4 Reasons to Get Yourself to CampFire

Image: Shawn Orton

The Circus is Calling…

Every summer, the circus comes rolling into southern Minnesota. Jugglers, aerialists, and flow artists gather from around the country for CampFire – a 4-day, 3-night gathering that creates a space to share, learn, perform, and grow the community. 

From July 25th-28th, Harmony Park in Clarks Grove, MN will be home to premiere circus artists from the Midwest and beyond. In conjunction with Flow Arts Institute, the event is organized by a dedicated group of flow and aerial artists with help from dozens of volunteers. 

Zyra, owner and coach at Stomping Ground Studio, has been organizing the aerial and acrobatic offerings at CampFire for an impressive 10 years. 

“I’m involved with CampFire after all these years because I love the community we create,” she says. “I love meeting new inspirational artists and learning from them, and especially love being with all these wonderful people under the white oak tree forest that is Harmony Park.”

But why do hundreds of others return to CampFire year after year? 

Why do participants travel from across the country to attend? 

Why is it worth shelling out some cold hard cash to join them yourself?

Below, we’ve highlighted the four most compelling reasons to run away and join the circus this summer. 

1 – New Teachers, New Tricks

Ever hit a plateau?

If you’ve been going to the same studio or been living in the same city for years, chances are good you’ve seen some reused and recycled material. 

That really cool transition that used to thrill you… Yawn.

That new skill that was going around Instagram for days… Old news.  

The truth is, the longer you train, the more you’re bound to start seeing skills and ideas repeated.

Just like taking a vacation from your daily life can revive your perspective, learning from an instructor or from colleagues outside of your regular community can totally refresh your imagination – and your skills. 

“I focus on bringing in artists from all over, including artists from Vancouver (Canada), Toronto, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Colorado, Washington, and more,” says Zyra. 

Image: Shawn Orton

Sarah Chien, four-time CampFire attendee, also sees the value in learning from out-of-town teachers. “Camp Fire has improved by skills as an aerial/acro/flow artist by exposing me to coaches and teachers I may not have otherwise gotten to learn from.”

 You too can level up by working with someone outside your regular circle. 

2 – Mix It Up with a New Prop/Apparatus 

We bet you have your favorite toy.

Maybe you only do lyra, and loathe aerial silks.

Maybe you’re always on the ground and never give a thought to flow arts. 

While no one is going to force you to take a break from your favorite prop or apparatus, you just might be surprised when you branch out and try something new. 

Six years ago, Matt Davis had never breathed fire. And look at him now…

Image: Myss Angie.

“Literally all my fire skills started there,” he says. Matt’s since become a regular fire and flow artist, but it all started with dabbling.

At CampFire, you’ll have the chance to try out juggling or contact staff, then learn some skills on mini-hoop. Recharge with a yoga class, then come back to hit it hard on aerial chains. 

Expand your repertoire of props and skills, and see what inspiration it ignites in you. 

3 – Grow Your Community

It’s a well-known trope that in Minnesota, social circles can be harder to break into than a frozen lake. CampFire is an opportunity to break out of your bubble and build a bigger network. 

Anastasia Svila has done just that in their two years at CampFire. “I met many aerialists and flow artists that I later connected with on Instagram, helping expand my community!”

Image: Shawn Orton

Attendees come from many different studios and several different states, contributing their diverse knowledge and experience to workshops. Even getting to CampFire can be an opportunity to connect with someone new, like Natalie Doud has done. “I really enjoyed driving down from Seattle to Minnesota with Exuro Piechocki and the rest of the bus crew,” she said. 

While you’re learning, challenge yourself to partner up with somebody new, or strike up a conversation with someone from out of town. 

The connections don’t stop when workshops are done. With nightly fire circles and plenty of social spaces, you’ll have endless opportunities to make…dare we say it…new friends!

4 – #Goals

Find someone who was at CampFire in 2016 and ask them about the act performed by straps artist Laura Griffin.

Image: Shawn Orton

After they pick their jaw up off the ground and roll their eyes back into their head, they’ll probably give you this review…

 “AMAZING.”

After four years at CampFire, Vera Sky can attest to the talent of the Saturday night Showcase performers. “I have seen showcase performances that were so inspiring they have brought me to tears,” she professed. 

