We’ve all heard the saying, “They fly through the air with the greatest of ease,” but while their movements appear to flow effortlessly, in the context of aerial performers, that sentiment does not begin to describe the reality of the movements. These performers are not trapeze artists. They fly through the air, but with the strength to support their own body weight, while gravity viciously pulls at their beings. Aerialists are wrapped in a synthetic fabric, which allows them to twist, turn, flip, drop and catch themselves gracefully while maintaining complete control.

For centuries, aerialists have used trapeze, ‘cord lisse,’ or soft rope, and Spanish web. Today, they also use ‘tissue,’ a very strong synthetic fabric. Because of the evolution of the art form, dancers and aerialists are able to use every aspect of the stage, from the floor to the rafters, creating more intrigue and drama.

The program called Dancing on Air, performed in May 2009 at the Rio Grande Theatre, was a collaborative effort between Project In Motion (PIM) and Doña Ana Arts Council (DAAC). PIM is a non-profit dance coalition that began in 1999 in Indianapolis, Indiana, but now divides its time between Indiana and New Mexico, and other national locations. PIM concentrates on workshops, concerts and collaborative dance to benefit the public. In 2001, the dance company began working with The Bloomington High Flyers, an aerial group from Bloomington, Indiana. This was the initial combination of traditional floor dance and aerial dance in PIM’s work.

Dancing on Air is a combination of nine pieces that PIM has performed over the last ten years, as well as two premiers. One of the new pieces, In Transit, was brought from New York by dancer/choreographer Sarah Navarrete. In Transit is a terrestrial piece about the subway, which incorporates improvisation. In Dancing on Air, collaboration with local orator, physical poet and visual artist Mei Ling Po McKay resulted in yet another piece, Ichinen Sanzen: Three Thousand Realms in a Single Moment. The piece was inspired by local writer Ernestine Simmon’s interpretation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in her essay, Echoes of Vietnam.

Hilary McDaniel-Douglas is PIM’s Artistic Director and Visiting Professor of Dance at New Mexico State University. She has performed with The Bloomington High Flyers since the 1980s and began working with PIM in 2001. When she asked local students who would be interested in learning aerial work, Joseph Putman immediately volunteered. He and Sarah have worked with PIM since 2007. Sarah, who is originally from El Paso and graduated from NMSU in 2007, now lives in Brooklyn and works with several dance companies there.

Those who have participated in dance at any level have gained some understanding of the amount of work, dedication, blood, sweat, tears and injuries that accompany professional dancing…on a solid surface. Now consider that same performance occurring in mid-air: imagine trapeze work, harnesses, rigs, fabric, all of which aid in ‘vertical dancing.’ It requires a whole different magnitude of preparation and physical control. Equally impressive is the fact that those involved with local performances have designed and fabricated much of their own equipment and rigs, without the help of engineers and elaborate studios. “I wouldn’t really compare our involvement to a typical day in the life of a Las Vegas performer,” Joseph elaborates. “And we often rehearse outside, so sometimes wind, rain and temperature change can dramatically alter our best intentions.”

“Dedication is really the key to achieving what you want when it comes to aerial arts,” adds Joseph, who was already an accomplished dancer and athlete. “We have to repeat and refine small issues over and over to maintain constant suspension in the fabric.” Joseph goes on to explain that while other live performers have the luxury of rehearsing daily, aerialists constantly battle fatigue because so much energy is expended just holding on. “There comes a point in every rehearsal when I have to seriously contemplate whether to keep going in the sequence and having the possibility of falling or calling it quits and getting down to the ground safely.”

Hilary began trapeze work in the 1980s to overcome her fear of heights. It’s pretty apparent that it worked as now she twists the strong synthetic fabric around her body, creating exaggerated shapes and drops. She embraced fabric dance eight years ago and now her primary interest is combining the aerial and terrestrial work in choreography that maintains the artistic standards of modern dance. She also instructs the younger aerialists, Joseph, Anika Jones and Stephan Pohuski.

Another performer is recent NMSU graduate Alyx Sanchez who fell in love with dance at the age of 16, later than the norm for those contemplating professional dance. Her rapid advance since arriving on campus in 2003 is a major accomplishment. She excels in flamenco, ballroom and modern dance and, since joining PIM, Alyx has broadened her repertoire to include aerial dance. “Working in fabric requires a different kind of strength to successfully remain in the air. Not only do I have to worry about my body looking graceful, but now I have another medium to manipulate for telling a story.”