Aerial Flying with Pulleys

In this 3-hour workshop, you will learn the basics of using a pulley system to lift an aerial performer from Todd Spiering, the founder of Circus Gear.  Whether you want to be lifted during your aerial act or prefer to be the muscle behind the curtain, this workshop will help you understand the physics involved.  After the workshop, you should feel comfortable setting up a basic pulley setup that meets the needs of an aerialist's act.  Come prepared to move around and play, but also to learn a little physics and math. The workshop will cover:

• Equipment for a pulley system: What to look for in the pulley, rope, and hardware for your setup.
• The physics of pulley systems: How mechanical advantage or disadvantage affect the forces on all the pieces of your setup.
• Choosing the right pulley setup: How to choose which pulley setup works best for what you want to accomplish in your act.
• Experimenting with pulley systems: Each participant will have the opportunity to be lifted and to lift others.

Prerequisites: 

No prior rigging knowledge or aerial experience is needed. This workshop is appropriate for both aerialists as well as non-aerialists who are just interested in being a "puller/lifter." (So aerialists, this would be a great opportunity for you to bring your friend or partner who is not an aerialist but is interested in being involved in what you do!)

What to Bring:

You only need to bring yourself, but you may want to bring something to take notes with and gloves to use while pulling on a rope.  You can bring your own apparatus or use the studio's apparatuses.

About the Instructor:

Todd Spiering is the founder of Circus Gear. He has been building custom circus gear and providing aerial rigging services since 2013.  Todd began his professional career over 20 years ago in commercial and residential construction, specializing in high-end stair systems with elaborate curved designs using both metal and wood. This allowed him to gain expert knowledge of working with and engineering these materials. Inspired by his local circus community - including his daughter, Nina, who started training on aerial silks at the age of 8 - he saw an opportunity to create innovative aerial equipment. Todd and Circus Gear are now known for creating and producing one of the best free-standing aerial rigs in the industry and for dreaming up and building one-of-a-kind aerial apparatuses for aerialists, instructors, and event producers all over the U.S. Todd also designed and installed the fantastic pulley system at Upside's studio, and takes care of just about all of our aerial equipment and rigging needs.