(Photo courtesy of Kammi Matson)
Summer may be over, but three “circus art” classes are set to begin this week at the Homer Council on the Arts.
Homer resident Kammi Matson is one of the class instructors. She’s been practicing aerial silk arts since 2011.
Aerial silk work is a type of performance art that uses long strips of fabric suspended from the ceiling.
Performers wrap themselves in the fabric, creating a makeshift harness.
“It’s a beautiful art form where you’re climbing and you’re wrapping,” Matson said. “You’re wrapping your foot or your hand or your body in the silk.”
“It’s surprising because from different positions you can go from the beautiful acrobatic suspended position that you’re in and you can roll and drop suddenly, one to three to five feet,” she said. “There’s this element of control and grace and beauty, and then surprise and adrenaline and speed.”
Because it requires both flexibility and muscle strength, aerial silk art can be a physically demanding activity.
Beginners gradually build upon skills as they learn, class instructor Bridget Doran said.
“A lot of people feel intimidated when they see it, like ‘I don’t have the upper body strength for that. My arms are really weak,’” Dooran said. ” You can use different muscles in your body to actually climb. It’s not like doing a pull-up every time. It doesn’t have to be.”
Homer Council on the Arts will offer three aerial silk classes this fall.
A beginning class focuses on building strength and flexibility, while learning basic aerial silk movements.
In the intermediate class, students further develop these skills and study more advanced techniques.
A new aerial conditioning exercise class focuses on building stamina and improving overall physical fitness.
Aerial silk classes start on Tuesday, Sept. 6, and run on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 14.
To learn more about the upcoming classes and register, visit the Homer Council on the Arts website.
