WCCO-TV Interview with Sherry and Lynn

Sherry Walling and Lynn Lunny talk about healing heartache through movement specifically through circus arts during their interview today with WCCO/CBS News.

Dr. Sherry Walling is a psychologist, author and aerial arts performer. Lynn Lunny is a circus arts performer and teacher. Both women tragically lost their brothers to suicide, and it was movement that helped them cope and manage their grief. During Mental Health Awareness month, they share their personal stories about how they found their outlet to heal.

If you’re interested in exploring and healing your own heartache through aerial movement, check out Circus for the Broken-Hearted workshop happening Sunday, June 4, 2023 at Stomping Ground Studio. No aerial experience required.

Sherry standing in background as Lynn holds a handstand with staggered legs on her handstand bench at a live interview with WCCO-TV
Touching Two Worlds: How circus arts and movement can help people cope with mental illness

Private Parties & Events

Private group parties are the best way to celebrate your special time! Get your group together and schedule a private birthday or bachelorette party, or whatever else you’re celebrating!

Click here to fill out a brief questionnaire about your event. We’ll then check our books, and get back to you about scheduling as soon as we can! We usually have availability on Friday evenings and Saturdays mornings or afternoons. Please note that private events are scheduled around weekly classes. Click here to see the weekly class schedule.

Aerial arts studio showing tall ceiling and multiple apparatuses in us including a long haired person inverted on a trapeze, two people on blue slings, one person on straps, with a couple others in the background.
Celebrate with us!

Vivid Conversations About Race Intensive Experience

April AWAKEN Cohort | Vivid Conversations About Race

This experience includes about 25hrs of Professional Development in Race Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, 3 consecutive sessions + 1 follow session, your workbook and tools, and so much more confidence and clarity in how to engage this very important and impactful work.

About this Intensive Experience:

This 3 part experience, taking individuals from [A]WAKEned, to [A]WOKEned, to WORKin’, is one stepping stone in a lifelong process of curating more welcoming and supportive spaces with regards to race equity.

This series is especially curated for those in the Twin Cities Circus & Performing Arts Community, a metro with some of the worst race disparities in the country. This disparity is constantly showing up in Twin Cities performing arts spaces of both instruction and performance.

Individuals will take part in this intensive because they want opportunities to get to know black and brown people trying alternative arts more often AND they want to be a part of welcoming people of all races to come, to stay, to play, and to authentically take up space.

Register Here

Check out other Vivid Black Paint sponsored events here.

Spring Performance Prep Class and Showcase!

Click here to read our March Newsletter!

Spring Performance Prep Class Series Starts the Week of March 19th! 

Join us for our Spring Student Showcase Performance Prep Class and show!

In this is a seven-week class session, beginning the week of March 19th, you will meet weekly to work on creating and choreographing a piece on your apparatus of choice!

After the seven weekly classes, you get to debut your new act in our showcase happening the weekend of May 5th and 6th.

Experience on your apparatus is required. Come with tricks and sequences in mind that you would like to incorporate into your choreography. Please note this is not a learn-new-skills type of class. Your coach will be there to assist you in creating flow between your tricks and sequences to compile a new piece of artistry!

You may miss up to one class and make it up during an Open Gym.

Classes start the week of March 19th

Performance Prep with Lynn – Sundays 10:30am – FULL

Performance Prep with Alissa – Sundays 1:15pm 

Performance Prep with Kristen – Tuesdays 5:45pm – FULL

Spring Student Showcase – May 5th and 6th, 2023

Schedule Performance Prep Class

 

February Studio Updates

 February Studio Updates

Open Gym StudioFebruary Studio Updates. We are officially in the depths of winter. Lucky for us our studio is cozy, warm, and full of plants. Come escape the winter and move with us!

Early Morning Classes & Conditioning!

For all you early birds, we added two morning classes just for you!

Aerial Yoga with Josie – Wednesdays 8am
Aerial yoga incorporates the asanas (postures) of yoga while using the aerial sling. This class is suited for the regularly practicing aerialist or acrobat as a rejuvenating, gentle conditioning practice. It is also suited for a beginner aerialist looking for a light approach to aerial or for anyone interested in a yoga practice. This is not a tricks-based class. An introduction to inversions in the sling or on another aerial apparatus is helpful, but not required.

Early Morning Lyra or Rope with Alissa – Thursdays 8am
Grab your morning beverage and start your day on a Lyra OR Aerial Rope. We’ll explore sequences and moves that have similarities on both or that have nothing in common. You get to pick which of the two apparatuses you want to be on. All levels welcome!

And we’ve added a couple new evening classes too!

