The Conclave includes:

• a 13-week custom progressive training plan for your goals on the disciplines you train
• a 30-minute live 1:1 evaluation with ME
• an in-depth assessment of your mobility, strength, and technical strengths and weaknesses
• regular form checks
• weekly virtual 1-to-1 check-ins
• a cycle kick-off session to explain how everything works
• a community of bomb likeminded people to connect with

Each drill in your program comes with a video where I or another coach demonstrate the exercise with a text explanation of the movement. If you have any questions about any exercises during the program, you can use the messaging feature of the TrueCoach app.

This program is 3 months long and designed to get you maximum results within that timeframe. I decided to retire my 7-week custom programs, because it felt too short for the gains I wanted for my clients.

The amount of results you will see depends on where you're starting from and what your goals are.

If you are newer to this style of training and very consistent with it, plus you pick an achievable goal, expect to reap major newbie gains.

If you have a goal that we agree is longer term but you still want to go for it and you are a highly trained individual, I will guarantee strength and flexibility gains, but your results might not be as visible as your fellow Conclavers. (When you are at the high ends of human performance, gains are harder to find but can be even more rewarding.)

It's up to you to put in effort, but I'll be here cheering you on. Remember that sometimes results are very visible and other times they are a feeling of comfort or lack of pain or restriction. I am stoked for you to feel amazing at the end of this program like so many Conclavers have before you.

You will receive regular form checks within the TrueCoach app. In addition, you can ask any questions you need about your program. According to past Conclavers, consistent feedback is the highlight of this program, so take advantage of it!

The Conclave is for the experienced (intermediate through professional) aerialist or pole dancer who wants to not just acquire new skills but also finally get rid of their body nags and tweaks to become a more fluid mover. You have some experience training your body for aerial or pole but you want some help becoming more efficient with your energy and time. You at least have some generalized technical goals and are excited to drill down deeper. Not sure if that's you? Just ask! Email me at [email protected].

Cycle 8 officially begins on September 2nd and ends on December 1st. Once you're accepted into The Conclave and make your payment, you'll receive your onboarding forms, which will be be due 3 days after receipt. Based on the goals stated in your forms, you might be asked to provide additional information, including photos and videos.

The Concave is slated to open again in September 2024. But nothing is certain. If you are on the fence, I suggest getting in this round.

Getting your first straight-arm inversion. Reaching touchdown in your middle split. Eliminating shoulder discomfort in back flags.

Theses are the types of results you can expect from The Conclave. They are highly dependent on your own goals. 

I guarantee that if you are consistent with your training you will see significant technical, strength, and mobility gains related to your stated goals.

I am an aerial generalist, who took a deep dive into the body as I continued to explore a variety of apparatuses. What does being a generalist mean to me? It means that I didn't focus on one aerial discipline; I collected them all (and handstands and footjuggling and juggling and flexibility... you get the picture). Being a generalist is very common in circus, because performers are expected to work in ensemble and be able to fit into any role. So I became an aerial generalist with a few ground skills.

What did that journey look like? I began with silks and static trapeze in 2009. Then I fell hard for dance trapeze and rope, and started training handstands. I coached students for successful auditions at ENC, NECCA, and Circus Smirkus. I moved to eastern Europe for a bit and couldn't train aerial, so I took up pole. I came back to the US and started training rope sling and duo trapeze for 3 years in preparation for my contemporary circus company's tour. I also became a Gyrotonic trainer and mobility specialist. I also started coached contortion and solo and duo lyra. I choreographed award-winning acts and shows.

I can offer high-level coaching across the spectrum of apparatuses, because not only have done most of them, but also I have coached others in all of the apparatuses to very high levels across my 15 years of aerial experience. Moreover, I have now successfully coached most skills across apparatuses virtually over the past 4 years. I have done it for others, and I know can do it for you too.

Yes!

• Take full advantage of the feedback within TrueCoach. Upload all requested videos for feedback (there will usually only be 3 per session) and ask questions if you are unsure if you are doing something right.
• Ask! If you need to cut a training session from 2 to 1 hours, if you need a substitute exercise, if you need a progression, if you need a pep talk, if you need to understand WHY you're doing something. Ask.
• Carve out time for your training sessions and make that time nonnegotiable. Tell your family, friends, and work.
• Show up and contribute in the Discord server. Get to know the group. There are not many people in the world who would make this type of investment in their circus training. These are your people!

You will have access to the program on TrueCoach through the last day of the month when your cycle ends (unless upgrade to the continuity option). You can also receive a text-only export of your program via email at the end of the program.

It depends.

If you do not have time to dedicate to training right now, put a pin in this.The Conclave is not for you right now.

If your schedule is non-negotiably packed full of classes or sessions with other coaches and you have no wiggle room, I will not have enough input into your training to help you to meet your goals.

I will also be here to tell you if I see that you are OVERTRAINING. Recovery is where the gains are made.

Other than that, we'll work together to come up with a training plan that works for your life and revise as needed along the way.

If you have been cleared by a physio to return to your activity, you may begin this program. If you have any limitations or rehab protocols due to prior injury, please let me know in your intake questionnaire and I am happy to work them into your programming.

Yes. I coach clients from all over the world. Previous Conclave cycles have included folks from all over the US, Canada, Australia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Europe.

I am based in Oregon on the West coast of the USA. That means that the movement sessions will typically be scheduled between 10am and 6pm PST. Recordings will always be made available.

You will be responsible for scheduling your own 1-on-1 through Acuity. I will make time slots available to accommodate all time zones represented in the cycle.

I will ask you to purchase some inexpensive supplies (mini-bands, peanut, etc) that can readily be procured on the interwebs, if you do not already have them. They're worth it!

