Rope with a side of Straps
(and Pumpkin Pie)
Rope & Straps Retreat
w master teacher PJ Perry
November 22-29, 2025
At Casa Chango Mexico
Puerto Escondido
HALF SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE for one student who identifies as BIPOC. Apply here by June 15.
a WEEK in PARADISE with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and rope rope rope!
Rope with a side of Straps is a retreat for those wishing to level up their skills on rope and discover the fun (and torture) that is straps training! In this retreat, we will use straps to enhance the work you do or wish to do on rope. Straps work is a great way to fill in strength gaps and bust out of training plateaus that are common when progressing on rope by reducing the grip demand and unevenness so you can dial in the rest of your mechanics. By combining straps conditioning with rope skill building, one can seriously bump their performance level!
Daily classes revolve around development of rope skills and exploration of those skills through taught choreography. Part of that skill development will involve drills on straps and cross conditioning on the ground. PJ develops original choreography specifically for the retreat as a way to introduce and explore skills that may take some time. This particular week has a heavy emphasis on smart conditioning practices to safely approach higher level skills.
This Rope with a Side of Straps Retreat will have a morning and afternoon class.
Rope is Dope: Mornings are for fresh hands and minds on the rope. Class will combine foundational drills with skill development and choreography.
Afternoon classes have two parts:
- Ground Control: Exploration of pushing, core control, and active range of motion through a combination of handstands, pilates, and good solid movement principles.
- Strapped for Rope: Straps conditioning focused on basics for aerial, and specifically off-loading for the unique grip challenges of the vertical apparatuses.
The rest of our time can be spent eating amazing, healthy food, swimming in the warm river and ocean, reading in hammocks, and breathing the tropical air.
Prerequisites:
Each student should arrive with a clear understanding of and be able to execute all of the following:
- 1 straight arm inversion
- Familiarity with straddle beats and scissor beats
- Comfort in s-wrap wheel downs
- Experience with back balance (it doesn’t need to be perfect)
Please feel free to email PJ at gingerly.aerial@gmail.com with any questions about the prerequisites.
Daily Schedule Sample: Everything is optional!
- 7:30-9:30 am: Coffee, Tea and Breakfast
- 9-9:45am : Training Theory/Discussion over coffee & breakfast
- 10am-12:30pm: Warm up, Straps,& Rope Class
- 1pm: Lunch
- 2-5pm: Pool-time, siesta, relaxing
- 3:30pm: Afternoon Treat
- 4:30-6:30pm: Ground Work & Creative Exploration
- 7pm Dinner
- 8-10pm Evening activities
We will take you to our favorite beaches for swimming and releasing baby turtles into the sea.
“I am so impressed with PJ’s knowledge of kinesiology and how to apply this to her aerial and handstand teaching. While I have only had the pleasure of learning virtually from PJ through her Patreon membership, I have fine tuned and progressed my aerial rope practice immensely solely from her classes! I always do and will continue to recommend her for any aerialist needing technique and dynamic movement guidance.”
Kim Freedman
Space is limited, so sign up now!
About your Coach
PJ Perry is a corde lisse specialist from Bellingham, Washington, who has been in the air since 2008. Her works have included solo, duo, and larger group pieces that have taken her around the globe. In addition to being involved in recurring local shows and special events like Moisture Festival, she has completed contracts with Circus Monti in Switzerland, Friedrichsbau Varieté in Germany, Venardos Circus in the states, and Acrobatic Conundrum here in Seattle. Festival work has even taken her to the outer edges of the universe with performances at the Western Australia Circus Festival, Russian Circus Princess Festival in Saratov, Russia and The Golden Horse Festival in Bulgaria. Her current performance projects focus on solo rope and duo synchronized rope with her partner, Eve Diamond in their project, Girls Gone Rope. PJ continues to work year round with the illustrious Bellingham Circus Guild, which is also her teaching home base where she works with local students as well as students all over the world via online coaching.
Click here to see PJ on Instagram. Click here to see her website. Click here to see her patreon.
Retreats with PJ at Casa Chango are one of the highlights of my year! The retreat center is incredible; such an idyllic location, incredible food, and a perfect outdoor training space that feels very safe and is SO beautiful. The retreat center aside, it is invaluable for me to get a full week of in-person training time and learning from PJ. She has such an incredible wealth of knowledge and expertise, and I go home at the end of each week feeling so inspired with so much new information and material to work on for months and months! If you are unsure if the cost is worth it I can tell you that it 10000% is!!
