Mentoring
Act Mentoring 
/ with Amy Ell (2025)
Hi, I’m Amy. I have been creating/performing on the ground and in the air for over 30 years. My work has been seen throughout the US, Europe, and South America (I was an American Arts Ambassador to Ecuador.). I have been mentoring artists for several decades and would love the opportunity to help you conceive or fine tune any act/spectacle/piece your heart desires.
This is a one week class. A few people from mentoring classes will be selected to perform on Saturday 26th, but there isn’t enough time for everyone.
Note: There is a limit of one “mentoring” class per person, or classes that give you the opportunity to perform.
Floor to Air
/ with Chantal McCormick (2025)
This is a creative class where we’ll focus on moving in and out of the floor and onto your apparatus (the air). It is a safe and fun space where you can learn tools and gain further understanding about how to create choreography using movement, emotions, ground work and transitions to elevate your practice.
Chantal shares her 27 years of experience in creating aerial dance and offers tools to add to your-kit to support you on your own aerial journey.
The art form of aerial dance is very young and as one of the founders of this practice Chantal loves sharing it with anyone that has an interest and feels she is only at the beginning of understanding the core principles of creating aerial dance.
Whether you are stuck in your practice or have questions about it or equally full of creative ideas, this is the class for you, bring you, bring all of you and lets share in the joy of creating aerial dance together and build this supportive community.
*This class is suitable for teachers, dancers and aerialists alike – anyone creating acts, shows with aerial, or any teacher wants new exercises to support their technique classes.
Please bring a note-book to write in.
This class does not restrict you from taking other classes, but there is some overlap in content with Chantal’s Creation Lab.
Act Creation
/ with Lee Clayden (2025)
Come with an idea, or a music track that inspires you to move, or an image or emotion that you want to explore, together with a willingness to investigate on your chosen piece of aerial equipment or on the floor,
Or, if you’re further on in your process and already have something you want to develop further, well we can do that too – just not both at the same time!
Whichever version you opt for, expect to be gently encouraged to be braver and dig deeper to challenge and surprise yourself. This is your opportunity to learn more about your creative process.
Note: There is a limit of one “mentoring” class per person, or classes that give you the opportunity to perform. This is a one week class.
Aerial Storytelling
/ with Rachel Strickland (2025)
Add a whole heap of tools to your creative and choreographic toolbelt. This is not a technique class for learning tricks– rather we will focus on strengthening the other 1,000 skills necessary in creating and staging a piece of work that aims not only to impress but to move the audience. HOW you choose to move them is your prerogative.
Notebooks and open minds are required.
Note: This is a one week class. This does not restrict you from taking any other classes.
Creative Lab
/ with Chantal McCormick (2025)
This is for participants with strong technical experience on one aerial apparatus, e.g. trapeze, fabric, hoop or rope to arrive with a short sequence of material that you are very comfortable with. NB If you wish to bring your own equipment to rig for this class we will do our best to accommodate that.
Come with an open mind and heart to play, explore and share as a group, open to supporting each other in a safe creative environment. Chantal will use theatre games and choreographic exercises to help develop aerial material, focusing on how to express emotions and play with scale on aerial equipment. Our goal is to create ease of moving in and out of the floor and up and off the equipment and conveying your story to the audience. The end result is not important, more emphasis on process, although as a group the focus is to create a piece to be performed as part of the Emma Insley cabaret night. Please make sure you are free for the last Saturday of the festival. Please bring a note pad and pen/pencil with you.
Please Note: Applicants may need to submit a video to be accepted to this class.
NOTE: This is a two-week class, you must attend both weeks. Some people may be selected to perform on the 26th, but there isn’t enough time for everyone.
For Aisling Ní Cheallaigh’s classes or other labs, see the hoop page.