WEEK B: Monday, Aug. 7 – Friday, Aug. 11, 2023
Immersion:
Bungee Dance & Build – All Levels
9 AM – 12 PM. Week B.
Ages 15+ or with instructor permission. $360 (includes $10 equipment fee). FFP Studio 1.
Prerequisites: This class is open to anyone, but please realize that some bruising around the pelvic area from the harness is almost inevitable. To minimize this, be prepared with layers of clothing to wear around the hips, inner thighs, and waist. Padded cycling shorts or neoprene shorts with sweatpants/shorts over top are excellent choices. The harnesses we use do have some padding, but because you will be in the harness 5 days in a row, extra protection starting day one can make the week far more pleasant!
This class will cover the main uses for aerial bungee dancing in harness. We will begin each day with a Pilates Mat inspired warm up, in order to prepare the body for the rigors of being in a bungee harness. On day one, we will practice in the style “high bungee”; dancers will load in from the scaffold and will be unable to touch the ground. With attachments at R/L hip and two points in the ceiling, we can work on maximizing bounce and forward/backward rotations. Each dancer will have a partner and both groups will learn some choreography sequences to perform with each other. As the week progresses, we will lower the dancers so that they are able to touch the ground and use the floor to create additional bounce and control; then we will change to one ceiling attachment with a swivel and explore spinning and more directional changes, while still able to touch the ground. On day five, dancers will get to try the “back-pick” attachment, where they are on a single point at the ceiling and on their harness, in the style of many bungee-fitness classes. Each day we will conclude with the bungee building section of the class. This final hour of each morning will cover the safety and inspection of harnesses as well as bungee and crimps, and where/how to purchase these items. As the week goes on, dancers will do some “hands on” training with the tools and materials necessary to build their own bungee sets in the future. By the end of the week, dancers should feel confident in how to select, build, inspect and maintain safety with bungee and harness equipment.
Danielle Hendricks spent her childhood climbing fences, trees, balance beams and rooftops in Fresno, California. She earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Kinesiology and Dance from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she graduated in 1999. Danielle is a nationally certified Pilates Instructor and has been teaching Pilates for over two decades, primarily in Denver. She was lucky enough to perform, teach, and choreograph with Frequent Flyers for 20 years, as well as perform with other local dance companies. Danielle trained in the art of bungee dance with the “the mother of aerial dance/motivity,” Terry Sendgraff, and has taught bungee dance almost every year at the Aerial Dance Festival since 2005. In 2020, she moved back to the central valley of California, where she continues to teach online Pilates to her many loyal and dedicated students, visiting the Denver area every few months to teach in person and visit family and friends. Teaching bungee is the highlight of her year; there is nothing better than watching sheer joy blossom in the beautiful, bouncing bodies of her students.
