Backbending for Aerialists
Backbending for Aerialists
INSTRUCTOR: Jaime Shpikula of IN THE WINGS
AUGUST 15 & September 26 2026
945AM - 11AM @ Boulder Circus Center
$37/class
makeup class for cancelled June 27 is SEPTEMBER 26
Many aerialists experience tightness associated with all that work done by our shoulders, backs, and chests. However, strength doesn’t have to inhibit flexibility, and the two should actually create a positive feedback loop - without requiring buckets of our limited training time. This series leverages our skill set as aerialists (not to mention the incredible props at our disposal) to introduce or deepen backbending shapes and the skills that rely on them.
This isn’t just for folks who want to chest stand, but for anyone who wants to learn how to integrate drills that can increase their baseline bendiness, making them stronger in a wider range of motion. Backbending can facilitate rolling, inverting, balancing, dynamics, and one-arm skills alongside making sick shapes.
Each month, we will focus on one shape category: how can we train it on the floor, in the air, and what skills or pathways does it unlock once we add it to our repertoire? Expect a mix of ground and aerial work with an emphasis on maintaining nervous system regulation and plenty of room for modifications. The curriculum is primarily silks-based, but other apparatuses will be available along with rigging points in case you want to BYO.
Aerialists who can invert and remain in the air for several minutes at a time will get the most out of these workshops. Optional: bring a shape you’d like to try or improve!