Choreograph a Super-Star Aerial Piece in 5 Easy Steps

Well, perhaps that’s simplifying it a bit, but it doesn’t have to be a torturous twelve year process, either! With all the Halloween shows and student showcases coming up in NYC, I’ve been hearing a lot of, “I really want to put together a piece, but I have no idea where to begin”. Fret not, Dear Dangers, help is on the way!

5 Steps to a (Potentially) Damned Good Piece

1. Give yourself enough time to pull together a piece you can really be proud of! Two weeks before the show is NOT the time to start putting ideas together and frantically gluing rhinestones to an old leotard. If it’s a last minute kind of thing, do you have a tried and true sequence or piece you could trot out and tart up?
2. Decide on a theme, scenario, or feeling for the piece. Is it seasonal? Fluffy? Dramatic and expressive? Who is your audience? The more specific you can get with it, the more inventive and creative you will be forced to be. Yes, you CAN do a piece who’s only goal is to highlight your amazing splits and ballerina toes, but wouldn’t it be more interesting to be an alien who got gummed up in her own space goo? Or an aerialist who’s partner has just keeled over (see below)? If you’re a bit hemmed in by having to create a corporate piece, just keep in mind that, while they may not want a space-goo-ed alien, that same sense of creativity and specificity still applies (just temper it for your client/audience as needed).
3. Make a list of your current favorite moves or bits you want to force yourself to work on. This is a GREAT way to corner yourself into tackling tricks you’ve been avoiding, while showcasing your particular brand of fabulousness!
4. Arrange the segments in a logical order so you don’t make like a demented bumble bee and kill yourself with unnecessary transitions. Try to make sure you’re including a reasonable amount of variety (above/below/on the bar, fabric open/closed, extended/contracted, you get the picture).
5. Work creatively to add transitions that are deliberate, seamless, and really add to the character you’re portraying or to the theme of the piece. Please (PLEASE) resist the urge to “noodle” (randomly wave your arms and legs around) – even if it’s pretty, it gets old so fast. This is your chance to really have some fun and express yourself! Don’t be afraid to really work outside the box here – you can always pull it back.

TRAINING TIP: to figure out where you’re most likely to blank on choreography, mark the piece on the ground as fast as you can; this prevents you from thinking ahead, and shows you where the spacey bits are.

Putting it All Together

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An Artist’s Work is Never Done – Or is It?

Takin’ it back to the studio!

Hello Dear Danglers! I found the blog post below while zooming around the interwebs the other day, and thought I’d share it with you! The author, Michael Roberts, has a great site called Revive Your Creativity dedicated to helping artists get organized and “get the work done” – you can check it out here (because seriously – you need to get the work done).

As a aerialist, I have a full repertoire of performance-ready pieces, but every single one of them has gone “back to the shop for repairs” as my skills grow, my strength improves, or my artistic vision for the act changes. Ever gone back to a piece or watched video and had a giant “oh-sweet-heavens-what-was-I-thinking-face-palm-moment”? Yep – me too. As circus artists, we are in the unique position of working in what I call a “fluid medium”, meaning that many of our creations can be considered both complete (performance ready) and never finished at the same time – how awesome is that?

I really like what Michael says about our art needing an audience, what it means for our piece when we can’t find one (back to the drawing board!), and letting go of the fear of the criticism of our work. Remember: no one ever died because Jane the Circus Critic said their work was le poo and their feet were sickled. Tell Jane to go jump in the lake, take a good long look at your act, and (for the love of God!!!) fix those feet. Have a read – hope you like it! Love and pull-ups, Laura

Seeking Validation as Artists

by Michael Roberts, Revive Your Creativity (used with permission)

How do you decide when you should feel good about your art? How do you decide when something is “good enough”? How do you know when an artistic project is actually done?

These are some of the questions that haunt artists. I’ve heard plenty of stories of artists who could never be happy with the work they produced. If they keep fidgeting with the work, then perhaps they will suddenly achieve some sort of perfection – even though true perfection isn’t even possible.