CampFire is not only a hub for curious students and phenomenal teachers but also world-class performance artists. We’re talking about the kinds of performances that leave your eyes shining and your hands itching to go train for hours. Their performances will undoubtedly dazzle you with moments, transitions, or elements of style that you’ve never seen before, and inspire you to take your own skills to the next level. 


Whether you’re at the beginning of your aerial education or have been training for years, CampFire is a chance to freshen your perspective and connect with a host of innovative, unique artists. 

Pre-purchase general admission tickets are still available for $165.

With 14 workshops over two days, that works out to less than $12 per workshop.

You don’t need us to tell you that’s the deal of the year. 

Now, we want to hear from you. 

What do you hope to gain from this year’s CampFire? 

Use the buttons below to get social and tell us!

 

New blog, website, and a brief look at 2017

Hi and welcome to my new website and new blog! I am very excited to share this with you all! This project has been a long time coming, but due to some unfortunate life circumstances, it has been seriously delayed.

With that, I wanted to express my gratitude toward my students and coaches who have been so patient with me over this past year. Some of you are already aware, but for those who aren’t, I’d like to share a bit about what’s been going on.

The start of this year was not fun. I had laser eye surgery and was completely unprepared for the recovery. I lived in darkness for a week and had to sleep in rigid glasses so that I wouldn’t accidentally rub my eyes in the night. As you can imagine, sleep was not a restful experience. I couldn’t even distract myself by being on my phone since the light emitted was too much for my sensitive eyes. The type of surgery I had, PRK, makes vision worse before it gets better, so everything was blurry for a few weeks. I had to refrain from driving for two full weeks and was at the mercy of friends to support me through my recovery.

And that was just the start of the year…what happens next changes me profoundly.

My best friend and life-partner died unexpectedly. The months succeeding his death were the most emotionally tumultuous months I have lived through. I loved him more than anyone and wanted to be with him for the duration of my life. I felt slighted by his death and a huge part of me died when he passed away.

I withdrew from everything and had no mental or emotional energy for anything, let alone energy to run my business. On top of the natural stress that comes with grieving, I was worried that my business would fail yet felt completely helpless to do anything about it.

As the news of his death went viral, I was overwhelmed by the response of my community. Lucky for me, I have an amazing community who offered their love, support, and services. Some people stepped in to teach my classes and help with the administrative work. Others cooked me meals or brought flowers or made art for me. One friend even cleaned my entire bathroom just to help out. This outpouring of support carried me and my business through this incredibly tough time, and I am eternally grateful. I cannot express it enough – Thank you to every one of you who has been there for me. <3

After months of isolation and apathy, I forced myself to start becoming more involved in the world. I needed a new project to focus on, so I decided to enroll in a 200 hour power yoga teacher training offered through Core Power Yoga. Movement (yoga, aerial, dance) has always been a therapeutic activity, so I figured this intensive program was exactly what my body and soul needed. I became immersed in the study of yoga, which is, in large part, a study of one’s self.

When reading about the philosophies of yoga, there is an underlying concept dealing with the impermanence of life. Nothing is forever, we know that, yet we become attached to people, things, life. Yoga teaches us that having attachments or aversions to things will ultimately led to feelings of discontentment. As I try to apply letting go of attachments in my own life, I see a real struggle with the concept of letting go of someone so dear to me.

When letting go of attachments, I’m also reminded of the experience of renewal. When my path leads me back to where I started, I begin to see with fresh eyes and hard earned wisdom. After all this past year has had in store, I’ve been able to fall back to the core of the reason I do the work I do: the love of teaching. Engaging in physical activities like aerial acrobatics has been a huge source of healing in my own life. I want to equip my students with this powerful tool which I have greatly benefited from for the past decade.

One way I can demonstrate my renewed commitment to my business is by unveiling a brand new Stomping Ground Studio website! I hope you find that it makes your experience with my studio easier. Please check the site frequently as all class updates/cancelations will be posted here.

Lastly, I wanted to mention the new class additions on the schedule. Starting on Monday Jan 8th , you will be able to train handstands and/or flexibility with our newest coach, Tobi Daniel. Welcome, Tobi!