What: Designed for the advanced student, this workshop guides advanced students through the development of new drops and new drop variations on fabric or rope. Body position is studied in detail to learn how it affects speed and quality of drops and how one knot/wrap can yield a variety of drop variations. Methods for creating and safely testing drops are presented while students are first tasked with developing their own variations on common drops, then advance to creating brand new drops that are uniquely theirs.

Who: Charlie Faraday is an acrobat currently in the Cirque du Soleil and Marvel Universe Live casting databases, won Best Artistic Performance at the 2012 Denver Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival, has performed for Disney, Quixotic, Emerald City Trapeze, Cirquetacular Entertainment, and Airealistic, and has been featured on AMC’s Showville, ABC7 Los Angeles, KCCI Des Moines, and The Des Moines Register and various commercials. She is the former head coach of the circus troupe Airealistic and routinely travels across the United States and Canada to teach workshops at other circus studios.  Her performances are influenced by modern, hip hop, and street dance and tell emotional stories and relish the beauty in ugly things.  She is also a very silly clown.

In addition to performing, Charlie weaves the circus arts together with her background as a former chemist and software developer to teach kids and young adults about the science and math that govern the world around them. Her presentations make math and science fun and drive home why students must go beyond merely understanding concepts and truly master the subject matter.

Required Materials: Notebook, pen/pencil
Optional Materials: Phone/other video-recording device, doll/figure and ribbon (several will be available).

Prerequisites: Knowledge of 5 + drops by memory (including double star), and instructor recommendation.  

Cost: $65 or Early bird special $60 when you sign up on or before 5/16!