AERIAL SILKS TRAINING BY SARAH MCLAUGHLIN PRESENTATION OUTLINE

AERIAL SILKS TRAINING BY: SARAH MCLAUGHLIN

PRESENTATION OUTLINE • • • Why Silks? Research Paper Physical Project Final Product What I’ve Learned Successes Challenges Mentor Reflection Conclusion Questions?

WHY SILKS? • I spent the majority of my childhood in a gymnastics gym. I trained for around sixteen hours each week, and stayed at the gym for fun for countless hours. As I looked around the gym as a child, one thing always caught my eye: aerial arts. It always amazed me how someone could wrap their entire body into hanging silks and move so gracefully. Now, being older, I decided to give it a try, and it was truly a life-changing experience. I met an amazing mentor with both athletic and worldly experience and really discovered a new, better part of myself.

RESEARCH PAPER • Thesis: Aerial silks is a rewarding challenge because it offers many health benefits, knowledge of equipment and safety, and experience in choreography. • Aerial silks is a form of partner dancing, except instead of another person, the other partner is the silks (Aumiller, Renay). • Aerial silks has many different names and approaches.

PHYSICAL PROJECT First 3 Hours • Warm-Up • Stretching • Conditioning • Single Foot-Lock • Dragonfly • Upside Down Arabesque • Single Foot-Lock Twirl Up

PHYSICAL PROJECT Hours 4 -6 • Warm-Up • Stretching • Conditioning • Review • Double Foot-Lock • Rest Pose • Split/Split Rollup • Straddle Back

PHYSICAL PROJECT Hours 7 -9 • Warm-Up • Stretching • Conditioning • Review • Knee-Drop • And a Solo Practice!

PHYSICAL PROJECT Hours 10 -16 • Warm-Up • Stretching • Conditioning • Review, Review • Learning My Routine • Recording!

FINAL PRODUCT • My Silks Performance

EXTRA HOURS Hours 17 -18 • Pagoda Pop • Second Straddle Back Method • Marionette Sequence

WHAT I’VE LEARNED THROUGH THE PROCESS • 17 Skills • Dedication is key • Hard work pays off • Don’t quit, even when you feel discouraged • Branch out, try new things

SUCCESSES • Learning a three minute routine • Developing strength and confidence • Learning seventeen skills • Finding a new hobby • Pushing myself to healthy limits • Going further than I ever thought I would

CHALLENGES What changed? • Having to switch around choreography after learning it What was unexpected? • Unexpected knee injury, which was a major set back What would you do differently? • Nothing, I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

MENTOR REFLECTION • Cassie Drew, Circus Performer from Boulder, CO • 10 Years of Experience • Former Competitive and College Gymnast • Travelled the world with Fractal Tribe Circus • Full-Time Coach • Also Teaches: • Partner Acrobatics • Tumbling • • Aerial Acrobatics • Strength • Gymnastics • Flexibility • Performance Choreography Hand Balancing

CONCLUSION What does the future hold for you and this subject? I am going to continue practicing aerial silks for 1 -3 hours each week and hopefully start performing with my mentor/teacher Future job? Future hobby? Did you learn you did not like what you thought you would like? I am actually beginning to teach both aerial conditioning and beginner skills for aerial silks at the gymnastics gym I work at, alongside my mentor. I absolutely loved every minute of learning aerial silks.

QUESTIONS? AERIAL SILKS TRAINING • By: Sarah Mc. Laughlin