celebration, it is and has always been at its roots a protest.  We celebrate our victories, we celebrate our survival, we celebrate our individual and shared identities.  At the same time, we protest those who would seek to oppress, erase, or exterminate us, we protest for the rights and protections we still don’t have, we protest for the people we have lost, we protest so that we do not lose any more loved ones.  By showing up en masse, we show that we exist, there are more of us than you think, and we are not afraid.   Simply existing, especially out in the open, is a truly act of rebellion in many places in this country, and in the world.  

A few of our Queer identifying instructors got together virtually to share what pride means to them, how they’ll be celebrating this year, and what they look forward to the next year:

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“The year before last, I embraced a marathon approach to Pride and had the most fun I’ve ever had with my new girlfriend.  Last year was more subdued, the focus on being

present and grateful to be alive together and carrying gratitude for small moments with me every day of the year.

It’s hard to lose public celebrations, parties, safe spaces to show public affection and let down our hair, but the advocacy and civil rights work for our Black, POC, and Trans Family that needs desperate attention is rightfully taking center stage this year. None of us are truly free or safe until ALL of us are.

Gorgeous dancers from one of our Holding Space: Queer Pole events

Previously, I’ve hosted a ‘Holding Space: Queer Pole’ event at the studio. The past turn-out and interest in the event brought me so much joy! I’m really looking forward to expanding that concept into an LGBTQ+ studio takeover next year, to include different offerings and reach a bigger audience. My hope is to better connect with and unite pole-curious Family in the region as well as other local Queer pole Fam and make it very clear that there is a place for every single letter of the acronym in our Ascendance community, and they will always have a front row seat in my classroom.

It pains me daily that it took me so long to come out. We all have different journeys to living our best authentic life. If you’re still in the closet and reading this, just remember that you will never be too late. When it’s harder to keep it in than let it out, that’s when you know. You don’t owe anyone an explanation as to “why” you are “this way.” You’re enough as you are, we were born this way.”        -Ashlee

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“I am excited about celebrating pride this year by showing more grace, love, and kindness and authenticity to myself and others in the community by unpacking more of my internalized racism, internalized transphobia, and internalized misogyny. I also plan on quietly celebrating the things that make me feel connected to my community and self.”     -Sugar Boom

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2019’s Drag Brunch for Pride

“Last year’s Pride has a lot of memories I will cherish.  With the help of Orlando and Gene from Red House, we organized Renton’s first ever Drag Brunch for Pride kick-off.  It was very nerve wracking putting together an event like that in a city that had never had one, during a year when so many Drag events were being protested.  I had a lot of concerns.  Would we get protested?  Would people try to shut us down?  Would anyone even come?  What if no one does Cher?  I am happy to say that we filled every seat and everything went perfectly.  Although no one did Cher.  The whole day felt like a microcosm of the Pride experience: a celebration with old and new friends, a chance to create a space for our community to get together and enjoy one another.  I am hopeful that after this year of protest and growth, we will have a bigger, more inclusive and diverse community to celebrate with next year.  

It's hard to say what I'm looking forward to for next year after so many things we were looking forward to this year have been cancelled.  We have a lot of work to do in our community, and a duty to help heal and protect each other.  There are a lot of things I'd like to do next year- another drag brunch, a queer pole takeover- but what I really want right now is to be where I was last pride Sunday, sitting on a blanket in the grass with my friends at Seattle Center, enjoying some quality gay entertainment, laughing, and celebrating each other.  I'm holding onto the memories of last year and hoping for more of them next year.”    -Maggie

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To our LGBTQIA+ family:

We are here, We see you, You matter. Happy Pride!

COVID update - group classes suspended

Hello Ascenders

We've made the incredibly agonizing decision to cancel group classes for the next few weeks beginning Monday 3/16. We're starting with all March classes (March 16 - 31), and we will evaluate extending the closure beyond that, depending on how the situation develops. We plan to remain open for studio rentals and private lessons so that we can do our part to reduce the number of people that gather together at any one time. This was an incredibly hard decision to make because we know how much community and our classes mean to each of us, especially when times are most stressful and full of uncertainty.

We must do this though. We feel the responsibility to do our part to slow the spread of COVID by keeping people separate and not encouraging group gatherings. Data models are showing that we're only just ramping up and we need to implement as much social distancing as possible to give our system a fighting chance. The Board is in agreement that we need to do our part to help flatten the curve and encourage people to stay home. There's too much risk, too much at stake, not enough resources, and we don't want the studio to become a vector for COVID. Other aerial studios in the Seattle area have already done the same, and many other PNW studios are making similar plans.

