SILKS
My silks classes are mixed ability, with a separate class for intermediates – so whether you've never left the ground or you're working on your drops, there's a class for you. The groups are a happy, friendly bunch and always delighted to welcome someone new. Come and give it a go in West Dorset.
Classes are held just outside Beaminster in West Dorset.
They're small – typically no more than 9 people – and must be booked in advance.
MIXED ABILITY
Every class begins with a warm-up that includes conditioning specific to aerial work. These exercises can be demanding in themselves, and they build the strength you need for stamina on the silks. You'll learn how to climb in a variety of ways, and how to do foot-locks, hip-locks, inversions and catcher's wraps. As these skills become familiar, we move quickly on to more intricate wraps, locks and drops.
INTERMEDIATE
The warm-up takes stretching and conditioning further, focusing more on stamina and core strength. You'll learn to play with your skills, working on more inventive climbs and how to flow from one move into the next. Drops become more involved and dynamic. We work on saltos, hip key spins and double foot-lock configurations, and start developing routines and more of a personal style.
ONE - 2 - ONES
One-to-one classes are tailored to you and what you hope to achieve. You can book half-hour or one-hour slots depending on your level of aerial fitness – or share a class with one or two others to allow proper rest between turns. One-to-ones typically focus on sequences, often set to music, along with drops and more intense, focused conditioning.
HOW CLASSES WORK
WHERE AND WHEN
Classes are held in my bespoke aerial studio which has multiple rig points and a drop of 6 metres. The studio is at Wantsley Farm, a mile outside Beaminster in West Dorset, with plenty of off street parking.
Days and times will show in the booking forms.
WHO IT'S FOR
My classes are mixed ability, plus an intermediates class, so simply select the option that best fits you. One-to-one sessions are available on request.
My students range from 7 to 65, so we've got you covered. Classes have a maximum of 9 students.
BOOKING
To book classes simply click BOOK A CLASS in the class you want to book, or ENQUIRY if there is no Booking button.
ABOUT AERIAL SILKS
Aerial silks (sometimes called aerial fabric or tissu, French for fabric) is one of the newest arts in the circus. It grew out of traditional rope work in French circus schools, where performers swapped the rope for two long lengths of soft, stretchy fabric hung from above, and it was Cirque du Soleil's shows in the 1990s that carried it around the world. Today you'll see it everywhere from big-top spectaculars to festival fields, and more and more people take it up simply for the joy of it. Climbing, wrapping, hanging upside down and dropping through the fabric builds real strength, flexibility and confidence, and it's a lot more fun than the gym. Anyone can start: my aerial silks classes in West Dorset welcome complete beginners, and we also teach rope and straps.