NEW! Aerial Conditioning with Anja – Thursdays 5:45pm
A full body workout designed to increase active flexibility, strengthen and stabilize your core and increase mind body connection to keep you safe and aware in the air. This class will be ground based with occasional use of apparatus for drills. No aerial experience is necessary for this class, it is open to all levels, beginner or advanced. Modifications are provided for every drill, whether it be to make it more accessible, or increase intensity.

Beginner Handstands with Katie – Fridays 4:30pm
This class is designed for people who are interested in handstanding but don’t know where to begin. In this weekly class, we will focus on drills to strengthen our core, shoulders, and stabilizer muscles needed for finding that perfect handstand line. These drills will be interspersed with breaks for stretching and technique discussions.

UPCOMING!

Hula Hoop Workshop/Classes
Keep an eye out!

Purchase Class Pack Here

Sign Up for Classes Here

Circus for the Broken Hearted Workshop

In this very special workshop local psychologist and aerialist, Dr. Sherry Walling, will help us explore how physical movement and artistic expression can support our wellbeing and emotional healing.

The integration of circus and healing has generated some interest in the larger community.

***There will be a film crew on site for this workshop. By participating, you consent to your image being included in the filming. Any interviews or personal sharing are completely optional.***

Sign up for Circus for the Broken-Hearted

Memberships

Check out other training options with our membership program! It includes all open gyms, acro jam, handstand happy hour, and dedicated member training times. Read more here.

 

January Class Updates

Happy New Year!! January Class Updates

January Class Updates. We are so grateful for each and every student that comes into the studio. We hope to continue sharing our space with you and creating the amazing community that is Stomping Ground!

Newly Added Classes & Class Times!

Want MORE CIRCUS!? We do too!! Which is why we’ve added several new classes to our weekly schedule! AND we’ve added more class time availability for some of our more popular classes.

Beginner Intermediate Silks with Kristen – Mondays at 3:30pm
Duo Aerial with Lynn and Kristen – Mondays at 7pm
Handstands & Flexibility with Kristen – Tuesdays at 1:30pm
Aerial Yoga with Josie – Wednesdays at 8am
Beg-Int Silks Foundations with Coco – Tuesdays at 7pm
Early Morning Lyra or Rope with Alissa – Thursdays at 8am
Aerial Conditioning with Anastasia – Thursdays at 5:45pm

Monthly Handstand Happy Hour – Last Friday of every month at 5pm

Purchase Class Pack Here
Sign Up for Classes Here

Rope Palooza is rescheduled for Thursday, January 26th at 7pm!

Pic of Grace by Clockwork SteveLooking to spice up your rope practice? Look no further. In this workshop, we’ll go through a variety of moves including slack drops, half releases, and static poses. This workshop is for intermediate/advanced students with a regular rope or silks practice. Students should be comfortable with inversions and be regularly practicing basic beat pathways (bell, pike, and scissor).
Click here to sign up!

Memberships

Check out other training options with our membership program! It includes all open gyms, acro jam, handstand happy hour, and dedicated member training times. Read more here.

 

Vivid Black Circus Club

Vivid Black Circus Club

Vivid Black Circus Club

Vivid Black Circus Club is an opportunity for black and brown youth, ages 10-20, who are interested in exploring the world of circus arts with a wellness and career concentration.

For club days, we will work on skills, learn theory, play with foundations in various areas of circus arts. We will also have peer-to-peer mentorships, future performance, and volunteer opportunities. We will talk about health, community, self-care, self-advocacy, exploration, creativity, and of course, circus arts.

The monthly membership is $50. You must sign up each month for the whole month. The club meets every Thursday from 3:45pm – 5:45pm. There are 6 spots available each month. If you are in need of a scholarship or have questions you can email Vivid Black Paint directly.

About Vivid Black Paint’s Cirque Wellness Program

Having a unique specialty in such disciplines as aerial performance, fire breathing, acrobalance, or even clowning, is a highly marketable arts skill with opportunities for performance, instruction, and studio ownership.

With circus, develop skills in problem-solving, internal and external conflict resolution, communication building, creative strategizing, and capacity building to break through self-maintained and societally reinforced barriers.

If you are ready to sign up for the club, you can sign up here!

We are also seeking sponsorships for youth. You can sponsor your youth’s participation or, if you don’t have a participating youth, you can become a Club Sponsor. The total cost per month is about $60/month per participant. If you are interested in sponsoring a youth to have access to more circus arts, please consider donating. Read more about sponsorships here! To become a sponsor, give your gift here!

More about Vivid Black Paint here and here.