I have a co-coach Jess Allen (rope & sling) who is available to step in if I need extra support (travel, illness, etc) and an assistant Michelle Gardner (hoop & cloudswing)  who you might see dealing in administravia.

Otherwise, it's just me, Circus Mobility founder & Conclave creator Jessica John (she/her).

I'm a coach and mentor to performance artists across the globe. With over 30 years of high-level sport experience, I'm a premier skill acquisition specialist for circus artists and pole dancers, from Cirque du Soleil professionals trying to stay healthy on tour to committed enthusiasts trying to fit in training between careers and kids. I draw from my own rich movement background as a circus artist, dancer, and competitive athlete, as well as a former career as an intelligence officer and lawyer, to offer a unique opportunity to learn what it takes to reach high performance goals.

My human-centered coaching philosophy is evidence-based and multidisciplinary, addressing technical, strength, mobility, nutrition, psychological, and creative challenges. I use sport and exercise psychology theoretical frameworks to design performance programs that help my clients achieve their goals through habit-based behavior change interventions. What that looks like in practice is a relational approach to high performance coaching, aimed at helping driven aerialists reach their highest potential while still retaining their autonomy and creative voice.

In a past life, I worked as a leadership analyst with the CIA for more than a decade, where in addition to living in Africa and the Balkans, I developed training programs in applied political psychology. My background in assessing world leaders from a distance has inspired my innovation in working with and addressing mindset challenges in circus artists from afar. In additional to a bachelor’s degree from University of Colorado at Boulder—where I graduated with a degree in political science while immersing myself in physical and cultural anthropology—I also hold a law degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from George Washington University where I concentrated in political psychology.

I am a lifelong learner and my education did not stop at university. My movement education began as a GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Trainer, and I continue to take specialized courses, such as Therapeutic Applications for the Shoulder Girdle, the Pelvic Girdle, and Scoliosis, that inform my coaching and practice. I am a Girls Gone Strong Women’s Coaching Specialist and a NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist, and am certified in the Functional Movement Screen Level 1, Progressing Ballet Technique Levels 1 & 2, Integrated Kinetic Neurology Level 1, and Precision Nutrition Level 1. I have participated in a Dance Movement Analysis course and Katie St. Clair’s Empowered Performance program to up-level my assessment and programming abilities. I am currently in a Clinical Somatics Education Level 1 certification, as well as a Certified Biomechanics Specialist Certfication through Conor Harris.

I view coaching as a relational practice and an opportunity to shape circus and pole culture. I hold a commitment to actively applying a trauma-informed lens, and I completed CULTIVATE {trauma-informed space holding training} with Katie Kurtz, MSW LISW-S. I have participated in James-Olivia Chu Hillman’s 6-month Disobedience School, Fleur Lawson’s Power With Not Power Over: Accountability in Action for White Women, and Kelly Diels' 11-month feminist power-building and culture-building program We Are The Culture Makers. I am currently working to build a racially equitable online business through Annie Gichuru's program Represented.

I founded and direct Alter Circus, a contemporary circus, dance, and performance company. I am a Galen Hooks Method and Jacob Jonas the Company Digital Intensive alum.

I am not afraid to ask if I don't know the answer, and I use a range of outside advisers and referrals to help clients meet their goals.

I hold a systemic analysis and my feminism is inclusive and about justice. I believe that empowerment is a collective practice and a collective outcome. I believe in using my positional power as a coach to shape circus culture to cherish all bodies. I know that gender is a social construct, and I am in solidarity with my trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming siblings. I enthusiastically support Black Lives Matter and the movement to dismantle white supremacy. I believe that Fatphobia and Diet Culture are social justice issues. (H/T Kelly Diels)

This program requires a significant time investment up front for custom programming as well as daily feedback. As such, I cannot offer scholarships or financial aid for this program. I do, however, offer a significant number of other free resources to the community that I encourage you to check out.

If something difficult is happening in your life, and you're struggling to keep up with the program, I will work with you privately and give you extra support to help you feel successful, which at my discretion might include moving you to a subsequent cycle. However, I do not offer refunds. My commitment to you and the preparation to complete your program begins on the day you enroll. Please check in with your gut, your schedule, and your bank account to be sure you're a "hell yes" before applying.

Yes. I offer a guarantee that you will see substantial progress toward your goals if you complete all of your workouts, submit all of your photos and videos for feedback, and attend all of the live calls. If you do so and don't see results, I'll invite you to a second round on me. It is realistic to see 5 degree gains in mobility over the course of this program, but a lot of people will see much more!

If you have not worked with me previously, I highly suggest taking a few mobility classes, either live or through recordings in The Parish, before the program begins. This will give you a sense of my style of programming and the tools that I frequently use. I also suggest that you spend some time thinking through what you would like to focus on in our time together.

After enrolling in the program, you will receive information about refining your goals, an intake questionnaire, and a list of photos/videos for your intake assessments.

Yes. But there might be a few growing pains.

The primary delivery mechanism for this program is the TrueCoach app, and it is not without tech annoyances and glitches. I will do my best to overcome them, but I cannot control the app or platform.

I will ask you to film 3 exercises per training session and then upload them to the TrueCoach app. You will have to find a system that works for you to make this work. The alums going through cycle 7 will be there to help!

Yes! As a hypermobile human myself, this program is designed with the hypermobile mody in mind–one that needs more nervous system work, proprioceptive awareness, and end-range control. This style of training luckily supports ALL bodies, including the chronically stiff, stressed, and neurodiverse, and is trauma-informed and human-centered.