Liz Gehret 2025
“Working with PJ has been incredibly helpful in my training and growth on rope–her capacity to integrate detailed pedagogical information, provide simple and supportive diagnostics, and share her expertise from multiple disciplines in approachable, digestible ways has allowed me to grow tremendously.”
Drew Sevel
“If you’re a member of PJ’s patreon you already know what a wizard she is at online coaching (and if you’re not a member— get on that) so being able to learn from her in person is truly exceptional. She is so great at breaking complex technique down into easily digestible pieces, and has the unique ability to really challenge you to the edge of your limits with a kindness and ease. Attending her retreats always supercharge me; leaving me feeling more confident, capable, and creative within my own rope practice upon returning home.”
Kaitlyn Andrews
“I’ve been to 3 aerial retreats now with PJ, and each one has helped me level up my aerial practice far more than I could have imagined (in addition to being super fun!). PJ is so smart, thoughtful, and deliberate about the way she teaches, from her talks on kinesiology to the progressions she presents for skills and choreo. Although I see her regularly through Patreon offerings, working with her in person and having continuity over several days in a row is always special. ”
Randi Morrison
Retreat Pricing (in USD):
| Room | Early Bird Price | Full Price |
| Dorm (up to 4 people – mixed gender) | $2000 | $2300 |
| Shared room (1 king bed or 2 individual beds) shared bathroom (2 friends signing up together) | $2200 | $2500 |
| Shared room (1 king bed or 2 individual beds) private bathroom (2 friends signing up together) | $2300 | $2600 |
| Private room w shared bathroom | $2500 | $2800 |
| Private room w private bathroom | $2800 | $3100 |
| Private room w private bathroom & Air Conditioning | $3100 | $3500 |
$500 Deposit is required to secure your spot.
Early bird tuition is due by July 15.
Full tuition is due by Oct 15, 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.
What’s included:
- Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations*
- Arrive on Nov 22. Depart on Nov 29.
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snacks
- 2 Daily classes (4-6 hours total/day)
- Morning Aerial photoshoot
- Evening activities
- Trips to local beaches, baby turtle release, and night market
- 24 hour use of Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, and Community Spaces
- High Speed Starlink Wifi Internet
- Evening Jacuzzi soaks
“PJ is a fantastic coach. Her understanding of body awareness and mechanics lends beautifully to her instruction as she aims to meet her students where they’re at skill wise and build from there. Her insight and guidance has helped me tremendously in a number of ways ranging from warm up techniques to activate the appropriate muscle group to technique specific conditioning to help me achieve my goals. PJ’s support cues and insight have helped me in making progress with beats and roll-ups, things I had previously thought were simply out of my reach. She is phenomenal and a treasure to the circus community!”
Sarah Claussen
Links for more information:
- Accommodations – room descriptions
- Meals and Food*
- How to get here. Info and advice on booking your travel to Puerto Escondido.**
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Testimonials
- Excursions
Sign up early to get the Early Bird Discount
Questions? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com.
Food service begins with dinner on arrival day and breakfast on departure day. The food is amazing!
** Your taxi to/from the PXM airport is included if you arrive/depart on designated days. Click here for info about getting to Puerto Escondido.
*Referral discounts are for referring first time retreaters only.
No Refunds.
Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable.
Cancel more than 60 days before 1st day of retreat: 50% of your tuition paid can transfer toward a future Sweet Retreat within 18 months of cancellation.
Cancel 30-60 days before the 1st day of retreat: 25% of your tuition paid can transfer toward a future Sweet Retreat within 18 months of cancellation.
Cancellations up to 30 days before the 1st day of the retreat will not be credited or refunded for any reason.
At the time of payment for your retreat, we strongly advise purchasing a travel insurance policy. Make sure your policy covers the full cost of the retreat fee, as well as unexpected cancellation, trip delay, losses and other risks. Also, consider protection for canceled or delayed flights, lost luggage, medical needs while traveling. Please bring the policy with you in case of emergency. Click here for IM Global Insurance. Click here for WanderWell Insurance.
See complete list of terms and conditions here.