Practical Information
- Dates:
- November 2–6, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- 15 hours of training
- Location: Académie de cirque, Montréal
- Cost: $84 (actual cost: $546)
Training Overview
Why is pointing the toes considered “good technique” in aerial acts? How do gender norms influence the way different disciplines and skills are valued in circus? What does technique communicate to the audience even before we add our intention and narrative? And how can paying closer attention to how we move—and why we move—make us more compelling as artists?
This intensive workshop in applied dramaturgy, spread over five half-days, aims to create a space where aerial acrobats can come together to explore how theory can illuminate, challenge, and deepen the way they move in the air. Over the course of the week, we will read together excerpts from key texts in circus and performing arts studies, queer and anti-colonial theory, and environmental philosophy to examine how normative forces shape the default conception of “good aerial acrobatics” in contemporary circus. Through exercises and practical movements inspired by these readings, participants will bring these concepts into dialogue with their own practices and explore how becoming aware of and deconstructing these norms can pave the way for more sustainable and richer relationships with their bodies, their equipment, and their audiences.
The workshop aims to create a space for dramaturgical research grounded in the body and the specificities of aerial practice. It is not intended to be a didactic experience where the instructor provides ready-made answers, but rather a collaborative and horizontal space where participants can reflect together on the state of aerial practice. Building on this collective reflection, everyone will work together to develop embodied strategies for building an original vocabulary, moving with intention, challenging internalized norms, and imagining new avenues for evolving their practice.
Whether you’re eager to immerse yourself in aerial practice or are seeking new forms of expression, critique, and mindfulness in your artistic practice, come with your curiosity and your desire to think outside the box. Let’s make room for improvisation!
Biographies
Sarah Norden (elle/iel) est une artiste de cirque et chercheure basée à Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. Élevée dans le Maine, Sarah est une diplômée de l’École nationale de cirque spécialisée en cerceau aérien. Elle tient également un diplôme de Wesleyan University, où elle a étudié la philosophie de l’environnement, la pratique scientifique féministe, et la danse. Pour Sarah, ces formations en apparence disparates se rejoignent autour d’une même fascination : le lien entre notre compréhension du corps et notre relation à l’environnement. Son travail porte sur l’écologie queer, la maladie chronique et la subversion des valeurs dominantes — la beauté du grotesque, la victoire de l’échec et la vertu de la saleté. En tant que coach, Sarah adore enseigner la recherche aérienne, déconstruire les esthétiques dominantes et accompagner des étudiants et étudiantes vers des relations durables et nourrissantes avec l’entraînement. Sarah aime les panoramas qui font pousser des cris de joie, les livres qui vous tiennent en éveil toute la nuit et les amitiés qui vous donnent le sentiment d’être chez vous dans le monde.