Fly Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease

By Amy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 1, 2008 8:45PM

There are two circus shows in town for the summer: Cirque du Soleil’s new show Kooza premiered last week, and that other Cirque circus show opened at Navy Pier earlier in June. So that got us to thinking, what if we're moved to join the circus? Where can we go to learn a skill like, say, the trapeze? Admit it, you've thought the same thing. Here are a few local options for expanding your trapeze skills.

Static Trapeze and Aerial Dance

• The Aloft Loft is offering a free trapeze workshop starting this Saturday and every second Saturday of the month. The Aloft Loft also offers regular 90-minute classes in trapeze, silks, and aerial conditioning, which cost $25 apiece.
  2041 W. Carroll Ave., Unit 306; Reservations required for free workshop 773-782-6662

• Acrobatic and aerial dance troupe AMEBA is holding their 4th annual Aerial Dance Intensive this month at their Belle Plain studio, offering beginning and intermediate classes for teens and adults in stationary apparatuses like the trapeze, silks, the sling, bungee, lyra, and ropes. Workshops each focus on a single apparatus; divided into hour-long sessions held Mon-Thurs.
  2014 W. Belle Plaine, $150 for a single workshop, $375 for four. July 14-24. More details and reservation information can be found here.

Flying Trapeze

• Trapeze-Experience™ has flying trapeze classes available at Banner Day Camp in Lake Forest, every day except Thursdays. Newbies are systematically taught flying trapeze techniques, according to individual comfort level.
  1225 Riverwoods Road, Two-hour sessions are $75 apiece. Through August 8. For more details and reservations, call 1 (877) 207-8344

Image via The Aloft Loft