Dynamic Silks Retreat
Advanced Level Retreat
Casa Chango in Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Instructor: Acro Mel
June 21-28, 2025
Spend a WEEK in PARADISE with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and learn loads of new skills!
For students wanting to level up their aerial silks practice! Learn how to harness momentum for advanced and dynamic movement. Students will learn progressions and how to swing, spot, and safely land for dynamics. Training will include skills, progressions, and conditioning needed for dislocks (including entrances and exits), dislock to armpits and reverse, elbow/armpit inlocks and variations, neck hang pirouettes, handstand drops, split balance drops, ankle pop offs, elbow and full pirouettes.
This retreat will have 2 daily classes – Morning classes will generally focus on new strength-based skills and progressions, taking advantage of our energy from breakfast and a good rest. Afternoon classes will generally focus on less dynamic progressions, refining technique, building a conditioning repertoire that targets group and individual weaknesses and needs, and spotting methods.
When you aren’t training, you’ll be eating amazing, healthy food, lounging at the pool, swimming in the ocean, reading in hammocks, and enjoying being in nature. Get ready to move, play, breathe, feel, stretch, and express. At Casa Chango you are invited to shine and be yourself!
Advanced Level Retreat
Students should be comfortable with straight arm inversions as well as double star and propeller/helicopter/windmill/wheel down.
Some of the skills you will be working toward include:
- Beats and swings (front/back, bell, side to side, and straddle)
- Cartwheels (on silks)
- Half inlock (front pike salto)
- Half inlock back arm release
- Dislocks (entrances and exits to hand locks and technique)
- Dislock to armpits
- Neck hang pirouette
- Elbow pirouettes
- Full pirouettes
- Split balances and drops (front and middle)
- Ankle pop drop
- Cut catch
Daily Schedule Sample: Everything is optional!
- 8-9:30 am: Coffee, Tea and Breakfast
- 10am-12:30pm: Warm up & Aerial Skills
- 1pm: Lunch
- 1-3:30pm: Pool-time, siesta, relaxing
- 3:30pm: Afternoon Treat
- 4:30-6pm: Flexibility, creativity, AcroYoga
- 7pm Dinner
- 8-10pm Evening activities
Space is limited, so sign up now!
Your Teacher: Acro Mel
Mel was born and raised in Canada and has trained extensively in aerial acrobatics, partner acrobatics, pole dance, yoga, dance, gymnastics, and general fitness. She is an alumna of École Nationale de Cirque (Canada), Pitch Catch Circus (USA), and Gravity Circus (UK) and opened the first pole and aerial studio in Qatar in 2014, with another pole and aerial studio in Saudi Arabia. Having trained and performed worldwide, Mel is now primarily based in the Middle East where she teaches and performs, and is dedicated to building a growing acrobatic community. As an instructor Mel aims to create a comfortable and engaging environment that allows students to learn about movement and their bodies in a healthy and happy way.
Retreat Pricing (in USD):
| Room | Early Bird Price | Full Price |
| Shared Dorm (gender mixed) | $2000 | $2300 |
| Shared Private Room (2 friends sharing a room) 1 king size bed or 2 individual beds | $2200 | $2500 |
| Private Room with Shared Bathroom | $2500 | $2800 |
| Private Room with Private Bathroom | $2800 | $3100 |
| Private Room with Private Bathroom and Air Conditioning | $3100 | $3400 |
Early bird price is good through March 15, 2025.
Full tuition is due by May 15, 2025.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples must sign up together.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples/SO’s are welcome at an additional price.
What’s included:
- Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations*
- Arrive on June 21. Depart on June 28.
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snacks
- 2 Daily classes
- Aerial photoshoot
- Pool & Jacuzzi
- Evening activities
- Trips to local beaches, baby turtle release, and night market
- 1 Surf Lesson
- 24 hour use of Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, and Community Spaces
- High Speed Starlink Wifi Internet
- Evening Jacuzzi soaks
What People Are Saying:
Sweet Retreats has encouraged me to be a better version of myself both physically in the circus arts and also personally in my interactions with friends and the community. The instructors at Sweet Retreats are not only world class performers, they are also some of the most caring, beautiful, and authentic individuals. I’m so fortunate to have discovered this paradise of athletic endeavors, delicious food, unending laughter, and all within the gorgeous surrounding.
Liz Marotte, Oakland, CA
Questions? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com.
Links for more information:
- Accommodations – room descriptions
- Meals and Food*
- How to get here. Info and advice on booking your travel to Puerto Escondido.**
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Testimonials
- Excursions
Discounts
- Sign up early to get the Early Bird Discount
- Refer a friend to any of our upcoming programs and get a $100 referral discount. You get $100 discount for each person you refer. Referrals must be for first timers at Sweet Retreats.
- Sign up on our mailing list to find out about more discounts.
ECO RETREAT CENTER
Casa Chango is an Eco Retreat Center. We do our best to live in harmony with the natural world. We are off grid, and use 100% solar power. We have dry composting toilets and use the humanure and food waste to create soil to feed the amazing plants and trees all around the property. We ask all of our staff and guests to come with the mindset of learning about and respecting nature. The gray water from our sinks and showers filter out to water the plants. Therefore we ask you to bring natural shampoos, conditioners, and toothpaste to your retreat. All of our buildings were designed and built to be cool and comfortable, and we hope you enjoy your stay with us.
Casa Chango is an animal friendly place. There are several friendly animals on site including dogs and cats. They will not enter your rooms, but they will be on property and in common areas during your retreat. Animal lovers will be in their happy place.
Native insects live in this area of Mexico. We fumigate regularly to keep insects away and out of your rooms. We also acknowledge that the insects are an important part of keeping nature in balance. Most of the community spaces at Casa Chango, including the gym, dining area, pool, lounge are open air which means there are no walls. You can expect to see a variety of native insects, birds, and lizards during your visit. We hope you enjoy the experience of living more connected to nature.
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