My experience with Cirque Wonderland was not a positive one, and it has been frustrating to process…read moreover time. What was presented as a welcoming and inclusive space did not always align with my personal experience there. When I spoke up about my concerns, I felt they were dismissed or minimized, which made it difficult for me to feel heard or supported in the space. This came after I shared that I experienced what I perceived as confrontational and inappropriate verbal behavior from a neighboring business owner at the time. I was told the cameras in the building were not working at that time, which added to my discomfort with the situation. I rented a room in the space for four years, prior to its expansion. In April 2023, I was told via phone call that a change in my massage clientele to better fit the space would be something to consider to fit the gym more, or that it might be best for me to leave. Later , I received an email stating it would be best for me to leave, along with a move-out timeline. I asked to have a conversation in person or by phone to try to come to a more mutual agreement, especially since I was there regularly, but that request was declined. I then received formal communication via email, which felt abrupt and uncomfortable, and reinforced my concerns based on my experience about how situations like this were handled compared to what I had understood when I first joined the space. In private conversations, I've heard perspectives that echoed some of my concerns around a disconnect between stated values and lived experiences. I understand that others may have different experiences, and I can only speak to my own. One example of that disconnect, from my point of view, was messaging like "any body can do aerial" not always feeling fully reflected in practice, particularly when some policies felt like they created barriers for people with different needs in my experience. For me, what started as a business misalignment became more personal over time. I'm sharing this to bring awareness and to encourage better alignment between values and action. I also always wondered why they seemed they were the only aerial arts place in des moines when they werent I do want to acknowledge that there were coaches I appreciated working with, including Bonnie, who I felt did embody the values that were expressed. This is being shared in the hope that it encourages reflection. My experience was disappointing, both as a business owner and as a person navigating the situation. TO CIRQUE AND FELICIA IN RESPONSE TO THEIR COMMENT AND RESPONSE Thank you for your response. I understand that your perspective may differ. What I've shared reflects my personal experience , my records and how I was approached and was impacted by those interactions at the time. I'm not interested in continuing this conversation privately, as I've already attempted to have direct discussions in the past without resolution.

I signed my girls up for the intro classes so that they could get a feel for what they're…read moreinterested in and to learn the basics. Right away I was impressed by the background of the owner--one of the first people to bring circus and aerial arts classes to Iowa. Clearly this person has a passion for sharing the art form. After day one my kids were hooked and couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had. I love that class sizes are kept very small, and that the structure of membership and future classes leave a lot of room for scheduling flexibility. I am super excited that my kids found something that they want to keep doing--something that leaves so much room for personal growth and experimentation!

Reasons to enjoy the fabulous classes at Power Life…read more 1. All teachers of course have different vibes. The instructors are top notch. cueing is clear, tight, intelligent, and detailed. 3. They have a kind, dedicated customer service staff, who are promptly responsive. 4. The space is clean and offers showers and towel rentals. 5. The schedule offers all day classes with lots of variety.

Powerlife is the best…read more I snagged their 30 days for $30 deal and ended up making it about 15 times. Each and every class felt like exactly what I needed in my life. Since every class and instructor is very different from the next, it can be daunting for a newcomer to figure out which one(s) to choose. However, this doesn't really apply at Powerlife because every class and every instructor was superb, and I really mean it. By far my favorite class is Warrior Werk. That is some sexy, strong, vibrant stuff that will have you leaving exhausted yet also feeling like you can conquer the planet and look good while doing it. Cheers to the ladies that guide that class!

I had the worst experience while trying to schedule a trial for my kids, the lady at the phone…read moreacted disrespectful and unprofessional, I felt discriminate. so disappointing.

We've had great experiences at Aqua-Tots. Our six year-old has been in lessons for a few months…read more His coach has been very good with kids and good at talking with the parents after each lesson. They allow makeup classes if you have to miss and let them know. We can see regular progress with each skill. They also sell swim items in their shop as well as snacks if you need them while you wait or as s reward after class. The changing rooms seem clean as well. We've enjoyed our time here and plan to keep up with lessons.

My grandson has gone there for a year...I took him for the 2nd time ever to have one of the…read moreinstructors come out yelling at both him and then me that he has to wear shoes to get inside, I did not know the policies bx I had only been there once so for her to start yelling at me about shoes...how do they stay open treating clients like that...then in the end he wore my sandals in and she told him he would need to wash his feet inside either way...just very rude and unprofessional...I do not recommend having children around these people!!

Very welcoming to my daughter when we were in town for the week. She enjoyed meeting new friends…read moreand coaches. Comp class was a good challenge for her and she liked the way the classes were taught.

