Hi Aerial Families!
We are nearing the end of the school year, and many families will be going on vacation this summer. To help keep scheduling smooth and effective, please inform me of any dates you or your child(ren) will not be attending class. This allows us to consolidate classes when needed, move students around appropriately, and open spots for students needing make-up classes. The sooner you let us know your schedule, the sooner we can help others — and vice versa.
A newsletter was sent out at the beginning of the season with important dates that needed to be marked on your calendars. If you misplaced the newsletter or forgot the information, everything you need to know can be found on our website under the Student & Parent Information section of ferreeaerialsilks.com.
Our next Showcase will be in the Fall, and again, all dates and times are listed on the website, so please be sure to mark your calendars.
Everyone is doing amazing so far! We will officially begin routine work on July 5th, which gives us approximately 6 weeks before showcase season preparation becomes fully underway.
Because routine development takes time, I want to remind everyone to begin choosing songs for student routines now. Songs must be 3 minutes and 30 seconds or less. Beginner students are encouraged to stay closer to 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Please choose appropriate songs with clean lyrics that are also age appropriate. Songs must be approved before being added to our playlist. We use YouTube Premium so please choose songs off YouTube platform only.
During this time, we will focus heavily on:
• Creating sequences and transitions
• Building endurance and stamina
• Learning how to move and dance to music
• Improving creativity and performance quality
While routine building becomes a major focus, we will continue practicing and reviewing the skills in our curriculum. New skills are only introduced once previous and current skills are strong with good technique, form, consistency, and once routines are mapped out appropriately.
Each class, students will be required to complete two run-throughs of their songs. We will begin with improvisation exercises and build from there. This is when I highly encourage students to start recording their run-throughs and playing them back to visually critique movement quality, timing, musicality, transitions, skills, and overall performance. This is an extremely effective learning tool that greatly improves a student’s understanding and visual awareness while performing.
Students will begin exploring different sequences, transitions, movement styles, and musical interpretations. They will test variations, improvise to music, and learn how to blend dance and aerial arts together creatively.
Often, it takes several weeks for students to fully lock in a song choice, and many students change songs multiple times while experimenting with different styles and ideas. Because of this, it is important to have a couple of song options selected by July 5th.
This is the time where students begin applying everything they have learned and worked on over the past several months into full aerial routines. It truly takes every bit of 3 months to prepare routines and get students showcase-ready.
Showcase participation will give the best overall progress, motivation, confidence, and performance experience, bringing families together for an unforgettable event! Team photos and group pictures are still mandatory for all students.
Our program is intentionally structured around:
• 3 months of learning and developing skills
• 3 months of applying those skills through sequences, transitions, creativity, and routine work
This program is designed to teach ordinary people how to create extraordinary movement in the air while continuing to build endurance, stamina, strength, confidence, artistry, and creativity.
Thank you all for your continued support! We are excited for another amazing showcase season ahead.
-Arisa Ferree