Do you wanna dance? NEW Aerial Classes

NEW! Aerial Dance Mini-Session – Starts February 28th

Come join us for a fun new session of aerial dance! This session will explore text and music as inspiration for movement. Learn a short aerial sequence, then explore tools and learn new skills that help you make the sequence your own. We work low and start off with beginner-friendly skills, so all levels are welcome. Class meets Wednesdays 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, and 3/21 from 8:30-9:30pm. Advance registration required at upspringstudio.com/classes. $120. Ages 16+

April 22nd: Save the Date!

Join us on April 22nd from 1-3pm for a special workshop with Julianna Hane. This workshop is open to ALL LEVELS and will focus on using the eye-opening technique of Laban movement analysis to explore and expand your own movement style:

How does the professional performer access a range of movement qualities? The Laban system is an excellent way to expand your performance skills. This workshop will focus on Laban’s Efforts of flow, space, time, and weight to learn what your preferences are, and expand upon them. Develop characters or themes for new movement pieces, and make performance work more dynamic.

Julianna Hane traded life on a cotton farm to become a dancer and aerialist. She holds an MFA in Modern Dance, is a Certified Laban Movement Analyst, and is a graduate of NECCA’s Pro-Track and The Pilates Center’s Intermediate Program in Boulder, CO. Julianna has taught Laban and aerial in K-12, higher education, and the private studio setting. She is the Director of Training for Born to Fly Teacher Programs and Support, and the author of The Aerial Teacher’s Handbook.

Winter 2018 Classes

Registration open now! Go to upspringstudio.com/classes for more information and a link to our registration page. Taking an ongoing group class? Save $5 per class with a 5-class card. Click here to purchase. Note: Students must register by midnight the day before class.

Beginner Basics – next date TBD

Love the circus? Curious about aerial dance? Come give it a try! Learn key aerial conditioning techniques, how to sit and stand on a trapeze, how to climb aerial fabrics, basic tricks, and more under the guidance of our kind and supportive instructors. No prior experience or fitness level required, just a willingness to try something new. We work on low-to-the-ground apparatus with mats underneath. Adults of all ages welcome. If you can sit in a chair and make a fist, you can take this class! Cost: $25. Ages 16+
Interested in this class? Email upspringstudio@gmail.com to inquire.

Trapeze – Sundays 2-3p – Beginners Welcome

Build strength and flexibility while having fun learning new skills (and perfecting old ones). We work on low-to-the-ground dance trapezes with mats underneath. This class is open to students of all levels, and there are no prerequisites. Ages 16+

Aerial Fabrics – Select Sundays 1-2pm

Work on fundamental fabrics skills and conditioning techniques in a supportive environment. This class is open-level, so students of all levels are welcome; however, students should have some prior aerial experience. Students should take another aerial class or private lessons concurrently to help build strength and comfort in the air. This class meets roughly once per month, September through May. Ages 16+

Intermediate Dance Trapeze – Select Sundays 1-2pm

Are you an experienced trapeze student who wants to learn more? Come try dance trapeze with us! We focus on flow, teaching dance trapeze skills and transitions with choreographic possibilities in mind. We work above the bar, teaching you how to use the ropes for support to create new shapes and unusual transitions so that your audience will never be sure what is coming next. Students who register for this class should be able to invert cleanly in the ropes without jumping. This class meets roughly once per month, September through May. Ages 16+

Aerial Dance – Wednesdays 8:30-9:30pm – Beginners Welcome

Discover your own way of dancing in the air and on the ground. Learn a short sequence on dance trapeze or aerial hammock, then explore tools that help you make the sequence your own. This class is for both beginners and experienced students alike, since students work at their own pace. This class is cumulative, so students must sign up for the whole session. Going to miss a class? Don’t worry. Students who miss a class will be given an open hang pass as a make-up. Drop-ins are not permitted, and students must register for the entire session. Ages 16+

Private Lessons – Sundays 1pm and 2pm, Thursdays 6-7pm – Beginners Welcome – Ongoing

Private lessons are offered in one-hour blocks as solos (1 student), duets (2 students share), or trios (3 students share). Private workshops can also be arranged for groups of 4-6 students. Private lessons are taught by Alana Cole-Faber (dance trapeze, aerial choreography), EChO (trapeze, fabric, conditioning for aerial, flexibility, choreography), and Kirsty Little (aerial choreography). Not all instructors are available for all dates and times. Please email upspringstudio@gmail.com to inquire about your preferred topic and/or instructor. Adults of all ages and abilities are welcome to sign up for private lessons. Age 16+

Open Hangs – Sundays 12-1pm, Thursdays 6-7pm – ongoing

Open hangs are extra practice times for current UpSpring students who have attended lessons at UpSpring at least 3 times per month for the past 6 months. One trapeze, fabric, or hammock will be provided; however, students may have to share equipment if two students wish to use the same equipment. (There is no guarantee that a specific type of fabric or trapeze will be available. Private and group lessons have first pick of equipment.) Students may use their own equipment provided that equipment has been inspected by UpSpring. Open hangs may be rescheduled but are not refundable. If the day/time you want is not available, contact upspringstudio@gmail.com for help. Ages 18+

UpSpring Aerial Lab – Thursdays 7-8:30pm

This is our student performance group. Admission is by director invitation in the fall only. Students who wish to join must be comfortable working in the air independently for several minutes at a time, must be comfortable choreographing their own pieces, and must have performed publicly with UpSpring Studio at least once in the past year. If you meet the requirements and wish to join in the coming fall, email upspringstudio@gmail.com to inquire about space. Ages 18+

BEGINNERS WELCOME! We welcome adults of all levels in most of our classes. Need help figuring out which class is best for you? Email upspringstudio@gmail.com.

