Intro to Aerial Straps Workshop

The artists of the circus show, Rouge, are coming to our studio while they are in town for their show! Don't miss this chance to train with some of the region's best aerial artists. Want to see Rouge? Use coupon code NCIRQUE for 10% off tickets. Show dates & locations at: https://www.carolinecalouche.org/rouge

About this workshop:

Join Alex Oliva for an introduction to aerial straps, a high-flying, excitingly dynamic discipline! In this 90- minute workshop, we'll learn the basic positions and skills to begin your straps journey or to transfer to other aerial disciplines like trapeze or silks. After a thorough warm-up, we'll learn proper placement in positions like meathook, nutcracker, reverse nutcracker/scorpion, and support position. We'll explore both artistic and technical aspects of spinning, and we'll finish by taking it into the air and learning beats and swings! You'll leave with the proper tools to continue conditioning and building these skills across a variety of aerial disciplines. This workshop will be kept small (with a maximum of 6 participants), so if you've taken straps with Alex at our studio or elsewhere before, let us know on the registration form so he can differentiate his instruction based on your previous experience.

Prerequisites: 

Participants should have the ability to invert cleanly in the air on any apparatus and be able to hang in the air from two arms with engaged shoulders for at least 10 seconds.

About the Instructor:

Alex Oliva is a circus and movement artist based in Boston, MA. He specializes in aerial straps, Cyr wheel, and contemporary dance. Alex always seeks to push the boundaries of circus with captivating and innovative movement by combining elements from his gymnastics and dance background. He has performed with companies such as CirqOvation (Syracuse), Scarlett Entertainment (US/UK), House of Yes (NYC), Berber (San Francisco), and Taconhy Entertainment's "Circus on Ice" (US tour). Recently, Alex received awards for his straps and Cyr wheel acts in the San Diego Circus Festival, where he was also awarded the CircusTalk Spotlight Award. He is also excited to perform at the Karnidale Circus Festival in Australia in January 2023. He is in his fourth season as a dancer with contemporary dance group Urbanity Underground (Boston), where they put on several stage shows every year. Alex received his circus training under Michael Lanphear (Boston), Victor Fomine, Angelica Bongiovonni, and Eric Deschenes (Montreal). Prior to circus, he received training in contemporary and classical dance for 6 years, and in artistic gymnastics for 5 years.