It's been a couple of months since the recital and we still can't seem to get over the aerial dance that premiered this year. ADC has been offering aerial dance for a few years, but the class had not participated in the recital until this past season. The idea of the dance wasn't necessarily a surprise to the staff, but most of us didn't see the dance until the week of the show. We were amazed! We knew the aerial students had been working hard and could do some cool tricks, but we didn't realize how strong they had gotten until we saw their dance. This past week we sat down with Lindsey Perry and Kate Buchanan to learn more about the aerial dance classes. Lindsey and Kate have both been taking aerial classes since they started here. Kate graduated from ADC in May, and Lindsey is currently in the Atlanta Rising Talent junior company.
First we asked them what makes aerial dance different from other genres they take. Both Kate and Lindsey have taken ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop, acro, and musical theater. Kate says,”While other dance genres require more endurance and stamina, aerial dance requires muscle strength.” Lindsey had a different perspective on the pace of class. She described that in a typical dance class everyone learns and executes an exercise or combination at the same time. In aerial dance class the progression is based on each student's individual strength. This means they work at their own pace. While some students may be working on beginner skills, others could be working on complex skills, and everyone is having a great time in class!
Next I asked what they like best about aerial dance. Lindsey described the encouraging environment of class, “It's fun to work with friends on different skills. When you finally achieve a skill and realize you can do something cool it's an exciting experience.” Kate agreed, “I enjoy the feeling I get when I have accomplished a new trick. Once I get it, I practice it over and over to make sure I have it and I wasn't just lucky the first time.” Both students enjoy the feeling of hanging upside down and executing skills in the air.
Watching aerial makes us want to jump on the silks and give it a try! At the recital, the students made all of the skills look simple. The truth is there is a lot more to aerial than it seems, and it can be difficult. One of the foundational skills is called a foot lock. The foot lock is what secures the dancer on the silks and keeps their feet from slipping. “I was initially wrapping the silk incorrectly for the foot lock,” says Kate. “Mr. Jeremy told me the way I was wrapping wasn't safe, so I had to essentially re-learn it correctly. It took me about six months to master.” Another challenge for the students is that skills don't always come easily. Lindsey says, “the most difficult thing about aerial is that you can't always do every skill right away. You have to work hard to achieve them.”
From both conversations we could tell that aerial isn't as easy as it seems. We asked
the girls to give their advice to someone who is just beginning an aerial dance class. “My advice is that it can take a while to build up to harder skills,” says Lindsey. “You have to build strength which takes a lot of practice.” Kate added, “Don't get frustrated when you can't accomplish a new skill on the first try. Skills may take anywhere between 3 – 6 months to master. Rather than giving up, let the challenge of the skill motivate you to keep working hard. It feels amazing when you finally accomplish something you have been working toward.”
We are already looking forward to our next recital so we can see how many new aerial students have learned cool tricks. If you've been thinking about taking aerial, take Kate and Lindsey's advice and go for it! Before you know it you'll be mastering skills you never thought you could do.