Full Circle
Aerial Hoop & Act Creation Retreat
with Jenny Tufts & Rachel Strickland
Jan 25-Feb 1, 2025 Intermediate
Feb 1-8, 2025 Advanced
Casa Chango Mexico
Limited to 18 participants!
Scholarships available for Mexican aerial artists.
Students who have previously received this scholarship for Full Circle are welcome to apply again, though new applications will be given priority.
Apply for the scholarship here.
Spend a WEEK in PARADISE with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and learn loads and loads of new aerial skills!
Morning classes with Jenny will be a physical warmup and aerial hoop. These classes will include deep dives into spin technique, original choreography, creative exercises, and substantial work above the top bar of the hoop tailored to the level of the retreat. We may also use a part of this time later in the week to revise and rehearse students’ own work for an optional end-of-week showing.
Afternoon classes will be creative excavation and performance witchery with Rachel. Expect time-tested exercises and tasks designed to take your ideas out of your skull and give them flesh and blood. These tools aim to equip artists for life with the skills to effectively pursue rich, impactful performances that honor the voice and stories of the artist in communion with the audience. You can look forward to being challenged as a creator in a loving and supportive environment. Mistakes are encouraged…scratch that…mandatory. Please bring a notebook!
Daily Schedule Sample:
- 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Tea, Coffee and Breakfast
- 10:00 am-12:30 p.m – Warm Up & Hoop with Jenny
- 1:00 p.m. – Lunch
- 2:00 p.m. -4:30 p.m. – Free time (pool, hot tub, hammocks)
- 3:30 p.m. – Afternoon snack and beverages
- 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Creative with Rachel
- 7:00 p.m. – Dinner
- 8:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. – Free time and evening activities
We’ll also take you to our favorite beaches for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and releasing baby turtles into the sea. Also we have evening adventures to a bioluminescent lagoon and local night market. There are bars and discos for you night owls.
Ask about our significant other / BFF rates!
Aerial nerds can indulge in all of your hoop desires while friends and family can enjoy the retreat environment, delicious, healthy food, surfing, swimming, relaxing, and get into their bodies.
Prerequisites:
January 25-February 1 – Intermediate Level Retreat
Arrive on Jan 25 & depart on Feb 1.
Your first assignment is to use an honest self-assessment of your skills and abilities to put yourself in the retreat that is most appropriate for your development!
Hoop prerequisites include: 1 solid pull up from a dead hang, at least one year of consistent aerial hoop training, comfort and enthusiasm for working with a spin, and the ability to invert smoothly and repeatedly without assistance (bent arms are totally fine).
Helpful but not required: general acrobatic mobility (splits or almost splits, backbend, and straddle). Creativity requirements: the ability and willingness to experience productive emotional discomfort.
February 1-8 – Advanced Level Retreat
Arrive on Feb 1 & depart on Feb 8.
Your first assignment is to use an honest self-assessment of your skills and abilities to put yourself in the retreat that is most appropriate for your development! This retreat is geared toward professionals and/or students who have worked with Jenny before and are familiar with her style and repertoire.
Hoop prerequisites include, in addition to those listed for the intermediate retreat: a strong personal practice in aerial hoop, the ability to reliably get into a hoop at a very fast spin, and strong flares. Creativity requirements: the ability and willingness to experience productive emotional discomfort.
Your instructors:
Jenny has been throwing herself artistically at the ground since catching the flying trapeze bug while studying in New York in 2010. Deciding that a job in her academic field of study (politics) sounded exceptionally un-fun, she proceeded to live in 8 different countries across three continents taking jobs as an assistant editor, a live-in nanny, an English teacher, a university administrator, and a full-time dog walker. These occupations allowed her time to pursue a patchwork education in circus across various institutions including Circus Warehouse (NYC), Circus Oz (Melbourne), and Centro Acrobatico Fedriani (Madrid). Jenny specializes in aerial hoop and aerial spiral, as well as her hybrid apparatus ‘the infineight,’ created in collaboration with metal artist Tim Omspach. She also performs aerial harness/vertical dance, is pretty handy with a hula hoop, and might even get on a vertical apparatus if you pay her a lot of money. She is a born 3-high middle who will try anything twice, and an untrained but enthusiastic dancer. Jenny is a US citizen and current resident of Ireland – when not on tour, you can find her snuggling her two giant dogs on the coast of county Sligo. She is proud to be supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, as well as her beloved team over on Patreon. You can find her all over the internet under the name @circlecirque.
Rachel Strickland is a performing artist, award winning choreographer, and development coach to artists and creative entrepreneurs. Classically trained in ballet since the age of three, she began her study of circus arts in 2007, developing a unique style and innovative approach to aerial hoop. Her work brought her international recognition, and she has coached, performed, and choreographed on four continents. She is the director of The Audacity Project, an 8-week guided process to equip artists and creatives with the tools necessary to be working professionals. Over her 14 year career as a coach and mentor, she has guided hundreds of artists through the creative process and into their own journeys towards creating sustainable, fulfilling work in their creative practices. She’s been featured in Authority Magazine and Thrive Global, and presented her stories and pedagogy on stages worldwide. Her passion is for creation- and supporting creatives to pursue their most authentic work. Given to excess and quixotic tendencies, Rachel specializes in aerial hoop choreography and the practice of telling stories. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband, Shaun. They have no children so don’t ask, but they would like to meet your dog.
Retreat pricing in USD:
| Your choice of accomodations: | Early Bird Price until Oct 1 | Full Price by Dec 15 |
| Shared Dorm (mixed gender) | $2100 | $2400 |
| Shared Room (1 king bed or 2 individual beds) w shared bathroom | $2200 | $2500 |
| Private Room w Shared Bathroom | $2600 | $2900 |
| Private Room w Private Bathroom | $2900 | $3200 |
| Private Room w Private Bathroom & Air Conditioner | $3200 | $3500 |
Full tuition is due by December 15, 2024.
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples must sign up together.
Significant others are welcome at a special price.
What’s included:
- Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations*
- Intermediate – Arrive on Jan 25. Depart on Feb 1
- Advanced – Arrive on Feb 1. Depart on Feb 8.
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, & desserts and treats!
- 2 daily classes
- Aerial photoshoot (with up to 15 photos)
- Optional end of the week showing
- Trips to a local beaches and markets
- Baby turtle release excursion
- Trip to our local night market
- 24 hour use of swimming pool and community space
- Evening Jacuzzi soaks
- Starlink Wifi Internet
Scholarships available for Mexican aerial artists.
Students who have previously received this scholarship for Full Circle are welcome to apply again, though new applications will be given priority.
Apply for the scholarship here.
Links for more information:
- Casa Chango accommodations – room descriptions
- Meals and Food*
- How to get here**. Info and advice on booking your travel
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Sweet Retreats Reviews
- Excursions
- Registration FAQs
Questions? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com
*Food service begins with a snack and dinner on arrival day, and ends with breakfast on departure day.
** Your taxi to/from the PXM airport is included if you arrive/depart on designated days.
Referral discounts are not available for this retreat.