Grand
River
Rocks
KITCHENER
Aerial Silks
Instructor: Erika Lui | contact: www.erikalui.com/contact
Aerial silks is a captivating and physically demanding performance art which uses friction achieved through positioning and wrapping the body along two fabric strands suspended from a height. An aerialist can create acrobatic and dance-like movements in the air by climbing, wrapping, descending and dropping through the fabric’s vertical space.
In order to learn this enthralling art form, we are offering a range of class levels designed for absolute beginners to advanced students. Our aerial curriculum at each level is progressive, in that skills and technique is taught through a series of increasingly demanding drills and sequences designed to challenge students’ strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, technique and creative thinking. Students can progress to the next level of classes at their own pace, once they feel confident in their abilities to consistently and safely perform the necessary prerequisite skills.
LEVEL 1: Introduction to Aerial Silks class series (6-week course)
This entry-level aerial silks course is geared towards adult students (age 16+) who are brand new to the aerial arts and/ or are in need of a more detailed overview of terminology, basic wraps, techniques, drills and practices needed to build up the strength and understanding to safely practice the foundational aerial silks moves. In this course, students will learn basic technique for entry-level climbs, footwraps, upright and supported inverted poses, and entry-level sequences, and get a basic introduction to hip key/hip locks and inverted hangs.
PREREQUISITES: NO prerequisite abilities needed! This is an entry-level course.
Max 6 students per class, min 2 students to run.
$180+tax per 6-week course
LEVEL 2: Beginner Aerial Silks class series (6-week course)
This beginner level course is designed for adult students (age 16+) who have taken at least one session of the Intro course, or have equivalent knowledge, and feel comfortable with a less hands-on approach to reviewing terminology and drills. At this level, students are familiar with identifying and understanding what the foundational skills are, but are still working towards building the strength and technique needed to consistently perform foundational level skills such as safely and confidently climbing, wrapping footlocks in the air, and inverting off the ground. Much of the foundational content from the absolute beginner course will be reviewed and expanded upon with more challenging sequences that build the endurance and coordination needed to progress to many of the compound skills explored in the intermediate course.
PREREQUISITES: must have completed at least one series of the Intro course, or have an equivalent level of training. Must have basic understanding of beginner terminology, be familiar with wrapping a footlock from the ground, and be able to invert in a knot tied at hip height.
Max 8 students per class, min 2 students to run.
$180+tax per 6-week course
LEVEL #3: Intermediate Aerial Silks class series (6-week course)
This intermediate level course is designed for adult students (age 16+) who have confidently completed the beginner level course or equivalent training. In this level, students will explore more complex climbs, wraps and drops, that build upon the foundational skills and techniques developed in the beginner level. At this level, students are comfortable climbing to the top of the silks multiple times throughout the class, consistently wrapping footlocks in the air, and are able to perform hip keys and knee hooks in the air without major assistance. This class will explore more complex wraps and moves, new transitions and skill variations, and longer, more compounded sequences. We will work on expanding the repertoire of techniques and moves that come from various inverted knee hook and hip key positions, foot wraps and other tensioned wrapped positions, and directional drops.
PREREQUISITES: Strong understanding of foundational skills with ability to consistently climb to the top of the silks, and invert and hip key in the air without major assistance.
Max 8 students per class, min 2 students to run.
$180+tax per 6-week course
Open Practice
Open Practice Training times are non-instructional (but supervised) drop-in style training sessions for students to supplement course learning. If you have questions regarding your ability to join our Open Practices, you can reach out to your instructor at https://www.erikalui.com/contact
Open training times are supervised by the Instructor, but are non-instructional/ self-directed 2-hour training sessions for students to practice their aerial skills. Students are welcome (but not required, please take care of your bodies!) to come/stay for the full 2-hour training session. Registration will close 24 hours prior to the start of each Open Practice Training time slot. All students are expected to train responsibly: refrain from trying new skills seen on the internet or skills outside their comfort level, and from teaching other students. Students can use this open time to practice skills that they have been working on in class, or working on personal projects that are well within their physical limits.
PREREQUISITES: Only students who are currently registered, or students who have completed at least one series of classes (or equivalent training), may sign up for Open Practices.
Max 8 students per training session, min 2 students to run.
$20+HST per drop-in Open Practice Training session
registration will open 1 week in advance, and close 24 hours prior to class
Aerial Silks Drop-In Classes
Aerial drop-in classes are designed for students who are not able to consistently commit to a weekly aerial practice, but would still like to have an instructor-directed practice in a classroom setting. Drop-in classes are available for the beginner and intermediate levels. Unlike the class series that have continuous progression of skill learning with substantial review from one week to another, drop-in style classes will focus on one or two overarching move(s) or sequence in each class with less review of the prerequisite knowledge.
BEGINNER DROP-IN
The beginner level drop-in class is designed for adult students (age 16+) who have taken at least one session of the introductory course, or have equivalent knowledge, and feel comfortable with a less hands-on approach to reviewing terminology and drills from that course. At this level, students are familiar with identifying and understanding what the foundational skills are, but are still working towards building the strength and technique needed to consistently perform foundational level skills such as safely and confidently climbing, wrapping footlocks in the air, and inverting off the ground. Much of the foundational content from the introductory course will be reviewed and expanded upon with more challenging sequences that build the endurance and coordination needed to progress to many of the compound skills explored in the intermediate course.
PREREQUISITES: Must have completed at least one series of the introductory course, or have an equivalent level or training. Must have basic understanding of beginner terminology, be familiar with wrapping a footlock from the ground, and be able to invert in a knot tied at hip height.
Max 8 students per class, min 2 students to run.
$30+tax per drop-in class
registration will open 1 week in advance, and close 24 hours prior to class
BEGINNER / INTERMEDIATE MIX DROP-IN
The beginner-intermediate level drop-in class is a split-level class designed for adult students (age 16+) who have been training at the beginner level for some time, and are looking to take on more advanced drills and sequences than the typical beginner level, but are still working towards intermediate-level skills like being able to consistently and confidently invert and hipkey in the air without major assistance throughout class. Students at this level should be confidently able to climb and wrap a footlock in the air. At this level, students will be doing a significant review of beginner level skills, but through longer and more elaborate sequences that build their strength and confidence in the air.
PREREQUISITES: Must have completed at least one series of the beginner level course, or have an equivalent level of training. Must be familiar with basic climbs and wrapping footlocks in the air, and be able to perform a straddle invert and hipkey while starting on the ground, without major assistance.
Max 8 students per class, min 2 students to run.
$30+tax per drop-in class
registration will open 1 week in advance, and close 24 hours prior to class
INTERMEDIATE DROP-IN
This class is an intermediate-level class designed for adult students (age 16+) who feel confident moving on from the beginner level course or equivalent training. In this level, students will explore more complex climbs, wraps and drops, that build upon the foundational skills and techniques developed in the beginner level. At this level, students are comfortable climbing to the top of the silks multiple times throughout the class, consistently wrapping footlocks in the air, and are able to perform hip keys, inversions and knee hooks in the air without major assistance. This class will explore more complex wraps and moves, new transitions and skill variations, and longer, more compounded sequences. We will work on expanding the repertoire of techniques and moves that come from various inverted knee hook and hip key positions, foot wraps and other tensioned wrapped positions, and directional drops.
PREREQUISITES: Strong understanding of foundational skills with ability to consistently climb to the top of the silks, and invert and hip key in the air without major assistance.
Max 8 students per class, min 2 students to run.
$30+tax per drop-in class
registration will open 1 week in advance, and close 24 hours prior to class