When I was younger, I had a family friend who owned a silk. A beautiful and graceful apparatus, the silk is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a large piece of silk hanging from the ceiling reaching all the way down to the floor. This friend’s living room was the beginning of my favorite after school activity.

 

What is Aerial? Well, it’s really quite simple. An array of equipment such as the trapeze, the silks themselves, and the lira, are used in a wonderful form of dance called Aerial.

 

In aerial, you twist and move your body and your apparatus to make perfectly crafted pieces and moves to incorporate into your dance.

 

I take classes led by Shanon Gray at the Woodacre Improvement Club. Shannon is not only an amazing teacher, but you can tell she cares about her work, and the kids she teaches.

 

Aerial has emotion woven into it.   To choreograph a good piece, you need to have some sort of feeling you are trying to express. Whether it’s anger, joy, fear, or sadness. Shannon has created an environment where every emotion and thought is welcome. 

 

Aerial is dance, which is already a wonderful form of self expression, but it’s also a place where everyone is welcomed and supported. In my experience, the classes bring people together in a fun and creative way.

 

“Aerial makes me feel like nothing happening in the world can bother us. It makes me feel like everything can be put on hold. I show up to every class because it is such a supportive group and environment. It is so fun to just work with all our friends!”

    Said Maris Prime, one of my friends in the same class as me.

 

Participating in aerial can build confidence and instill a sense of self worth, it can be an amazing outlet for someone who’s struggling. I find that when I enter the class, I am immediately greeted with hospitality and several warm smiles. The classes can create communities that are hard to find; especially as an adolescent.

 

Shannon Gray and many other teachers provide classes at the Woodacre Improvement Club, ranging from elementary to highschool. Aerial is a fun and engaging activity that is a perfect way to get to know new people. 

For more information you can contact me @[email protected].