Aerial Antics
Aerial Antics, founded in 2015, was created to facilitate and motivate participation in aerial circus arts. We are the place to learn and practice a variety of circus style aerials in Ottawa!
Aerial Antics is Ottawa's "vertical theater" company. We provide refined and inspiring performances, mixing the elegance of aerial dance with the excitement of dynamic twists and falls. We chose to call ourselves “Aerial Antics” to reflect our playful approach to choreography that incorporates elements of other performance arts. We happily tailor performances to your needs and can get you involved in the act if desired.
Services:
We offer professional classes, training and performances on aerial fabric (silks), static trapeze, aerial hoop (lyra), rope (corde lisse) and aerial sling (hammock). All levels of fitness welcome (ages 6+), with over 25 feet of flying space.
Affiliates & Gratitudes
Laws of Motion - Orbital Talent - Jen Derbach Photography -
Cirquonscient - A Beautiful Smack to the Head - Dragon's Ire
- Audrey's Costume Castle - Fit to Fly Apparel
Our Team
Melissa
Director / Aerialist / Instructor
English/Spanish/French
Melissa has been teaching and performing on aerial silks since 2012. It is the wraps, drops, twists and dives that drive her to continue but also the personal satisfaction in achieving the unexpected. Her obsession with movement art has pushed her skill development in other circus arts such as poi, hooping and fire manipulation. Melissa graduated from the Ecole Nationale de Cirque, Montreal, Canada in the Professional Trainer program with specializations in corde lisse (aerial rope), fabric and tightwire. She also has professional certification (New England Center for Circus Arts) and training (Paper Doll Militia) from circus schools and aerial performance professionals in Canada and the United States. She is a member of the Cirquonscient performance collective.
Christal
Aerialist / Instructor
English/French
Christal began her aerial arts adventure in 2012 on aerial silks. She has expanded her expertise to include skills on aerial hoop (lyra), static trapeze and corde lisse. Christal is a strong performer and enthusiastic coach who encouragers her students explore and test their boundaries. She has aerial teacher training from the Paper Doll Militia. She compliments her aerial skills with body combat training and teaching at Goodlife Fitness. Christal provides instruction in French and English. She is a member of the Cirquonscient performance collective.
Sophie
Aerialist / Instructor
French/English
Sophie has been practicing aerial arts since 2013 and has been performing for over 3 years in community events, festivals, and corporate events. Sophie is skilled on various apparatus, including silks, static trapeze, lyra and aerial hammock. Sophie is inspired by her students and lives for the moments of achievement that only comes with the development of strength and mental clarity that aerial arts and fitness provides. With a background in dance and as a certified fitness and aerial yoga coach, aerial arts have been a natural continuation of her love for creative movement and restorative fitness. Sophie has aerial teacher training from the Paper Doll Militia. She is a member of the Cirquonscient performance collective.
Regina
Aerialist / Instructor
Regina has been an Aerialist since 2015, and started teaching classes in 2017. She has a background as a gymnast and coach in Rhythmic and Aesthetic Group Gymnastics and has performed at two World Gymnaestradas: Dornbirn, Austria 2007, and Helsinki, Finland 2015. Regina has Aerials teaching certification from New England Center for Circus Arts, and Pole and Aerial Fitness Instruction Commission of Canada, and is a certified Rhythmic Gymnastics coach with the National Coaching Certification Program. She is consistently inspired by the creativity and uniqueness of each Aerialist, and loves helping others learn exciting new skills, conquer personal challenges, and develop their individual styles in a fun and encouraging environment. She is a member of the Cirquonscient performance collective.
Renée Claude
Aerialist / Instructor
French/English
Renée-Claude has been training and performing on aerial silks and aerial hoop since 2016. She completed her aerial teaching training at the Ecole Nationale de Cirque in Montreal in the Formation Instructeur program. She is also a skilled hula hooper, teaching and performing with LED and fire in Ottawa for over 8 years. Renée-Claude is motivated by all the creative challenges aerial arts present, from collaboratively creating new acts, characters and shows, to figuring out how to master the physics at play in dynamic movements. She is an artistic collaborator and member of the Cirquonscient performance collective.
Claire
Aerialist / Instructor
English
Claire started out with hoop dance in 2013 and quickly found a love for aerial hoop (lyra) and contortion in 2017. Since then she's expanded her aerial skills to include hammock. She started performing in 2019, and in 2020 began sharing her talents through coaching. Claire has completed aerial teacher training with Paper Doll Militia. Her goal as a coach is to make sure everyone has fun with all forms of circus arts.
Jean Simon (A.K.A. JS)
Aerialist / Instructor
French/English
JS discovered aerial silks back in 2018 when he tried it simply because it looked fun. It was indeed fun! Then he tried trapeze, and also instantly fell in love. Growing up in the middle of nowhere where there are no gymnastics or circus, JS discovered those as an adult and has been hooked ever since. JS loves exercise, but only if it is within the end goal of doing a cool trick. JS has competed aerial teacher training with Paper Doll Militia. He is also an aspiring vocalist and a (steadily) improving juggler, but mainly a trapezist.
