Break the Barriers
FAQ
looking for answers?
Find frequently asked questions here.
Break the Barriers is a nonprofit corporation that celebrates awareness and victories of people of all abilities, ethnicities, and ages. Through exceptional programs, outreach, and inclusion education, we offer a wide range of classes where students can learn and grow together. Our inclusive performing teams also travel throughout our community and around the world to showcase the possibilities of inclusion.
We welcome people of all backgrounds and abilities! Our various programs are available for children, adults, and Veterans; however, specific programs do have age requirements. Please refer to our class schedules for precise information.
We offer a variety of classes for various age groups. Classes for children include aerial silks, gymnastics, parkour, tricking, dance, swim lessons, Taekwondo, and archery. Classes for adults include boot camp workout classes, water aerobics, aerial silks, ballet, ballroom dance, archery, Taekwondo, HOPE & Fitness for spinal cord injuries or other physical needs. Break the Barriers also offers programs for Veterans and active duty military free of charge.
Everyone that participates in a program or class at Break the Barriers needs to have a registration form completed by a parent or legal guardian if the student is a minor. Adult participants will need to complete their own form.
Child Liability Waiver
- To complete and submit online: Child Liability Waiver
- To print and return to Break the Barriers front office: Child Liability Waiver PDF
Adult Liability Waiver
- To complete and submit online: Adult Liability Waiver
- To print and return to Break the Barriers front office: Adult Liability Waiver PDF
Additional forms may be required for certain classes. See the Register page for a list of all forms.
If a student has a physical or medical condition, Break the Barrier requires a doctor’s release to be completed before enrolling into class. These conditions include, but are not limited to: Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Heart Conditions, Spina Bifida, Bone/Joint Problems, or serious illness. If you have questions about a specific condition, please call us for more information. For students with Down syndrome, we require a Down syndrome release that pertains to Atlanto-Axial instability. These forms are available at our office, or click on the links below to download a form to take to your physician and return.
Contact the office for availability of specific days and times. A registration form must be completed by a parent or legal guardian before fees can be paid and spots reserved. Registration forms are available at the office or on our Forms page.
Session fees vary and are listed under the specific program or class.
Monthly fees are due by the 1st of each month. Fees paid after the 1st are considered late and a $10.00 late fee will be charged. If the 1st would fall on a day we are closed, please be sure to pay before the 1st to avoid late fees.
- Fees are nonrefundable.
- Fees paid after the 1st day of the month are considered late & a $10 late charge will be added to your monthly fee.
- Payments can be made over the phone using your credit card.
- All students must give a two-week notice that they are dropping their class.
- A $25.00 service charge will be added to all returned checks. Checks will not be redeposited. Only cash will clear a returned check.
- If you choose to do automatic payments through your bank, please make sure to include your students name and class in the memo so we can apply it appropriately.
Break the Barriers observes all major holidays. Dates will be posted at the entrance to the facility, flyers will be handed out during class, and dates will be posted on the web site. Break the Barriers does not charge more for months with five weeks. Those extra days of classes are traded for the major holiday that Break the Barriers is closed (so no makeups are given). Break the Barriers is closed Winter Break, Spring Break, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Break. To keep the trade even, we remain OPEN for the President’s birthdays, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King’s birthday, and Columbus Day.
Gymnastics classes include all of the gymnastics events, including tumbling and various apparatus such as bars, rings etc. These classes are listed on the schedule by age group and are suitable for all abilities. For more information, check out our Gymnastics page. Tumbling classes are for tumbling skills only, without apparatus. Before enrolling in a Tumbling class, students must participate in an evaluation by a coach, scheduled with the office. For more information, check out our Tumbling page.
Gymnastics classes include all of the gymnastics events, including tumbling and various apparatus such as bars, rings etc. These classes are listed on the schedule by age group and are suitable for all abilities. For more information, check out our Gymnastics page. Parkour utilizes different types of athletic movement, such as running, jumping, climbing, and rolling to navigate obstacles in the quickest and most efficient way possible.
Gymnastics classes include all of the gymnastics events, including tumbling and various apparatus such as bars, rings etc. These classes are listed on the schedule by age group and are suitable for all abilities. For more information, check out our Gymnastics page. Tricking classes combines martial arts and gymnastics in a series of kicks, flips, and twists! It also incorporates some moves and styles from breakdancing. The goal is to display different combinations of tricks that make up a smooth, visually awesome pass.
Our free programs include archery, biathlon, lap swimming, badminton, table tennis, weight training, and more. With the help of grant funding and private donations, Break the Barriers has become a training center for Wounded Warriors, Valor Games and Golden Age Games and other Veteran events. For more information and a full list of programs offered, check out our Veterans page.
HOPE is the acronym for Helping Open Possibilities with Exercise. This program benefits individuals who have had a spinal cord injury, those with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or stroke, and those experience other physical needs or injuries. Our trainers use exercise and repetition to improve mobility and range of motion in participants. It is NOT considered physical therapy. For more information, check out our HOPE page.
Break the Barriers partners with local school districts to bring students in both Special and General Education classes to participate in programs together. This is a free program for schools, and Break the Barriers must continually raise funds to sustain it. Our goal is to remove barriers and allow children to build common experiences and relationships. For more information, check out our Buddy Program page.
Scholarship applications are available at the front office and are approved on a case by case basis based on need and funding available. The scholarship program is completely funded by private donations. Therefore, students who are on a scholarship and miss two consecutive classes without notifying the office will be dropped and the scholarship will then be applied to another student. All scholarship recipients are kept confidential.
When inquiring about programs, the receptionist will ask a series of questions that will assist placing your child in the program/class best suited for his/her abilities, age, and level.
Due to our large number of students and limited availability, Break the Barriers is not able to accommodate make-ups for classes missed.
Check the Events calendar for a listing of activities.
Please fill out the contact form with your questions and which instructor you are trying to reach.
For questions about classes, email classinfo@breakthebarriers.org or call Break the Barriers’ office at (559) 432-6292.
Yes. Break the Barriers has adopted a dress code that will not restrict movement, is welcoming to all body types, is safe for the student, and will allow students to participate in their respective program unencumbered. The dress code for each program is strictly followed:
- Absolutely NO tummies showing
- No low-cut shirts (front or back)
- No spaghetti straps (tank-style shirts must have a minimum 1 inch shoulder strap)
- All shorts must have at least a 6 inch inseam (no high cut bottoms or short shorts), biker shorts with a 6 inch inseam may be worn under shorts that do not have a 6 inch inseam
- No jewelry, belts, or hard sole shoes (except tap shoes for dance classes)
- Long hair must be tied back – No exceptions!
- No gum
*In addition to this list, each program has its own specific set of dress code rules. Please check the web page of the program you are interested in to see the full dress code list.
Call the office (559) 432-6292. Refer to the Performing Teams page for pricing.