About Aerial Dance Academy...
I set up Aerial Dance Academy in late 2019.
It was a church - 3 classes, 2 instructors 1 rig and a big old dream.
From there we steadily grew to 2 rigs, and then made the move to the King's Centre - where we are to this day!
Then... Lockdown. Timing, right?!
Not to be put off - I persevered - running online classes, challenges and trying to keep the hard work I had built alive.
During one of the many Lockdowns I transformed the stage space we are in now - creating 4 rigging points and a semi permanent home for Aerial Dance Academy.
4 years later we are here running with 20 lessons a week, a team of instuctors and a family of aerialists both young and old that we adore.
However - we are running at max capacity every night of the week - classes are run-ing on waiting lists and we find we're having to turn people away - we need to expand beyond our 4 rigging points.
Expansion Plans
We met with King's Centre and put together a proposal to move from an hourly hire to an annual lease and sole use of the entire Upper Hall. They accepted our proposal and now we have plans to add a whopping 11 rigging points to the upper hall - taking us from 4 to 15 points!
Safety is of course at the forefront of our plans and I have gone to the best of the best at Newton's ladder to draft a plan that will make the most of our height and keep you all safe!
Why funding and how will it be spent?
As you can imagine - this is a big project! I have saved, borrowed and loaned enough to cover the instillation of the truss, but it doesn't stop there.
We're going to need more equipment, more hardware and more fixtures and fittings in order to run the studio to it's highest capacity!
We also want to get the hall looking smart - creating a waiting area for students, an office area for staff and creating our own entrance via the back stair case!
I've spent the last four and a bit years doing everything I can to create a space where aerial students can grow and thrive in a safe and secure environment. I've seen the positive affect that aerial and circus can have on people and how life changing it can be, ultimately - I really want to be able to provide more of that.
This next step is bigger than me - so I'm asking for your help, however big or small.
All the love,
Michael