I am once again deep into the process of creating a new aerial act.
This happens about four or five times a year. I am not one to recycle choreographies, and often create new aerial pieces for shows and commissions where I get given loose guidelines of performing requirements.
Some clients have a clear idea of the aerial equipment, the theme and length of the acts, even the music they want at their event. However, the aerial industry is still somewhat niche, and I often get enquiries where there is a lack of understanding of what aerial performances involve. These are probably my favourite gigs, when after some clarification I get creative license to choose the music, the apparatus and the general feel of the piece, always in tune with the type of event I am creating for. I rarely do these pieces again. They are too specific and I feel that the cycle is completed once they have been performed.
The creation process is very important to me and one that I hold a very dear part of my work as an aerialist. The acts I create at a given moment in time are made of moves and transitions I have recently discovered or perfected, and so every new act is totally different from the previous one. I use a piece of music that I currently find interesting or inspiring, or one that I have wanted to use for a while but waited for the moment to bring it to life. I know when I find the perfect track, as I get a very clear imagery of the piece timeline straight away and all my muscles tense with anticipation.
Creating is not a chore but a great pleasure. When I create, I loosely tie up in writing the moves I want to use. The choreography starts taking shape naturally in my imagination, like a tale that is already written coming through the back of my head. Once I get up in the air to try things out, I find new music cues that reveal themselves only when up on the equipment. Those moments are truly beautiful and always a surprise. I pay special attention to them as they usually become a solid part of the choreography.
I may once stop performing professionally, but I will never stop creating. It makes me happy and calm, and it makes a lot of sense in my hectic life.