SUPER SUNDAY
10th August 2025
Join us on Sunday 10th August for a day of labs and deeper dives into apparatus.
Dance Warm Up
9am – 10am – Tutor Lee Clayden
Easing you gently into your day, we’ll begin with a floor warm, checking in with where you’re at; sensing and listening, before shifting into encouraging more heat into the body as we move into and around the space. A really fun class of simple led sequences and suggestions for travelling across the floor and through life
General Warm Up
9am – 10am – Tutor Laila Umeko
Let’s be up bright and early to warm up for a day spent dancing around. This warm up will be more specifically aimed at getting you ready for aerial training. I like to cheat my way around cardio, we’ll be doing some shaking most mornings (if you don’t know what that is come find out!). You can also expect mobility and articulation work, some friendly strength exercises and maybe a game or two to make sure we start the day with a laugh. See you there!
Connection & Mobility Lab – VAYU® and Gyro®
9am – 11.30am – Tutor Ana Prada
Improver Up
VAYU® is a great reset practice for mind and body for Aerial dance practitioners.
In this 2.5-hour workshop we will work with the idea that arms and legs emerge out of our midline, focusing on the spine and spiral movement. We will work with the concept of tri-dimensional body and opposition waking up sensation to give the body information in an active somatic way. Working with two amazing systems that truly complete each other, Gyrokinesis® and VAYU®.
We will mobilize the body, unlock breathing, bring mobility to our upper body, ribcage, diaphragm area, connection to our legs and access the deep core muscles. No experience necessary, just an open mind.
VAYU® Aerial Yoga Warmup
11.45am – 12.45pm – Tutor Lee Clayden
An aerial yoga practice created by Ana Prada, the focus of this class will be to open and connect the body slowly and becoming aware of the breath. The VAYU practice takes the body to a much deeper level. Using the support of the swing we are able to challenge the body moving through various postures, as well as allowing the nervous system to relax, encouraging a letting go into complete surrender Preparing and re-setting the body in a supported, intelligent manner.
Contortion and Flex with Carolyn Ailsa
10.15am – 12.45pm – Atrium, Space A
All Levels with prerequisites
An introductory workshop with a focus on building strength, stability and body awareness, suitable both for those new to contortion as well as those looking to further develop their skills. In this 2.5 hour workshop we will explore splits, backbends and contortion tricks such as forearm balances, chest stands and donut. Carolyn is very open to requests and will respond to the groups’ needs.
Prerequisites include:
It is recommended that attendees have some flexibility training experience but not necessarily contortion.
- Bridge – this does not need to be perfect by any means! But attendees must be comfortable pushing into a bridge on their own, this may be a bridge on the floor or against the wall.
- Splits – these do not need to be flat! But attendees must have some experience of training front and middle splits.
- If unsure please contact Carolyn (twistednymphperformer@gmail.com) who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Rope Lab with Gaia Santuccio
10.15am – 12.45pm – Space E, close to stage
Skilled/Advanced
Rope Manipulation – speaking knots
Pre-requisites:
It is essential to be able to invert and have a basic repertoire on the rope. Equally important is approaching the experience with an open mind and a passion for exploration, as we will discover alternative ways of moving with the apparatus and engage in a deeply personal, intimate choreographic journey.
In this session, Gaia will share a methodology she developed during her Master’s studies at DOCH (now SKH) in Sweden. We will engage in a series of task-based improvisational exercises designed to create focused spaces for exploration, allowing practitioners to experiment freely with the aerial apparatus.
The core of this exploration is to learn the “language of knots,” where each knot represents a potential new pathway. The goal is to encourage participants to make conscious choices, think deeply through movement, and remain fully present in the moment. This process is designed to enhance adaptive skills and deepen our technical understanding.
Throughout this intensive, Gaia will share both her creative exercises and elements of her own repertoire, giving participants insight into the tools and techniques she has discovered through years of research.
Vertical Dance Lab with Magalie Lanriot
10.15am – 12.45pm – Space B
Intermediate Up
This Lab aims to develop dancers’ awareness of their own bodies and their relationship to different surfaces, interchanging and exchanging between the floor and the wall and exploring the sense of depth and orientation, alongside disorientation.
It also offers an opportunity to research new impetus for movement between body, rope, and harness, as we consider gravity, space, distance and time through the falling body.