But why do we give in to this sort of indulgent behavior? Why do we go back for the twenty-fourth revision?

The Excuse of “In Progress”

As long as our work is “in progress”, then there is a plausible excuse for the flaws that are present. As long as the work isn’t completely finished, then we’ve given ourselves a chance to fix it. Just maybe we’ll avoid the harsh criticism of the audience. Even more importantly – maybe we’ll be able to catch the audience’s attention in the first place.

There are difficult truths we have to realize in these vulnerable stages.

We can’t be perfect. No matter how hard we try. No matter how many revisions. We just can’t do it.

We can’t improve by staying in a perpetual state of revision. Art needs an audience. If the art can’t find its audience, then that problem is telling to problems that may need to be fixed. If the art meets with just criticism, then the artist can find ways to improve for the next project.

People will always have issue with what you create. We can’t please everyone in any area of our lives. Why would a deeply personal expression like art be any different?

Accepting and Letting Go

To many artists, the toughest point of creation is letting go, of showing someone else the artwork for the first time. It’s terrifying. We put ourselves into our art, and then we readily release it to a world who may or may not appreciate it.

But, art is communication. Communication is rather inefficient if we keep it to ourselves.

There are artists who create only for themselves, but the work can’t grow. It can’t reach anyone if it isn’t shared.

If we can never overcome the fear of sharing and the fear of rejection, then we can never grow as artists.

Start small. Don’t show someone your biggest project that you’ve been working on for years. Show a quick project to someone and experience the emotions that come with the possibility of rejection. Then, build your way up.

We don’t have to throw ourselves into the worst situations so that we can somehow earn more merit by “suffering as artists”. Protect your heart. You’ll need it for all the beautiful works you’ve yet to create.

To read more cool stuff from Michael, head on over to http://reviveyourcreativity.com/.

As always, if you like this post, share it on your blog, the F-books, Twitter, and wherever else you crazy kids are sharing things these days.

Phony Tails, Spanx, and Glitter – Essential Pieces for Faux-Fabulous Performing

I write this to you from a gig, Dear Danglers, where I am minutes away from spackling on my makeup, squeezing myself into my Spanx, and gluing my lids together as I apply my lashes. Now, do you NEED all of this? Maybe, maybe not – depends on the show and your personal performing preferences. But, for today’s chat, let’s look at some of the things you may want to have in your bag-o-tricks for your average event.

• Phony-tail . Does your hair explode into a glorious Brillo pad at the first sign of humidity? Are your locks looking a hair limp (HA!)? Enter the phony-tail! Fake pony tails or hair pieces that fit over your bun & can take you from zero to glam in the time it takes you to stab yourself in the head with a few bobby pins. Worth a look if your hair needs help or if you just don’t want to deal with it. Also? Hairspray – it can double as rosin in a pinch.
• A wide assortment of flesh-colored seamless undergarments. Thongs, body shapers if that’s your jam, over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders, tights, etc.
• Makeup! We use Ben Nye color wheels a lot, as well as cheap red lipstick (is there any other kind?), false lashes, GLITTER GLITTER GLITTER, black eyeliner, and loose translucent powder to adhere the whole mess to your face. Don’t forget the baby wipes to take it all off.
• An emergency bag with thread and needles (black, your nude, & white), Band-Aids, small scissors, bobby pins, Nu-Skin liquid bandage, safety pins, duct tape, ibuprofen, etc.
• A good bodice-ripper (trashy novel), magazine, or other reading material that doesn’t require too much concentration.
• Neat, clean warm up clothes in black – those ballrooms get CHILLY. Bonus if they look polished and pulled together, since you may need to wear them in front of the audience or party-goers at some point.
• Snacks and Red Bull water – you never know what you’ll get at these things.

That’s a good starting place, and you’ll add things to the list as you get a few seasons of performing under your belt. Pros – what have you found to be really helpful in going from zero to fabulous? Is there anything you can’t do a show without? Leave your answers in the comments! Love and pull-ups, Laura

 As always, if you liked this post, share it on the F Books, Twitter, your blog, and wherever else you crazy kids are sharing things these days!