Holiday Closures

We believe in balance, both on the trapeze and off. Taking time off to do other things is important! Please note that UpSpring Studio will be closed on the following dates so that our students and instructors can train in exotic locales, see their families, celebrate holidays, go camping, learn to play musical instruments, or whatever else brings joy to their lives:

• December 24-January 10 – Winter Break
• January 14-15 – MLK weekend
• February 18-19 – President’s Day weekend
• March 25-April 7 – Spring Break
• May 27-28 – Memorial Day weekend

Advertisements

UpSpring Studio Presents POP – June 4th

POP!

Sunday June 4th at 4pm
In the future, everyone will be famous.

In this aerial dance production, UpSpring Aerial Lab uses pop art as inspiration for new work in aerial fabric, aerial sling, dance trapeze, mini lyra, and poi. Featuring work inspired by Andy Warhol, Marisol, Roy Lichtenstein, May Wilson, Claes Oldenburg and more. Tickets $20 adults, $10 children and seniors at joesmovement.org. Children 2 and under free in an adult’s lap.

Concession sales at this event will benefit arts programs at Mount Rainier Elementary School. Proceeds from ticket sales help UpSpring to purchase new equipment and supplies to keep our students safe.

 

Finding Your Breath
with Kirsty Little
Sunday, May 21st from 12-2pm

What makes an aerialist unique? How can you take commonly used aerial skills and make them your own? In this workshop, Kirsty will show you how!

Discover the influence of breath on gesture, movement quality, and emotion. Students of all levels will learn to use breath to direct their focus and actions as they execute familiar tricks and movement patterns. Students will leave with new tools that will help them layer their movement with a quality that makes it original. This workshop is for students of any level, from beginner to advanced, who wish to enhance their awareness of breath in their movements. No prerequisites other than a willingness to explore something new. $70. Click here to register or email upspringstudio@gmail.com with questions.

Note: This workshop has a minimum enrollment of 3 students and a maximum of 8.

Kirsty has been a circus performer for 25 years. She has performed everywhere from the street carnivals of Italy to major corporate events, from Buckingham Palace to Tokyo. Kirsty recently won the Guinness World Record for greatest number of syncronized silks performers. She is interested in aerial movement that takes the audience beyond the WOW of tricks and transports them into a journey through the performer’s vocabulary. (Photo credit Levi Gerschowitz)

 

Event Announcement: Joe’s Brings Art Education to Gateway’s Open Studios Tour

Joe’s Movement Emporium will provide arts education opportunities for children enjoying the Gateway Open Studios Tour on Saturday, May 14th. Joe’s art education staff will provide movement and visual arts activities throughout the day. One of Joe’s resident artist companies, UpSpring Studio, will host a variety of aerial demonstrations and opportunities to try the aerial experience in the lobby. All activities are completely free and require no RSVP or reservation.

Accessible Aerial from 2 – 5 pm

Aerial demonstrations every hour on the hour showcase how high our dancers can fly. Aerial students will give mini talks and presentations about how they discovered the art form and even give away some behind the scenes tricks of the trade. Sign up for an opportunity to get on the trapeze bar. All ages & abilities welcome to participate!

RSVP here and get up to date information about event schedule.

Art Education Joe’s Style from 12 noon – 4 pm 

Movement in Studio 2:

12 noon: All ages join Joe’s resident Hula Hoop Star and Arts Education Director LaTanya Robinson for a hula hooping jam session that will prove no matter your ability, everybody can hoop.

2 pm: Joe’s own Salsa Queen Jessica Quiroz, our Art Education Assistant Director, teaches your child (8 and up) super-styling salsa dance skills.

Visual Arts in Art Room:

3 pm: Talented local artists and instructor Clara Majors will perform artistic miracles using recycled goods with children ages 8 and up.

RSVP by clicking here and get up to date information regarding event schedule.

All events will offer opportunities to learn more about Joe’s Art Education programs including Camp Joe’s and Club Joe’s as well as experience the magic of Joe’s resident artist companies.

Joe’s Movement Emporium promotes practice and preservation of world performance traditions with an emphasis on dance and movement. Through programs in art education, production and artist services, Joe’s increases community access to creative experiences and creates local economic opportunities. Based in Mount Rainier, Maryland in the Prince George’s Gateway Arts District since 1995, Joe’s serves more than 70,000 visitors annually and is home to 25 professional performance groups.

The Gateway Community Development Corporation drives economic revitalization along the U.S. Route 1 Corridor through business and neighborhood development initiatives including promotion of the arts as a community building strategy.

The 12th Annual Gateway Open Studio Tour features artists and organizations in the Prince George’s County Gateway Arts District, home to one of the DC metro area’s most innovative and creative artist community.

Please contact Neena Narayanan at neena@joesmovement.org or 301-699-1819 for more information.

 

Aerial Gets Accessible at Joe’s

Join UpSpring Studio artists/instructors Mara Neimanis, Kirsty Little, and Alana Cole-Faber for two exciting events at Joe’s Movement Emporium:

Sentimental Swing
April 11th 5-7pm

Remember what it was like to swing as a child? Come re-discover those childhood memories with a SWING workshop at Joe’s Movement Emporium. With the guidance of professional aerialists, you can take a swing on a real trapeze and tell us what the word “swing” means to you. All ages and abilities are welcome, and no prior experience is required. This is a free, drop-in workshop, and there is no need to register.

SWING!
April 15th, 7pm

SWING is a performance-in-progress combining aerial choreography with community voices to create fresh, honest aerial movement integrated with the audience’s own stories. The aim is to fly the community’s stories so the audience can actually see themselves reflected in flight. Pay what you wish. No tickets required.

These events are part of The Clarice’s NextLOOK series, produced in partnership with Joe’s Movement Emporium. More info on this series here.