Marie Kowdrysh
Aerialist / Instructor
English
Marie Kowdrysh Marie has been instructing acrobatic arts, primarily for children, starting in 2013 including artistic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, and various circus apparatus (silks, lyra, static trapeze, and aerial hammock). Her aerial training journey began in 2017 with silks and has since expanded, most recently to aerial pole. Marie loves the exhilaration of teaching acrobatic arts and watching her athletes reach new goals and achievements.
Samantha
Aerialist / Instructor
Sam started her aerials journey in 2018 working with aerial hoop (lyra). Leveraging her lengthy background in competitive gymnastics, she expanded into aerial silks and trapeze. She was delighted to start teaching in 2019. Sam has a decade of teaching experience outside of aerials in kettlebell, personal training and Muay Thai. Her teaching approach across all her classes is to build a strong foundation and encourage students to find their own style.
Francisca
Aerialist / Instructor
English/French
Francisca has been practicing aerial and circus arts since 2010 and performing in community and corporate events and festivals since 2015. As an ardent opponent of anything that seems too much like regular exercise, Francisca has a passion for aerial and circus arts as a way of staying active while having fun and expressing herself, and she encourages others to embrace and develop their own silly and creative side. She is a member of the Cirquonscient performance collective.
Policies and General Information
Missed Class or Training
If you miss a class or training session we can provide a credit or refund if you provide a valid medical note. We do not offer substitutions for missed classes or training times.
Session Cancellation/Refunds
Aerial Antics reserves the right to cancel any programs with insufficient registration one week prior to the program start date. No refunds will be issued due to government enforced closures. The amount paid for registration is non-transferable to other classes or events. Cancellation or withdrawal of a registration prior to classes commencing will result in a $40.00 administration fee. Registration minus a $40 administration fee is refundable up until the end of the first scheduled class or training. Cancellations after the first scheduled class or training will result in a credit for the outstanding balance being applied to the account unless a medical note is provided. Missed classes or training cannot be refunded and cannot be made up by attending other classes or training. It is the responsibility of the participant to know their schedule which can be found on our registration page and the receipt for registration. If you and/or your dependent(s) are not completely satisfied after your first class, Aerial Antics will refund your full session excluding the $40 administration fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Circus Aerials?
The appeal of the circus arts ranges from the athletic and adventurous to the curious and creative. Developing skills on aerial fabric, aerial hoop, hammock, rope and static trapeze build strength & flexibility, poise and self-confidence and provide a wonderful outlet for imagination, creative expression-and fun.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you start training circus aerials:
Learning circus aerials can be challenging but is well worth the time invested. A skilled aerialist will make everything they do look easy, however, that can make it frustrating for you, the early learner, because everything feels hard. But, if you stick with it, and get your feet off the ground it is complete satisfaction.
How long will it take me to learn aerial arts?
Everyone has different strengths, and learns at a different pace. Students with high levels of conditioning and a strong background in movement arts such as gymnastics, dance, yoga, rock-climbing or martial-arts often advance more rapidly because they already possess body spatial awareness. But don't give up! If you find you’re just not getting something, don't sweat it, our classes are designed to provide flexibility to support each individual's progress. Although done in a group setting, aerials are very individualistic. Also, training time is great for practicing those nemesis moves. We also offer private lessons for a focused approach.
Aspiring to Perform?
We offer training and practice times with our coaches who are all professional performers and teach classes in a way that help prepare and condition students for performing in front of audiences or participating in competitions if desired. We provide in-house student showcases which can help build the skills required for professional performances. If you are interested in performing please inquire at aerialantics@outlook.com. Visit our Performances page to see highlights from some of the events we have been involved in.
Registration & Payment
Class registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis and payment must be received in full to confirm a place in a class. The easiest and most efficient way of registering for a class is through the use of our online registration system. Payments can be made via our registration system or by etransfer to aerialantics@outlook.com.
Can I skill share during open gym?
Skill sharing is tricky, as it should be reserved for competent aerialists who are expanding their knowledge in a safe and reasonable way. It should not be treated as a substitute for proper training and instruction from a qualified instructor. Skills sharing should be about playing within the skill level that the students are in, rather than as a tool to increase skill level, i.e., try hard new things. For this reason, students who are engaged in skills sharing should be at a similar skill level to each other, otherwise it is not sharing it is instruction.
What should I wear?
Wear reasonably form-fitting workout attire that covers your legs, lower back and your stomach. Tights or pants should be at least ¾ length. Help us protect the equipment! Please do not wear clothing with Velcro or zippers (even the little waist band pocket kind!) or buttons or buckles. Please do not wear jewelry. If your instructor is concerned about any hard-to-remove jewelry, you will have the option of removing it, covering it up, or staying off the equipment.
What if I miss a class?
If you miss a class we can offer a credit or refund if you provide a valid medical note. We do not offer substitutions for missed classes. For questions please refer to our "Polices and General Information".