Intro to Silks for Youth
Monday, September 28th 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Kids bouncing off the walls and longing for social interaction? Turn all that energy on its head in Aerial Silks classes at Mt Shadows Aerial Silks.
Aerial silks is a stunning "dance" where performers use suspended fabric to climb, twist, pose, and drop in an art form that builds incredible strength and coordination. Springs Dance West (Garden of the Gods/Centennial Location) is pleased to be home to Mountain Shadows Aerial Silks, a progressive program for adults, teens, and kids.
Your little "circus performer" will build strength, flexibility, and incredible body awareness in a program that also supports positive body-image and self esteem. Our silks students learn to love their body for what it can "DO" not just for what it looks like.
To meet the high demand for these popular classes, we've recently added an additional sections for youth students. Join us Monday, September 28th at 3:00 p.m. for an Intro to Silks. In this fun intro class you'll learn simple poses, how to climb, and how to use the silks in conditioning exercises designed to build the strength and flexibility for more advanced movements. Wear comfortable, form-fitting clothing, and plan on practicing barefoot. No previous circus, silks, or acrobatics experience required. The cost for the class is $19.99 and preregistration is required.
Due to social distancing, the class size is extremely limited. Request a spot today by filling out the form below. Please note that aerial silks classes are offered at the Springs Dance West location only.
Our efforts to keep students safe during Covid-19 include sanitation of silks before each class and frequent laundering of the fabrics. During class, your student may share a silk with one other student in a "mini" training pod. All students will be asked keep a safe social distance during class and in the studio. Students ages 11 and up will be required to wear a mask when not actively in the silks
Youth Level 1 Student
Your Aerial Silks INtro
What to expect and how to get ready
We're thrilled that you're ready to try aerial silks! In the intro class you'll get into the fabrics to learn more about this amazing circus art. You'll learn simple poses, how to climb, and even how we use the silks in conditioning exercises designed to build the strength and flexibility required for more advanced movements.
Before Class...
Wear comfortable, form fitting clothing that covers the midriff and the knees (t-shirt or tank top and leggings are a great choice.) You will be barefoot. Avoid using heavy lotions on your hands and feet prior to class. Remove any large earrings, rings, or bracelets that could tear or get tangled in the fabrics.
Be on time! Do yourself a favor and arrive a few minutes early. We begin class with an important warm up that gets your body ready. Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late will be asked to reschedule their class.
Can I do this?...
The short answer is YES! We'll tell you the truth: silks is hard. For many of our students, it's the most challenging strength building workout they've ever done. It's also the most fun they've ever had building strength and flexibility.
Bring any previous experience you have and a great attitude. There are many movements that you won't be able to do at first - don't worry! We have never seen a student who was willing to keep at it fail to learn to do silks.
Am I too old? No! We have adult students from 16 to 65.
What next? Are there more classes available?
Yes! Mountain Shadows Aerial silks is proud to have Colorado Springs' largest progressive aerial silks program for ongoing students.
New students begin in a Level 1 program and work through a 6 -month curriculum that builds basic skill and the strength required for advancement to Level 2. Classes meet twice a week. Most new students can expect to advance to Level 2 in 4 to 6 months, depending on their attendance and work in class.
With consistent practice and hard work, students advance to Level 3 for even more challenging movements and performance opportunities.
Do you offer drop-in classes?
Many aerial studios offer drop-in classes, but at Mountain Shadows Aerial Silks, we don't believe drop-ins best serve our students. Building the strength and developing the appropriate technique to learn aerial silks safely and successfully requires regular practice. We require all ongoing students to train at least twice a week. We even offer additional open gym times for free for current students to do additional practice on their own schedule.
Drop-in students tend to slow down the progress of the existing class and require the instructor and other students to back track while the drop-in student is "catching up." Because we ask for a little more commitment from our students, our students progress more quickly and build good technique faster.
Performance Opportunities
As a new student you may not be even thinking about performing just yet - but once you develop basic skills, preparing for a showcase can really focus your training and be an exciting, confidence-building experience.
Level 2 and 3 students have opportunities to perform routines for each other with family and friends as guests at our annual student showcase.
We are so proud of our students when they get to the level to begin performing as aerialists!