Bungee Harness Lab with Chrissie Ardill
10.15am – 12.45pm – Space C, Centre close to exit
Improver Up
Very fun and very physical, bungee dance harness allows you to create movements that would be otherwise impossible: jumping, falling and recovering to our feet on the ground in seemingly magical ways. The strands of bungee give us back force proportional to the distance we stretch it to lift us higher in jumps and pull us back to standing.
In this lab you will explore the possibilities bungee dance gives and learn a dance sequence to add to your own movement discoveries.
Hoop Lab with Iliana
10.15am – 12.45pm – Space F
Intermediate Up
In this lab we will work on improvisation through movements on the hoop, searching for new ways and sensations in the air. We will work on leaving the floor to getting up in the air and aim to write a sequence (maybe an act) together so you go home with a piece of material to continue working with!!
Pre- requisites: A good knowledge of most simple positions and to be comfortable with transferring between them. A basic knowledge of dynamic movement isn’t essential but is recommended.
Cyr Wheel Lab with Beverley Grant
1pm – 3.30pm – Space A, Atrium
All Levels
This longer cyr wheel session is suitable for everyone. For those who are new to Cyr wheel there will be a quick introduction to manipulations, playing games before working together creatively to make our own group sequences. For those who are more experienced we will delve deeper into joining sequences in more interesting ways, looking at creative entries and exits from the wheel and making short sequences.
Fabric Lab with Ana Prada
1pm – 3.30pm – Space C, Centre close to exit
Intermediate Up
In this lab we will use the fabric as a partner to play with the idea of ‘Hanging with awareness’, becoming aware of our sensations (somatic awareness), whilst moving in the air.
We’ll warm-up connecting the mobility of our spine, working with concepts of tri-dimensional body,opposition, spirals and tensegrity. We’ll use simple sequences to become aware of the breath and the pleasure of the dance, tapping into organic patterns of movement, expanding the vertical space in the horizontal plane to find aerial roots like an orchid flower.
Pre-requisites: You should be able to hold your weight in your arms and invert with ease.
Counterweight Lab with Chantal McCormick & Pepe
1pm – 3.30pm – Space D, Free-Standing Rig
Intermediate Up
Counterweight flying and dance using side pick-up harnesses.
This lab is suitable for anyone who attended the Explorers and up class from Tues – Sat or has previous side pick experience.
This is a really fun fast-moving class. We will recap some technique to ensure everyone is on the same page before moving on to learn some rep. Although in this lab we won’t be learning the role of the counter-weighter, flyers will still get to be lifted and experience the joys of that.
Towards the end of the lab we’ll move into more creative play to find your own dance as a flyer.
Please wear multiple snug layers around your hips, waist and thighs for your comfort and bring crystallised ginger for the non-spinners among us!
Trapeze Lab with Laila Umeko
3.45pm – 6.15pm – Space D, Free-Standing Rig
Intermediate Up
This lab is for aerialists who are already comfortable in the air, preferably on a trapeze, though experience on other aerial apparatuses is also welcome. We’re going to spend this class working on sequences, spins and spicy transitions. Expect exciting new shapes, spiralling pathways that end in unexpected places and perhaps even a split or two for those in the mood for a little bending.
We’ll use the material I share with you as a base for developing your own style in the air. I love discovering new ways of moving in, on & around my trapeze… I hope to inspire you to do the same. The
possibilities are endless! Let’s make some magic!
Don’t forget to bring a few extra layers to protect your skin (especially waist, armpits & elbows)
NOTE: Come early to get your own warmup started.
Stretch/Massage with Magalie Lanriot
3.45pm – 6.15pm – Space A, Atrium
All Levels
Counterweight flying and dance using side pick-up harnesses.
This lab is suitable for anyone who attended the Explorers and up class from Tues – Sat or has previous side pick experience.
This is a really fun fast-moving class. We will recap some technique to ensure everyone is on the same page before moving on to learn some rep. Although in this lab we won’t be learning the role of the counter-weighter, flyers will still get to be lifted and experience the joys of that.
Towards the end of the lab we’ll move into more creative play to find your own dance as a flyer.
Please wear multiple snug layers around your hips, waist and thighs for your comfort and bring crystallised ginger for the non-spinners among us!
Last Updated on March 29, 2025