by James O’Barr
If you want to learn airborne arts, there are a number of skydiving venues around the state, or you can join the Army and go to the Jump School at Fort Benning, Georgia. But if it’s aerial skills and circus arts instruction you want, then you need go no further than downtown Olympia, where Airbound Arts provides a training space and a performance venue in a private, volunteer/member-run gym.
Founded in 2016, Airbound Arts provides classes, workshops and open gym for people with aerial circus experience, and for people taking classes at their circus-arts partners’ Sparrow Studios. Sparrow provides both adults and children with aerial, acrobatics, and circus arts instruction in multi-week classes on aerial silks, trapeze, corde lisse (aerial rope), hammock silks, and lyra (aerial hoop). They also offer flexibility classes, handstand, modern dance, partner acrobatics, and conditioning. Most Airbound members are students of Sparrow Studios, and many of their instructors and gym monitors also teach at Sparrow.
Airbound Arts has been a venue for other local circus shows, including Clown Chowder, Oly Clown Town, and Duo Finelli with Dulcito. Their Circus Spectacular, a monthly variety show, features both local performers and people from Seattle and Portland. Members of the Airbound community help run the shows, which provide a space and community support for new and experienced performers alike.
Whether a seasoned professional or a first-time performer, an aerialist, a contortionist, an acrobat, or a juggler, all are invited to be part of Airbound’s Circus Spectacular. The all-ages Spectacular includes mature content. Doors open half an hour before the show begins.
WHAT
Airbound Arts workshops and Circus Spectacular
WHEN
During Arts Walk, workshops at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7; Circus Spectacular 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7
WHERE
312 Columbia St. NW, Olympias,
Entrance in the alley behind Oly Taproom
HOW MUCH
Circus Spectacular $15, $5 11 and younger
LEARN MORE
airboundarts.com
Tickets at airboundarts.com/events