Edit (I will need to cut parts of my original review to fit more info, I'll attach original review…read moreif allowed): at no point did you actually provide me policies, I had to dig through the app to find myself, and it was like pulling teeth to get you to confirm those were the policies. Your policy lists a $5 no call/no show fee. There are individuals that have been charged $25 late fees that are not in your policies. Potential customers should have that information. You should be more transparent about that, end of story. Yes, there have been many great instructors there; however, many of the best instructors leave. I wonder why. I worked out at Fit and Fierce 4-7 days a week from April '24 to April '26. The majority of the instructors are great, some have been really amazing. The clientele there is kind and awesome. I think the equipment could use some updating, things like hand weights with the rubbery covering coming off, but for the price of membership, I liked the gym and would have rated it 4 or 5 stars. The reason I am writing this review is to share my experience with one of the two owners that, in my opinion, is morally reprehensible. Another patron who frequented Fit and Fierce even longer than I had was abruptly terminated recently. Reasoning was continued disruptive behavior. I did many classes with that individual and personally witnessed nothing of the sort. I recognize that behavior could have happened but I doubt it based on the rest of my experience. Instead of assuming anything, I asked the owners to share written policies and conduct expectations. I encouraged them to be transparent about these policies and expectations and to share with everyone, which to me seems reasonable especially given the fact that they had specifically asked for feedback. There was an excessively long back and forth email and text chain with me simply asking for policies and the owner not providing them and being unnecessarily hostile towards me. She claimed many odd things like the other patron was trespassing and kept trying to give me her narrative of a story I specifically asked her NOT to tell me. She kept calling and texting me at all hours so that she could give her side of the story. I did end up blocking her number because of that. After many days of not answering my simple question regarding policies via email, I lost my cool with her and asked if the words I am saying don't make sense to her and told her her behavior is condescending and unprofessional. She took great offense to my opinion of her behavior. Shortly after that she decided at 1:39 am to also terminate my membership when I was signed up to take a 5:30 am class the next morning. My opinion on that manner is that she purposefully sent that cancellation in the middle of the night so that I wouldn't see it in time, show up to class as usual, and also be accused of trespassing. I had had what I thought was my final email exchange with her at 12:14 pm the previous afternoon. She could have easily shared her intentions to terminate my membership then. Mind you I am a paying customer for 2 years with absolutely ZERO issues at the establishment, EVER. I did make it clear that I expected her to return the unused portion of my membership fees and she did so. The other patron who was terminated had just made their $267.50 membership payment. To my knowledge, they have not had their money returned. I will gladly update this review if that happens. She may not be legally obligated to return money but morally and ethically, that's just a decent human thing to do, especially when you claim to care so much about respect and a supportive environment. I would never recommend this gym as long as the current owner is there. She's within her right to refuse service but I do not believe my termination was warranted. Mind you, at that point I had already cancelled my membership and had just 15 days left. In my opinion, her behavior follows the deny, attack, reverse victim and offender pattern, make of that opinion what you please. I am the average yoga participant who attends class, causes no issues, and goes home. There are many other establishments more worth your time and money. To be fair, there are two owners and the other one seems fine I guess. Never had an issue with her but she was also CCed on all of these emails and did absolutely nothing to stop her business partner from being unnecessarily rude and aggressive. If any current members want to see the email and text exchange, let me know and I will forward it in its entirety. jessica.radmaker@gmail.com

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel compelled to share my experience…read more I discovered I was still being charged for a membership that I had not used for months. When I attempted to contact the business to cancel, I was unable to reach anyone, and the voicemail box was full, preventing me from leaving a message. After posting a review, the owner called me. Rather than addressing my concerns professionally, the conversation quickly became defensive and hostile. I was told that the voicemail is often full because she owns a business, wears many hats, has four children, and Verizon limits voicemail storage. While I understand business owners are busy, that does not change the fact that customers need a reliable way to communicate regarding billing issues. I explained that I believed I had signed up for a one-month membership and was unaware that cancellation required advance notice. Instead of working toward a reasonable resolution, I was offered a free class in place of any consideration of the charges that had accumulated while I was not attending. When I declined, I was told the conversation was over. Most concerning, when I requested confirmation that my membership was canceled and my payment information removed, she hung up on me without that confirmation being provided. My frustration is not simply about the charges--it's about the lack of communication, accountability, and professionalism when trying to resolve a legitimate customer concern.

Jodey is the bomb!! She is very nice and easy to work with. I have shoulder issues and she has been…read moreable to work with me in modifying my yoga practice until my shoulder is stronger! With her patience and encouragement I did my first back bend today in her class!! It felt amazing. Starting your day off in Jodey's class is a step in the right direction.

I love going to Jodey's yoga sessions! She is very knowledgeable and passionate about yoga. I…read moreappreciate that she takes the time to make sure I'm doing my poses correctly.

Love all Power Life locations but this one is dear to my heart because it was the first one I…read moreattended back when it first opened. They have a membership for everyone and also offer free classes and more. I get the best whole body workout while I practice mindfulness with the help of many brilliant instructors. Strongly recommend.

I love PowerLife! The energy is so positive and you will 100% feel like you got a quality practice…read morein on your mat. Some of my favorite classes include Power Sculpt and Power 2.

Katie is the best Zumba instructor in town! I never feel like I'm working out, because it's so much…read morefun, but I've lost 50 pounds working out at Uplift. Very class is unique and keeps you interested. I'm always us my new muscles.