AerialDancing.com

Behind the Scenes with Jenn Bruyer

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Jenn Bruyer as a guest artist this past month. She taught local workshops and performed in our local show (that was broadcast on Facebook live– hopefully you got to see it!), but the real work was done when she got behind the camera for 10 grueling hours of filming. She was the first guest artist to cover three apparatuses! We took photos and video of her on fabric, sling and trapeze. These videos are now in the editing queue and will hit the video library as soon as we get them done. We hope that you can get to know the artist behind the camera as we did. She’s a joy to be around. 🙂

Before you found aerial arts, who were you? How did the discovery change your life path?

Before I found aerial arts, I was primarily a rock climber. But, more to the point, I was someone to pushed my own personal limits with my chosen activities until I burned out and moved on… over ten years later… I’m still loving every minute of my air time in this circus life. Finding aerial changed my life in every imaginable way. It’s my work, my life and my love. It gives me a venue for creative expression and also satisfies my need for physicality… the two things my body and brain crave most.

What are your pre-performance habits/routines? How do you get “in the zone”?

I usually don’t do much… unless you consider the incredible amount of prep work that goes into creating something that you really feel is ready to present. Other than that… I tend to just show up and try to be the best version of myself I can be that day.

What motivates you to train? When do you feel the most creative?

I’m motivated by the need to solve problems and answer the question: what’s next!?!

What skill is your nemesis?

Trapeze – Pull over to ankles. I mean, what’s wrong with my butt?!?

What is your favorite trait to discover in a new student?

The willingness to accept change.

Below is the trapeze piece that she debuted while she was here at our Born to Fly Curriculum headquarters. The following quote sums up the intent behind the dance:

“One day, whether you are 14, 28 or 65,

you will stumble upon someone who will start a fire in you that cannot die.

However, the saddest, most awful truth you will ever come to find––

is they are not always with whom we spend our lives.”

― Beau Taplin

And below is an example of one the videos that just got released in our video library from Jenn. This combination puts together moves from our Born to Fly Sling Curriculum. She has given us lots of new sling things to inspire and explore!

Look for more fun things from Jenn in the months to come in our video library!

Jenn is driven by her focus on fabric and sling (hammock) but also enjoys exploring cord lisse, cloud swing, trapeze, lyra, net and rope & harness. She has coached, choreographed and performed across the US from New York to Alaska. And has recently resettled in Seattle, WA after completing a 5 month 25 city workshop teaching tour, which you may have met her on! You can learn more about on her website: heelhang.com

Our Trapeze Adventure Begins with Single-Point Dance Trapeze at Canopy Studio

Here at AerialDancing.com, we are starting a new chapter of aerial dancing by studying the trapeze. More specifically, we are starting with the single-point trapeze because it is more closely tied to dance, an aspect that we love to include with our aerial. Look for tons of videos (already a huge batch just released!) in our video library over the coming months.

If you are going to study single-point dance trapeze, there is no better place to do it than Canopy. Canopy Studio was founded by Susan Murphy in 2002. Canopy has a rich history as being one of the very first, brave studios in the country to focus on aerial with a recreational, dance approach. Single-point trapeze is not known as a traditional circus apparatus, and this helped the Canopy community to establish itself on the map as a way to approach circus movement from a brand new perspective. Continue reading “Our Trapeze Adventure Begins with Single-Point Dance Trapeze at Canopy Studio”

How the Magic Back Hammock Came to Be

I love creating new moves. Typically, I create moves through systematic logic and by categorizing, exhausting all combinations and possibilities. (When people come to study aerial with me, this is what they come for.) But sometimes, moves just happen upon you out of happenstance. I have heard many serendipitous stories from aerialists about how they came across this move or that move. Well, today, you get to hear how I caught my own lucky unicorn of a move, with the help of Allie Cooper.

As you probably already know, I have been documenting aerial rope (corde lisse) moves with the help of Rain Anya and Allie Cooper. When Allie flew out from California to South Carolina (where I used to live) to help me film some moves for the Aerial Rope Manual, I was pregnant. Please don’t think of me as forever pregnant. At present, my son is a walkin’ talkin’ toddler, and Allie is the one who has a big fat belly if you can believe it! She is actually due this month – June 2016! So, as you watch this video, pretend Allie is preggo and I’m the skinny one.

I have been slowly working my way through the hundreds of rope videos that I filmed with Allie Cooper and Rain Anya. I have finally arrived at the back hammock series, which has just been released into the video library. Among the series is a brand new move, which was created completely by accident. Listen to the interview to hear the story.

As you listen to the interview, see if you can tell the difference between these two pictures:

Hint: The picture on the left above is the traditional back hammock. The picture on the right is the magic back hammock (as dubbed by Allie Cooper and myself).

For those of you with a paying membership, you can view the full video of the magic back hammock by going to the video library. Go to the rope category and scroll to the bottom of the page. (You’ll be scrolling a while. We have over 125 rope videos now!!!!)

Enjoy!

In the comments below – Feel free to share your crazy story of the cool move you made up and how you stumbled across it.