Aerial Escapades Retreat

Intermediate/ Advanced Silks

with Sarah Bebe Holmes & Rain Anya of Paper Doll Militia

January 24 – January 31, 2026

Casa Chango Mexico
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca

Half Tuition BIPOC Scholarship available! Apply here.

For more information on week 2: All Levels Silks/Sling Retreat January 31 – February 7, 2026,
CLICK HERE!

a ***WEEK in beautiful* Mexico – *Int/Adv Silks Aerial Escapades*** Retreat with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and loads of fun!

Join Sarah Bebe Holmes and Rain Anya for an all inclusive aerial getaway, in beautiful Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Daily classes feature a balanced blend of technique, theory, and creativity. At the end of this epic week you’ll return home with new, unique sequences and a deeper understanding of the aerial concepts.

Paper Doll Militia’s love for creative expression is infused throughout the classes, with theatrical exercises to connect with your artistry and develop new approaches. With a focus on cleaning up pathways and biomechanics, you’ll leave feeling confident moving with efficiency, control, and flow in the air.

When you’re not in the circus gym, you’ll have plenty of time to rest and reset with healthy meals, ocean swims, hammock lounging, and tropical air.

This retreat features two daily class sessions: mornings focus on new material, theory, and sequencing, while afternoons dive into Vertical Theatre Method, exploring musicality, choreography, creativity, and ensemble work.

Intermediate/Advanced Level

These retreats are geared toward intermediate or advanced aerialists. We know it can be daunting to join a retreat without knowing how you’ll match up with the other retreaters in terms of experience and skill level. Will it be too challenging? Not challenging enough? Read the breakdown below to get a more detailed idea about what to expect in terms of aerial level at this retreat:

Strength & endurance

If you’re not used to training at this intensity, that’s okay! However, we want to ensure you’re strong enough to keep up with class and avoid frustration from burning out before the session ends.

You should be able to invert repeatedly throughout the workshop without losing the ability to invert or relying on toe tags to get there.

If you think this describes you, but have concerns about your level, feel free to email us some training videos at retreatsaerial@gmail.com for guidance.

Skills Repertoire

We love to teach unique and interesting sequences that will challenge both your brain and your body. This means we will not be spending class time focusing on learning foundational wraps and positions. Participants should come to the retreat already comfortable with fundamentals such as:

Same & opposite side wraps
Hip keys
Footlocks
Cross back straddle
S-wraps
Seatbelts
Basic drops

Creativity

You can be at any stage in your creative journey—whether you’re a seasoned performer seeking fresh inspiration for your work or completely new to performing. For this part of the training, all we ask is that you release any attachment to how things “should” look and explore with an open mind and no expectations. Trust us—you’ll surprise yourself in the most delightful ways!

Inclusivity
Fostering an environment of inclusivity is essential at these retreats. Within the Intermediate/Advanced level, there will naturally be a wide range of experience. Our goal is to make everyone who attends feel welcome. We encourage supporting one another, focusing on your personal growth, and avoiding comparisons to others. If you’re here, you belong here!

The instructors are highly skilled at adjusting lesson plans to offer options so that you feel that you are challenged while still receiving achievable and unique material.

Registration opens soon.

Daily Schedule Sample: Everything is optional!

7:30-9:30am Coffee, Tea and Breakfast
9:30-12:30pm Warm up, Aerial Skills & Technique
1pm Lunch
1:30-4pm Pool-time, relaxing
3:30pm Ice coffee and sweet treat
4-6pm Vertical Theater Method
6-7pm Sunset vibes
7pm Dinner
8-10pm Evening Activities

We will take you to our favorite beaches for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and releasing baby turtles into the sea. There will also be evening adventures to a bioluminescent lagoon & local night market.

A special retreat with the dynamic co-founders of Paper Doll Militia: Sarah Bebe Holmes & Rain Anya

These two visionary leaders have been igniting the aerial scene since 2006. They now live in different countries: Rain in Los Angeles, U.S. and Sarah in Ayr Scotland . Though they run the company together, it is for unique projects only that they come together in-person to deliver their wonderful approach to aerial arts, which is creative, quirky and inclusive. Sarah and Rain have toured their original aerial theater productions all over the U.S. and the UK. When they’re not creating new work, they’re helping other artists get the support they need to achieve their dreams, through the company’s educational programs including Teacher Trainings, Retreats, and Specialty Workshops. Their style of teaching is a fusion of interesting choreography, fabric brain dweebiness, and unconventional transitions. Sarah and Rain cultivate an environment where participants discover their creative voice in a safe and supportive space.

Testimonials

“Amazing! They build a community that is supportive & encouraging. I recommend to anyone who wants to deepen their choreo skills, learn new technique tips and meet other people around the world!” -Meredith Levitt

“Working with Paper Doll Milia was nothing short of magical! They miraculously cram every moment with technique, creativity, and community to make an unforgettable week. “ – Charlene Bashore

Retreat Pricing (in USD):

Room	Early Bird Price until October 1	Full Price by December 20
Shared dorm (gender mixed)	$2050	$2350
Shared Private room (sharing with a friend)	$2250	$2550
Private Room w shared bathroom	$2550	$2850
Private room w private bathroom	$2850	$3150

$500 Deposit is required to secure your spot.
Early bird tuition is due by Oct 1, 2025.
Full tuition is due by Dec 20, 2025.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples must sign up together.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples/SO’s are welcome at an additional price.

Half Tuition BIPOC scholarship available.
Apply here.

Prices for Aerial Escapades Retreat include:

Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations
- Jan 24-Jan 31 — Arrive on Jan 24. Depart on Jan 31.
Accommodations for 7 nights
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in our Casa Chango Kitchen
2 daily classes
Aerial Photo Shoot
Use of Swimming Pool, wi-fi, Hammocks, & all community spaces
Day trip to a local beach, turtle release, and night market.