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In an empty warehouse in Northeast Portland, half a dozen young women have agreed to suspend themselves from 25 feet of polyester. The instructor of this "Fly" aerial arts class at A-WOL's industrial space has barely finished her lesson before one of her students starts to scale the stream of two-ply fabric hanging from the ceiling, as if it's a rope in gym class. Once the 20-year-old aspiring aerialist makes it about halfway up, she splits the two streamers with her feet and wraps her legs around the fabric -- called "silks" even though they're synthetic -- creating spiraling casts around her shins. She then bends forward, which loosens the slack and sends her plummeting several feet down, where she hangs upside down from her knees.
Do not be mistaken: It takes practice, precision and a lot of upper body strength to look this graceful.For several months, A-WOL has been holding aerial classes like these -- which also...