Floriography

An Original Upside Aerial Production for Fall 2027

A major mission at Upside Aerial is offering opportunities for our students to express themselves creatively through aerial arts. We've done this for many years through student showcases and community events - but performances in these events are independent from one another. Some of our instructors were interested in offering more cohesive, connected productions. So in 2024, Kirsten Barker directed Unraveled, a beautiful original production based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. In 2025, Jamie Ramirez went big and directed I Can't Believe It's Not Chicago, an aerial rendition of the famous Broadway musical with a large cast and a successful run of 5 sold-out shows! In November of this year, Kirsten Barker is directing her 2nd production, What Holds, combining aerial arts with poetry.

We are so excited to share that our next production for 2027 will be Floriography, an original show directed by Upside student Stephanie Martinez Ramirez, in collaboration with Upside instructor Jamie Ramirez, and with mentorship from UNCG Movement and Acting Professor Robi Arce. Read on to learn more about Stephanie's vast experience with performing arts, her vision for Floriography, and how you can get involved!

What's the show about?

"Flowers with oversized personalities tilt tables, spark romance, sabotage bouquets, and stage their own melodramatic love scenes. When a sudden fire disrupts their world, the garden must rebuild itself through chaos, humor, and unexpected cooperation. Time passes, generations shift, and the flowers learn, sometimes gracefully, often not, how to support new life as it blooms. A playful, emotional story where nature is noisy, relationships are nudged into existence, and small flowers can change everything."

In this circus‑theater show, a garden doesn’t just witness human life, it meddles in it. Inspired by the many ways flowers quietly witness our lives, celebrations, love stories, heartbreaks, transitions, grief, healing, and renewal, Floriography explores the human experiences that connect us. Through movement, theatre, music, visual imagery, aerial arts and artistic collaboration, participants will help shape a multidisciplinary performance that grows from both a shared vision and the unique contributions of the people involved.

How will the show be created?

Unlike a traditional production where every detail is decided before rehearsals begin, Floriography is designed as a collaborative journey. While the project has a guiding structure with a general script, artistic direction, and overarching themes, there will also be space for exploration, experimentation, and discovery. Cast members will be invited to contribute ideas, stories, movement, and creative perspectives as we uncover what the final production is.

What are the steps to being involved?

1. Foundations Block:

   • Interested but have no idea what you are getting yourself into? Want a 'taste' before committing? The Foundations Block is an opportunity to explore the artistic tools that will inform the project through workshops in movement, acting, collaborative creation, as well as partner acro classes. These workshops and classes will provide valuable skills, confidence, and creative experiences for any future artistic endeavors, whether or not you ultimately join the production. There will be 4 Foundations Block workshops (one per month from Nov 2026 to Feb 2027) with Intro to Partner Acro classes offered periodically during the same time frame. To be involved in the show, you should take at least 2 Foundations Block workshops and at least 2 Intro to Partner Acro classes.

2. Performance Laboratory Block:

   • After the Foundations Block, anyone interested in being part of the show will move on to the Performance Laboratory Block (or 'P-Labs' for short), an extended exploration period where ideas are tested, scenes are developed, movement is created, and the artistic language of the production begins to take shape. This phase is less about perfection and more about curiosity, experimentation, and discovering what emerges when people create together. During this phase, Robi Arce (UNCG Movement and Acting Professor, who will lead 2 of the Foundations Block workshops) will join us periodically to provide feedback, ideas and strengthen the show. There will be sixteen 2.5- to 3-hour P-Labs starting the weekend of March 19-21 through July 2027. P-Labs will be held on weekends, but the exact dates and times will be decided by cast members via poll. Cast members should attend at least 14 of the 16 P-Labs.

3. Showtime Block:

   • The final phase, the Showtime Block, focuses on refining and bringing the work fully to life. Here, creative decisions become polished performance elements as the ensemble cast prepares to share the story with an audience. This block will consist of eight 2.5- to 3-hour rehearsals August and September of 2027. Like P-Labs, these will be held on weekends, but the exact dates and times will be decided by cast members via poll. Cast members should attend at least 6 of the 8 Showtime Block rehearsals (with tech and dress rehearsals being required).

When is the show ?

The hope is for the show to open for 1 to 2 weekends between late September or early October of 2027. Show dates will be finalized after the Foundations Block according to cast preference.

What are the show requirements?

