WHAT: SPINS! and more…
In this workshop we’ll explore spins! The foundation for centered spins (how to spin underneath yourself without a swing or an orbit) plus tools and practices for alleviating dizziness / tips for nausea and spin related wonkiness will be reviewed! We’ll play with span set spins, side mounts, flares, split spins, etc at multiple heights and explore different ways of entering the hoop! For past attendees or for more intermediate/advanced aerialists spin speed manipulation and flow will be added... A must for musicality!
This workshop will help you level up and look more professional with tight, centered spins and spin speed variance for more expressive musicality.
APPARATUS: Lyra and Dance Trapeze
PREREQUISITES: Intermediate to advanced aerialists.
WHO: New York Cat (they/them) studied dance since they could walk. Cat's eclectic dance style draws from ballet, first and foremost, as well as pointe, modern, tap, jazz, contemporary, partnering, musical theatre, hip-hop, West African, vogue, tribal and belly dance... Performing in NYC since the age of 15, they studied intensely from a young age with Mia Michaels, Dan Karaty, Suzi Taylor, Terry Beeman, Finis Jhung, Daniel Catanach, Joe Lanteri, Lisa Danias, Debbie Allen & numerous others.
At 17 yrs old Cat studied with and performed Mia Michaels' rep at the Riverside Church, moved to NYC and started attending NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. They travelled to Africa to study West African dance with the Ghana National Dance Co. and performed immediately after earning their BFA from NYU in many Union National Tours and Regional Musicals.
After a hit-and-run left them with 4 herniated discs, a concussion, a handful of other injuries and unable to perform 8 musicals a week, they shifted into straight acting. Cat can be spotted on Broad City (Ep. 303+304), High Maintenance (Ep. 204), Incarnate, The Bridge (Ep. 203), Law & Order and many other film projects.
Upon their recovery they also became a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, certified by former middleweight champion Michael Olajide Jr and former Ballerina Leila Fazel of Aerospace. Helping affluent clients in Manhattan and the Hamptons reach elite levels of fitness and skill while also aiding others with spinal and shoulder injuries like themself. Since 2017, Cat has been teaching flexibility, mobility and injury prevention at 305 Fitness. During the Pandemic, these classes could be found virtually, via Zoom, every Tue + Thur at 4:20pm ET.
Gogo Dance + Performance Art entered their life 10 years ago and since then Cat has become a resident performer at Henrietta Hudson, NYC (4 yrs) and House of Yes, BK (8 yrs). They also perform for Hot Rabbit, Bad Habit, Femme Party at Club Cumming, UltraMaroon, with Share Gurl + Pines Party on Fire Island and the Modern Gypsies. They’ve also been seen at Diamond Horseshoe, Secret Loft, Elements Festival, Envision Festival, Burning Man & many more.
More recently, w/over 9yrs of training with Jonathan Fortin, Benn Mendoza, Kyla Ernst-Alper, Jonathon Conant, Jan Manke, and Francoise Voranger under their belt, they regularly perform Aerial- Cage, Moon, Straps and Cube as well as Lyra, Cat’s solo apparatus of choice!
In 2015 they debuted their first Fire Fans act at Envision Festival in Costa Rica and performed Fire with Flambeaux Fire and Enchanted in NYC.
Since 2017 Cat’s been teaching flexibility classes at 305 Fitness, NYC and has continued teaching during the pandemic via Zoom and now privately. They also coach aerial arts privately in NYC as well as guest teach lyra classes and workshops at Gravity Aerial Arts and across the country.
You can connect with Cat on Instagram at @newyorkcat or view some of their work on Vimeo. 🐱
WHEN: Saturday September 23rd 8:00-9:15 p.m. (The first 15 minutes will be spent chatting and warming up, please arrive earlier if you need more time to warm yourself up.)
COST: $70 Early Bird price ($75 when you sign up after 9/20)