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The Indiana Daily Student

arts

Aerial silks dance class teaches IU students techniques like gripping, wrapping

AERIAL DANCE

Every Tuesday night, 14 students meet at the Lee Norvelle Theater and Drama Center for their aerial silk dance class, the first of its kind at IU. They spin, climb, grip and flip upside down on the billowing purple silks.  

Once a week, THTR-D 483: Topics In Dance covers basic aerial silk techniques such as safety, gripping, standing, wrapping and eventually, adding in dance elements. Dancers work with silks and slings, which are large silk loops. 

Strength, movement and elegance are all part of the new class, senior Marina Bradley said. 

“Silks are such a circus-y thing, something you never thought you’d be able to do, so it’s whimsical and fun, although it’s very difficult,” Bradley said. “It’s really cool to see what people can do.” 


Bradley, a dance major, first heard about the class through associate professor Liz Shea, who is the director of contemporary dance. Shea said implementing the class into IU’s curriculum has been in the works for about a year. 

“This is a skill that’s becoming a little bit more prevalent in the world of contemporary dance,” Shea said. “We thought it would be a really important skill for some of our dancers to have.” 

Juliana Burrell, adjunct professor, has taught silks for 25 years. Her goal for the class is to awaken creativity, passion and a love for learning in a safe way, she said. 

“Aerials is a very amazing avenue to explore your fears, your strength, your abilities to set goals and reach them,” Burrell said. “The feeling you have when you reach goals is amazing, and before you know it, you’re setting new goals.”

Bradley said the class structure is unlike her traditional dance classes due to the large amount of time to explore. 

The class begins with warm ups, consisting of basic stretches and yoga poses. Then, after watching a demonstration, the 14 students split into groups of two or three. For the majority of the class period they get the chance to explore, try new moves and focus on progressing their aerial skills. 

AERIAL DANCE
Adjunct professor Juliana Burrell helps senior Meredith Johnson perfect a move Jan. 22 in the Lee Norvelle Theater. Burrell teaches a course called Aerial Silks Techniques. Alex Deryn

“It’s been really fun when you get a basic skill, and then you’re allowed a little freedom to play with it and try out, putting you own spin on things, and also just looking around and seeing what your friends are capable of,” Bradley said. 

Currently, the class is only open to dance majors. However, Shea said they hope to open up the class to other theater majors in the future. 

The skills learned in the class will make dance majors more well-rounded, as aerial silks are now incorporated into the world of modern dance, Burrell said. 

“This is probably something that’s pretty unique to dance programs,” Shea said. “It puts us on the map in a very special way.”

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