ImaginAerial And The Seven Bar Foundation – A Very Sassy Combination
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The Seven Bar Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women around the globe.
Save the world on a g-string, rather than a shoestring. Why not?
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What’s HOT in Ground Acts for 2012
It may be cold outside, but it’s pretty warm at the studio (kind of hot, actually)! What is it, you ask, that has us all a-twitter? Ground acts, ya’ll. Ground acts. Come see the must-have acts for 2012!
German Wheel
German Wheel
What it is: Well, it’s kind of hard to explain – you’d better watch this video. It’s like a human hamster wheel, but way better.
Why we love it: This act is SO dynamic and fun! It engages and energizes an audience like no other performance. With jaw-dropping spirals and incredible acrobatics, the German wheel will knock (roll?) your socks off. Highly recommended!
Acrobatic Pole
Acrobatic Pole
What it is: Yep – this is another one of those video moments. Click here to see this performer on the Ellen Degeneres Show!
Why we love it: Really, what’s not to love? The strength, beauty, and astounding athleticism of this act is just beyond words. He seems to defy gravity itself! Not to be missed.
Juggling
Glow Juggling
What it is: You only think you know what juggling is. Imagine glowing balls and clubs, light up props, and some very sassy performance. Yes, please!
Why we love it: It’s a classic for a reason! Reinvented and amped up for 2012, this act never fails to get rave reviews!
Click here to see this act in action in our latest promo video!
Contortion
- Contortion
What it is: You know what contortion is, I don’t have to explain it. But if you’d like to see some WOW!-inducing bendy-flexiness, check out this link.
Why we love it: Because it’s amazing to see people sit on their own heads! Also fun? The audience’s reaction to watching it! If I did this, they’d have to call an ambulance, so I leave it to the pros. Gorgeous!
Hand To Hand
What it is: If you watch only one video today, please - let it be this one!
Why we love it: Um, hello? Because it’s simply astounding! This act brings the house down every show. The strength and beauty of this act cannot be overstated – it’s absolutely exquisite. AND they’re really easy on the eyes. Just a completely impartial observation.
We’re adding new acts to our company every day as we team up with the best of the best. Give us a ring – we’ll chat!
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ImaginAerial’s Opening Act- How We Met
Everyone loves how-we-met stories because they are often funny and romantic and just a little cheesy. Laura and I are no exception. Even though years later, like many partners we would go through couple’s (business) therapy on national television, that doesn’t tinge our adorable beginnings.
It was one bright eve in an outer borough. Laura and I were both performing solo acts, she on silk and I on rope at a nightclub in Queens that no longer exists. I remember seeing Laura and thought how professional she looked, all cirque-like. I felt like a country mouse next to her glittered up self. We were performing at different times and on opposite sides of the room and people kept thinking we were the same person and calling us by the other’s name. Since then, people have asked us on numerous occasions if we were twins which is a little strange given our height difference. On that night though, our similar looks made things a bit confusing. Laura called me the next day and (as she likes to put it) threatened me,“Join me or die.” I think she was slightly more charming than that, but whatever the method I quickly agreed and we began rehearsals.
Neither of us were totally flush at the time, Laura was about to get married and I was moving out of my ex-fiance’s place, so we struck a deal with the Queen’s nightclub owner. We could use the space for free if we would offer performances for a rather reduced rate. At that point, there weren’t any tall aerial rehearsal spaces (yes, kids it’s true) and it seemed perfect. The only drawback was that it was dark, a little musty and had no heat. Winters then aren’t like winters now. We rehearsed with our coats and hats on and then when we thought we got it right, and were fairly warm, we’d take everything off and run whatever we’d gotten through. It took us the better part of a year, rehearsing two hours a day almost every day to get the act right. We were so psyched but then we couldn’t actually get through the darn thing physically because we hadn’t built the endurance back. It’s so funny to us now because now I know that act so well I’m sure we could do it with having no training or prep at any moment.
Luminarium: The Extended Promo!
If you like this video (and we hope you do!), share it on your blog, facebook, twitter, and wherever else you crazy kids are sharing things these days!
New Ambient Aerial Hammock Demo!!!
If you’re wondering what the heck ambient aerial hammock looks like in action, wonder no more! Have a look! For more ImaginAerial videos, click here!
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Repeat performances- How to give ‘em the beef without making it into meatloaf.
I had Cirque style entertainment at my party last year. Everyone absolutely loved it, but how do I top that this year? There can be too much of a good thing, and nobody wants to repeat themselves. Think Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Need I say more? Nothing is ever as good as the first time. The last thing you want is to chase after a good idea with a cheap carbon copy formula (or greedy aliens). That said, people love cirque style entertainment and what are you going to do to follow that up, hire a mariachi band? You’ve set the bar pretty high, now you have to at least meet expectations. How do you do that without seeming like you are doing the same thing?
Well, there are ways. You just have to be creative.
1. Talk to us about figuring out something totally different- We’ve hired breakdancers, strolling tables, and girls who dance inside balloons. We are very connected in the entertainment world and could find something really unique for you.
2. Recontextualize the entertainment- Rather than having girls just hanging upside down, put them to work! Have them also pour people’s champagne. Aerial bartending is a fun way to really turn your party upside down. It’s interactive and fun. Most people don’t get to chat with someone hanging by their ankles on a regular basis.
