What is Aerial Dance? What kind of aerial dance do we do at Studio 12 flys?

Aerial modern dance was first recognized in the United States in the 1970s. The choreography incorporates an apparatus often attached to the ceiling, allowing performers to explore space in three-dimensions. Aerial modern pieces, whether solo or ensemble, often involve partnering. The apparatus used has its own motion, which changes the way a dancer moves in response.

Terry Sendgraff, is credited with inventing the "motivity" trapeze. Terry Sendgraff  performed, choreographed and taught in the San Francisco Bay Area from the early '70s until announcing her retirement in 2005, at the age of 70. The motivity trapeze came about as a result of an exploration on a low-hung circus trapeze. The ropes twisted together, causing the apparatus to spin. By formalizing this, hooking both ropes to a single point of attachment, Ms. Sendgraff used the apparatus to spin, twist and fly in a straight line and in a circle.

Cherie Carson took over her business in 2005 and continues to teach Aerial Dance at STUDIO 12 in Berkeley offering classes for kids ages 7 and up as well as adult classes in aerial improvisation and choreography. Terry has continued to be a guest teacher offering a yearly master class at the studio.

I believe that the aerial dance form came out of the "new experimentalists"-choreographers who emerged in the 60's and 70's.  Their performances tended to be improvised, or to consist of movements drawn from daily life, put together in casual or unstructured ways.  This new kind of human expression, anti-dance approach, challenged the traditional modern approach, seeking the "new" rather than replaying of old tunes.

EX) Anna Halprin, Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane Co., Streb Ringside

There is definitely a wave of new work developing that explores dance and theatre (combined into what is sometimes called physical dance other times called movement theatre) or dance and other physical art forms such as trapeze, bungee, stilt dancing or site specific dance (An event created for a particular place. There are also ‘site-appropriate’ and ‘site adaptive’ performances as we get into the finer nuances of the work.)

Everything that we do at Studio 12 flys is rigged as a "single-point" apparatus...such as the Motivity trapezes, rope & harness, fabric sling, hoop, inversion swing etc.  The equipment is rigged directly attached to a fixed "point".

We do not consider our style of aerial work "circus" based. We incorporate improvisation, choreography, dance and theater along with the physicality of performing on and off the aerial equipment.

It is fun!