If you’re driving north on Highway 97 past Summerland and you look up at the clay bluffs above the lake, you might see a giant metal tripod. On rare occasions, you may even see a small spinning speck underneath it. If so, that’s me trapezing!

I studied aerial dance at Upswing Aerial Dance in Berkeley, CA from 2013-2017. There they teach a form of aerial dance called “Motivity”, which was pioneered by Terry Sendgraff and is based on improvisation and the cultivation of awareness of the self and surrounding space. My main teacher there (hence my aerial mother) was Ashley Foster, who was Terry’s student. At Upswing, I also studied under Cherie Carson and Helen Fitanides on trapeze, sling, lyra, tissu, rope and harness, and bungee. I also took the occasional aerial class at the Athletic Playground in Emeryville, which teaches a more traditional circus approach.

When I moved back to the Okanagan, I used the money I had saved by moving home a semester early to purchase aerial equipment, including a portable aerial rig. For half of the year the rig is set up on the edge of the orchard, overlooking the highway and Okanagan lake. For the other half of the year, I train on lyra and sling in my garage.

For the last several years, I have been training basic techniques and body mechanics while developing an improvisation-based dance style which angles more toward the weird than the beautiful. I especially love experimenting with music not traditionally suited to aerial dance, such as psytrance, downtempo psychedelic, minimal techno, and synthesizer noise.

I miss having friends nearby to dance with on a regular basis! If you, reader, live nearby and are interested in playing in the air with me, please use my Contact form to get in touch. I am also interested in giving lessons, but there are some logistical barriers to doing so which I first must overcome. While aerial dance is challenging (and a little painful at times!), it is also mind-expanding and fun.