3. Choose really different apparatuses- Silks are beautiful and exciting but also very popular. There are some amazing apparatuses that most people haven’t seen like a quadruple trapeze. It really draws people’s attention.
4. Use technology -There are all sorts of new technologies from interactive lighting, to lights that project video. A lot of it is cheaper than it seems it would be. It’s always good to seem high tech even if you still haven’t entirely figured out your iphone.
Don’t be afraid to be out there. People love telling their friends about that hip cool party where they saw something none of them have seen before. Many people have hired us year after year, but need to make sure their audience is not getting tired of Cirque. It doesn’t have to be always how we think of it, there are many possibilities, All you have to do is to let us think of them!
Aerial Bartending
Formula PR Newsletter Mention – WOOT!
Hi everyone! Check us out (yes, that’s ImaginAerial) in the Formula newsletter SPARK!
“Billed “Flights & Flights,” the evening dazzled guests with a sensory experience that transported them to the Rhône Valley (via air travel décor and props), while allowing them to savor flights of some of the region’s most spectacular wines. As 
Rhône Valley Wine region representatives mingled with guests and communicated key messages, attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvre and wine pairings as well as Cirque-style aerial performances by trained artists, contortionists and aerialists. The result was an elegant and memorable journey to Rhône…”
Read the rest here (scroll down). Many thanks to Formula NY for an AMAZING and fun event!
As always, if you like this post, “like” it, share it on Facebook, Twitter, on your blog, or wherever else you crazy kids are posting things these days!
Is Cirque-Style Entertainment Worth the Money? What You Should Know Before Parting With Your Hard-Earned Cash
Cirque-style acts don’t come cheap. There, I said it. If you’re looking for a contortionist (as in a person who can balance on her hands and sit on her own head) to come and perform at your party for $300, I have some bad news for you: the most you’re going to get is a strung-out yoga student in sweat pants or a Capezio unitard performing to Enigma and falling off the stage. We’ve seen it, and it’s not pretty. Repeat after me: you get what you pay for.
Why Do The Acts Seem So Expensive?
… Well, can you sit on your head or spin from one ankle? (If so, call us!) Quite simply, we have been training for years to do what we do. You’re paying for 20+ years of ongoing training with private coaches, innate talent and skill, rehearsal space (at upwards of $25 per hour), insurance, the hours and weeks that go into planning your event, and a host of other factors that go into presenting professional shows. It ain’t face painting, ya’ll!
What Goes Into Pricing An Act?
Among other things,
- How rare the act is (if you’re the only alligator wrestler in the Tri-State area, you can pretty much write your own ticket)
- How amazing the act is (see below!)
- How long they’ve been in the business and what kind of reputation they have for excellence
- Whether they’re booked months ahead of time or last minute
So, Are They Worth It?
The great ones are worth every cent or more. The mediocre ones don’t make it into our company. If you’re good with a flexible yogi dressed like an extra from “Flashdance”, have at it! But if you really want the quality, brilliance, and virtuosity of a professional act, then you must be willing to pay them what they’re worth. You’ll never regret it.
Acrobazia – one of ImaginAerial’s go-to handbalancing duos
As always, if you like this post, share it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and wherever else you crazy kids are posting things these days!
Our New Promo Video
ImaginAerial is starting the new year with a new video. It’s contains some of the greatest hits from the last few years. Enjoy!
NYE- Pressure, pressure, pressure….
New Year’s Eve is a time for the big and splashy, a time to pull out all the stops and celebrate until you find yourself sitting on your welcome mat with someone else’s dog. Given that people spend a lot of money to make this night special, as a planner for their party, you want to make darn sure they feel like they got their money’s worth. Cirque style Entertainment is perfect for this kind of celebration.
How do we make sure everything goes flawlessly?
- Book Early It’s especially important on this day to make sure you get the acts you want.
- Nothing After Midnight This advice cannot be emphasized enough. The energy of this night changes after Midnight like no other party does. I was part of the Millenial Celebration in Times Square. The organizers had the great idea of having performances every hour from different parts of the world as each country or region celebrated Midnight. This idea worked marvelously until midnight EST, when the annual mass exodus occurred, but they made us keep performing until 6 am. What a slogfest. By 1:30 am, it was just the performers dancing to tumbling champagne bottle bags and a couple of very resentful TV crews. Even when people do stay to celebrate after the pivotal moment, they will be too busy smearing their lipstick on someone’s face or dancing barefoot in among smashed bits of glass to care about much else.
- Higher Energy Acts Later As people get more inebriated they will need something bright and fast moving to keep them focused. Normally we like to have a balance of energies throughout the evening, but on this night it’s a little different. Put any walkaround performers on early as well as the contortionists. It will warm people up and put them on a great trajectory.
- Have performers arrive the day before This time of year is often fraught with all sorts of delays. This event is too big a deal to take chances. Make sure there is plenty of time for performers to get their luggage too.
- Whenever Possible, Add Glitter and Confetti If you can’t afford confetti canons then we can throw them out of our bras from 18 feet up. However you do it, it ain’t NYE if people aren’t spitting out mouthfuls of chopped up mylar.
Winter Fabulousness