This decision is one with a lot of moving parts. Bear with us while we work on our game plan. Our team needs to take some time to figure out what all this looks like. We will be taking Monday to solidify our processes for rentals and privates, and we communicate that to you all shortly. We will respond to messages on Tuesday.

We are working on a plan for our members to trade classes for studio rentals and for discounted privates. We're talking through other ideas like virtual classes and meetups, and other ways to keep us connected from a distance. Plans are still developing and you can be sure we are committed to making everything right for everyone. Stay tuned for further communication.

This community means so much to each one of us. We have no doubt this experience will only bring us closer together, despite the physical distance. We are grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for the understanding and support during these strange times. Until we can gather again, wash your hands, keep your distance from others, and we will be in touch again soon...digitally, not physically ;) .

Brightly,

Tara Steed | Program Director

2020 Q1 Scholarship Recipient - Meet Moonyeka

We had the opportunity to get to know Moonyeka more this quarter as a Q1 Scholarship recipient. Check out her interview below! She’s one incredible human and we are excited about partnering with her on future events at Ascendance.

My name is Moonyeka. I’m a Filipinx femme movement based storyteller who who utilizes art creation, teaching, and organizing to realize a world that  honors my communities' stories in a way that is healing, celebratory, and generative.

I am also a practitioner in pleasure and eroticism. I do this through sex work and my own sexual/sensual healing practices.

What drew you to Ascendance?
A friend of mine mentioned Ascendance. I’ve been to a few pole studios and was having trouble vibing well with most of them. I actually was recommended to  Ascendance because there was a scholarship program. I generally cannot sustain or afford my own personal dance training beyond self training.

How was your experience in class?
My favorite thing about Ascendance is I feel a little less alienated here. This is the only studio I’ve been to where I felt there was more presence of (qt)poc folks. I also get a little nostalgic cuz I grew up in the South End/South King County areas.

What are your pole/aerial goals?
My first goal was honestly to climb to the top! Beyond that I just wanted a space where I was exploring my movement in new ways. I’ve been performing, battling, teaching, choreographing and creating for awhile and my cup needed to be filled with ways to replenish my own erotic and creative energy.

What has been the most challenging to learn?
Beyond the approach of the move, movement, dance and embodiment have always been a way for me to be in conversation with myself around the discomfort in my body. My discomfort is rooted in systemic oppression, trauma, and projected narratives about what queer femmes of color need to move and act like. It gets distressing to parse out who I am moving for, why I am moving. When I am in class the narratives of shame and the response of freeze can show up because I am moving these narratives quite literally in my body. While it is challenging, I appreciate having another opportunity to engage with these narratives through new ways of moving.

What would be your advice to students who want to try pole/aerial/dance?
Be gentle with yourself. Integrating new ways of moving with your bodymind takes a lot of time and patience. I encourage folks to talk to themselves as compassionately as you would with a loved one. I also encourage folks to set intentions, ground, and reflect on what medicine they seek within movement and dance based practices.

Photo credit: @kapatid.kollective and Bianca 

More about Moonyeka: Moonyeka is a sick/disabled Filipinx femme movement based storyteller who utilizes art creation, teaching, and organizing to realize a world that  honors her communities' stories in a way that is healing, celebratory, and generative. Amongst many projects and collaboration Moonyeka continues to facilitate LIL BROWN GIRLS CLUB (a movement based mentorship program for young g*rls of color),  organized (e)merge: a movement based healing intensive for dance communities and beyond in September 2019; moves + creates work with Dani Tirrell and The Congregation, and is working on LOOB** -- a multi-disciplinary  biomythography/memoir as part of their 2020 Northwest Film Forum x Velocity Dance Center Dance Film Residency.

In 2018 Moonyeka joined forces with Kapatid Kollective as the organizations’ Lead Storyteller to bring arts + culture events for Filipinx American History Month and carve spaces to better imagine and collectively develop the many ways in which Filipinxs can heal, undo interconnected systemic oppressions, and thrive.

Moonyeka is  also the founder of WHAT’S POPPIN’ LADIEZ?! -- a movement , culminating both as an ethnographic research project and community event series, that celebrates womxn in Street Styles providing them a platform to tell their own stories through teaching, battling, performing and more; a 2019 City Artist Awardee, 2018 Arc Fellowship awardee, the 2017 Tina La Padula Fellowship recipient, Ubunye Project 2017 contributor, Seattle Dances’ DANCE CRUSH 2016,  Mary Gates Leadership awardee and George Newsome Humanitarian scholar.

www.moonyeka.com / Instagram @m00nyeka.