At its heart, Floriography is about more than creating a show. It is about building community, embracing curiosity, and discovering what can happen when people with different backgrounds, talents, and artistic languages come together to create something none of them could have created alone. We hope you will come as you are to play, create and perform!

Participation Requirements & Casting Considerations

Because Floriography is a collaborative circus-theater project that includes some acting, choreography, collaboration, partner acrobatics, and aerial arts, participants interested in joining the final cast must meet the following requirements:

1. You must be at least 18 years of age or older.

2. Show participation is open all movement enthusiasts, including dancers, actors, and aerialists. However, if you will be performing aerial arts in the show:

   1. You must train regularly at Upside (i.e. at least weekly) during the 6 months prior to casting.

   2. If you have trained less than 6 months but more than 3 months, Upside instructor approval is required.

3. You must attend, at a minimum:

   1. One Foundations Block workshop led by Stephanie.

   2. One Foundations Block workshop led by Robi Arce.

   3. Two Intro to Partner Acro classes.

   4. 14 of the 16 P-Lab block sessions.

   5. 6 of the 8 Showtime block rehearsals. Attendance at Tech and Dress Rehearsals is required.

The anticipated final cast size is no more than 16 performers with a stretch of up to 20. If interest exceeds 20 participants, Stephanie would be incredibly honored! However, she would give casting priority to participants who have demonstrated the greatest commitment to the process by completing the full Foundations Block (all 4 sessions with Stephanie and Robi) and taking additional partner acro classes beyond the 2 required. Beyond these requirements, casting priority will not be based on experience level, performance background, or skill proficiency. With that, if you aren't able to fulfill the attendance minimums, please reach out to Stephanie directly and she will make considerations on a case-by-case basis.

How much will being a cast member cost?

1. Foundations Block: Individual workshops are $40 each or get all 4 for $35 each with the Foundations Package. Intro to Partner Acro classes can be booked at the class drop-in price of $33. To save, book with an Aerial 4-, 8-, or 16-class pass: see Pricing tab for all package pricing.

2. Performance Lab (P-Labs) Block: P-labs can also be booked at the class drop-in price or with a class pass.

3. Showtime Block: Rehearsals can be booked at the open studio drop-in price of $22, or with any Open Studio package.

The total time frame for all production sessions spans almost a year. Your total cost depends on whether you book sessions individually or with packages and what size packages you buy. You can use packages on Floriography sessions only or use them to take other Upside classes concurrently. It's up to you!

About Show Director, Stephanie Martinez Ramirez

Stephanie Martinez Ramirez is a public sociologist, researcher, educator, movement artist, and lifelong student of the mind and body. While much of her professional career has focused on research, community engagement, education, and evidence-based practice, movement and artistic expression have remained a constant thread throughout her life.

Raised in Puerto Rico, Stephanie's artistic journey began long before she had access to formal training. As a child, she dreamed of gymnastics and dance, but financial limitations often placed those opportunities out of reach. Rather than discouraging her, those barriers fueled a deep curiosity about movement, creativity, and the many ways the body can communicate, connect, and transform.

Throughout her life, she has pursued opportunities to move, perform, teach, and create. Her background includes dance, acrobatics, aerial arts, choreography, theatrical performance, and collaborative arts projects. She has led dance groups, performed in original productions, choreographed for individuals and ensembles, and contributed to interdisciplinary performance work in Puerto Rico and beyond.

Stephanie later discovered aerial arts, finding a discipline that brought together artistry, athleticism, storytelling, and self-expression. She continued her training for many years and eventually taught aerial silks and sling at Chrysalis Aerial Academy in Gresham, Oregon. There, she worked with students ranging from young children to adults, helping build not only technical skills but also confidence, resilience, and trust in their bodies. Her teaching philosophy centers on encouragement, growth, and meeting each person where they are.

Today, Stephanie lives in North Carolina, where she continues to explore movement while navigating the ongoing process of healing, rediscovering her body after pregnancy, and reconnecting with the creative practices that have shaped her life.

For Stephanie, as a current student in Upside, Floriography represents more than a performance. It is an opportunity to reconnect with a part of herself that does not often take center stage in her day-to-day professional life. While she deeply values the work she does through the lens of research, public health, and science, Floriography offers a space to return to imagination, collaboration, and artistic exploration. She is excited to discover what can emerge when a group of people brings their niche talents, lived experiences, and creative voices together to build something meaningful, something collective, and something they are proud to share with others.