Trapeze Tricks, Tempos, & Tangles Retreat
with teachers Sara Sparrow & Niff Nicholls
Dec 6-13, 2025
At Casa Chango Mexico
Puerto Escondido
a WEEK in PARADISE with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and TRAPEZE!
This retreat is for trapeze devotees who want to deepen their vocabulary and explorative capacity for every facet of this unique, classic, and elegant apparatus. With over 20 years each of coaching and aerial experience, Niff and Sara bring a huge background of knowledge, experience, and ideas to the bar. Both these women have been a the forefront of trapeze exploration for decades, and with this workshop, their skill sets are brought together at long last! No path of inquiry will be left untouched, as we explore spinning theory, dynamic work, rolls, circles, beats, tricks, movement on and around the bar, ground to bar transitions, and creative sequencing. We will mostly utilize single-point trapeze for ease of rigging and versatility, although static bar artists will find a lot value in this workshop, as well.
This workshop is a unique opportunity for lovers of static and single-point trapeze to gather and share skills and space. What better way to inspire and invigorate your own creative and technical process than to be surrounded by the trapeze community you crave!
This Retreat will have morning and afternoon classes which will alternate between instructors.
Morning Classes
With Niff, students will dive into trapeze theory–exploring spins, handgrips, wraps, and transitions–while breaking down complex rope and bar work into accessible creative pathways. Emphasis will be placed on gaining control over the bar with nuanced precision. Students will also dive into the dynamics of spin, learning to harness its power to enhance or challenge their movement.
With Sara, morning sessions will explore a wide range of momentum-based movements, and how to string them together into dynamic sequencing. Skills could include elbow rolls, hip rolls, armpit beats, tricks from pullovers, cutaways, catches, release tricks, drops/twists to ankles or armpits, all depending on student interest.
Afternoon Classes
With Niff, afternoon practices will focus on creating your own original pathways, and developing original sequences, while embracing creative exploration. Students will take what they learned in spin theory and use it to enhance our discoveries. Students will build the tools to break away from set tricks and develop a fluid, personal approach to trapeze.
With Sara, students will work to integrate the static dynamism of tricks into complex choreography, addressing the question, ‘how do we deliver on the big moves without compromising artistry?’ Further movement exploration will be done by working to translate ground-based movement to the bar. Did someone say silly dance routines? Quite possibly. A fun new creative tool to explore? Absolutely.
Prerequisites:
This workshop will be fun and rewarding for several levels of aerialist. That said, only trapezists who have gone solidly beyond the basics will have the strength, endurance, and familiarity with the apparatus to participate fully in such an intensive environment. basic prerequisites are:
- the ability to invert in ropes safely and securely, straddle/pullover to the bar confidently
- familiarity with basic trapeze and vertical vocabulary (for trapeze, movements such as straddle back, front balance, gazelle; for vertical, wraps such as catchers and hip key)
- familiarity with basic tempo work: bell beats, body beats, knee beats
- comfortable exploring in trapeze ropes (grip strength and wrap tolerance)
- Students will do best at this retreat if they build up their hand callouses beforehand through regular practice.
Attendees are encouraged to bring protective layers for knees, armpits, elbows, waists.
Please feel free to email niff.nicholls@gmail.com and sarasparrow22@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, Trapeze Skills & Technique
- 1pm: Lunch
- 2-5pm: Pool-time, siesta, relaxing
- 3:30pm: Afternoon Treat
- 4:30-6:30pm: Creative Exploration on the Trapeze
- 7pm Dinner
- 8-10pm Evening activities
We will take you to our favorite beaches for swimming and releasing baby turtles into the sea.
Space is limited, so sign up now!
About your Coaches
Niff Nicholls – Aerial Artist & Educator With over 20 years of experience teaching aerial arts across a wide range of apparatus—including rope, silks, sling, trapeze, and Lyra—Niff Nicholls has dedicated her career to exploration and innovation. While she has dabbled in everything from Chinese pole to straps, it was trapeze that captured her imagination. In the early days, when few others were delving into its creative potential, Niff found herself on a path of discovery, shaping what would become a foundational curriculum for modern trapeze training. As the founder and director of Secret Circus in Philadelphia, PA, a feedback instructor for PaperDoll Militia, and a full-time teacher, Niff approaches instruction as an art in its own right. She thrives on helping students break boundaries, reimagine movement, and uncover new possibilities in the ropes and around the bar. She is beyond excited to collaborate with Sara, whose passion for movement and expertise in dynamic work continue to inspire and impress all the cool kids these days!
Find Niff on Instagram @theniff
Sara Sparrow came to contemporary circus through a background as a gymnast, an actor and performer in musical theater, a visual artist with a BA in Fine Art, and as a classically-trained singer and musician. In her 20-year performance career, she has been a multi-disciplinary aerialist, an acrobat, foot juggler, carpet-spinner, chair stacker, parasol-twirler, musician, singer, dancer, showgirl, clown, actress, and chicken. She is the creator of Cirque de Crochet, and is known for her uniquely creative, visually stunning props and costumery . Sara has been coaching circus since 2007, and is the founder of Sparrow Studios school for aerial arts in Olympia, WA. Sara has also been a certified bodyworker, since 2009, and specializes in treatment work and visceral manipulation, bringing her knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology to bear in her coaching and movement work. Sara has produced and directed well over a dozen shows, including her own sold-out solo show ‘Wee Small’, in 2016. Other noteworthy performance engagements include Teatro ZinZanni, TEDx, Teatro Circo Price (Madrid/Bilbao), Friedrichsbau Variete (Stuttgart).
Find Sara on Instagram @cirquedecrochet
“Sara Sparrow has a vibrant and positive attitude towards teaching which makes her classes fun and rewarding. Her supportive, confident teaching style keeps me coming back for more.”
Lily
“Niff’s dedication to technique and foundational skills fosters real, noticeable growth in her students, shaping them into stronger, more confident aerialists. Her innovative choreography isn’t just admired—it’s emulated, helping to define the landscape of modern aerial arts. While her trapeze work is undeniably iconic, her deep commitment to cross-apparatus training and aerial theory sets her apart, elevating the art form across disciplines.“
Megan Stephens
Retreat Pricing (in USD):
| Room | Early Bird Price | Full Price |
| Dorm (up to 4 people – mixed gender) | $2100 | $2400 |
| Shared room (1 king bed or 2 individual beds) shared bathroom (2 friends signing up together) | $2300 | $2600 |
| Shared room (1 king bed or 2 individual beds) private bathroom (2 friends signing up together) | $2400 | $2700 |
| Private room w shared bathroom | $2600 | $2900 |
| Private room w private bathroom | $2900 | $3200 |
| Private room w private bathroom & Air Conditioning | $3200 | $3500 |
$500 Deposit is required to secure your spot.
Early bird tuition is due by Aug 1, 2025.
Full tuition is due by Nov 1, 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 Dec 6. Depart on Dec 13.
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snacks
- 2 Daily classes
- 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
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.