Odd Jobs: Aerial fabric instructor/performer
Rachel McMeachin attempts astounding aerial fabric feats
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Rachel McMeachin feels most at home danging from the ceiling. With a “varied and random” background, she is one of the founding members and performers of Kansas City-based Voler - Thieves of Flight, an aerial fabric performance troupe. When she's not suspended on colorful silks, McMeachin hosts regular Dr. Sketchy's art meet-ups, practices yoga, and teaches others the art of aerial fabric performance.
"Aerial Fabric (also known as aerial contortion, aerial ribbons, aerial silks, aerial tissues, ribbon, or tissu) is a type of performance where artists wrap, suspend, fall, swing, and spiral their body into and out of various positions on a suspended fabric without the use of safety lines."
Take flight
Catch Rachel McMeachin and her fellow Voler performers at several upcoming shows:
March 27: Happy Humpy Traveling Medicine Show, The Loft (1331 Union Ave.)
March 28: AIDS Walk Benefit, Crosstown Station
April 17: RAW (A fashion event), 1329 Liberty
April 24: Busker Preview, Lawrence Arts Center (940 New Hampshire St., Lawrence)
May 14: Night of Fame, Conspiracy Room, Uptown Theater
For a complete schedule, visit Voler's Web site.
KCFP: How did you get involved in aerial performances?
My involvement with aerial silks came about after a discussion with a friend who had taken classes in Denver. I had always been interested, so she gave me the name of her instructor (Lynn Coleman) and encouraged me to contact her about coming to Kansas City. I arranged for her trip and began hanging fliers to see if anyone would be interested in helping to defer the cost. I set up the fabrics in my loft and held the workshops here over one weekend.
KCFP: What did you do before you were an aerial performer?
RM: My background is varied and a little random. I've been an activist, model, make-up artist, dancer, waitress, costume designer and a performer with a sideshow-style circus. I was fire-eating/breathing/dancing, walking on broken glass or a bed of nails and doing bullwhip tricks.
KCFP: Do you hold any jobs in addition to your work with Voler?
RM: I host an artist drawing group called Dr. Sketchy's. They meet here the first and third Sunday of the month. Other than that I am in the air either teaching, practicing or performing at least five days a week.
KCFP: How often do you practice routines and techniques?
RM: Voler has practice two to three times a week. It always seems we're in some sort of performance preparedness. We finish with one show and turn around to start getting ready for the next. We took a few months off this winter for some personal time and to get back to using practice to train, learn new tricks and develop new routines on and off the ground. We have started incorporating new apparatuses and floor work into our repertoire.
KCFP: Where do you usually teach aerial fabric classes?
RM: For now all classes are held at my loft in the West Bottoms. I have been offered a job teaching at a gymnastic studio in Lee's Summit and should be starting there in the next few weeks.
KCFP: Are the classes ideal for all experience levels, or is it best to come with certain skills?
RM: I have classes set up in levels. Aerial 1 is for the beginner. It is best if you can hold your own body weight before you begin. Not everyone can do a full pull-up when they start but I work with you at whatever level you are at and train you in techniques to help you advance. I remember one student who did her first pull-up ever after three months of classes—she was ecstatic. This is actually a full body workout; your core strength is what you depend on more than just your upper body. I run a lot of drills to help my students develop strength, flexibility and stamina. It's not an easy workout but it's fun and exhilarating. The amount of progress people make in just a short time is amazing. Aerial 2 is designed for students who can comfortably execute a number of moves and be able to hold themselves upside-down on the fabrics. Aerial 3 and above are private classes for now until I have more students that have the stamina to work at greater heights.
KCFP: Do you wear any special clothing when you're practicing or performing?
RM: Practice is standard tights and T-shirts. During performances we get to add lots of glitz and glamor. Since we are off the ground we have lots of eye-catching sparkle and make-up. Each performance seems to have a different theme, so at this point, my wardrobe is spilling out of the closet.
KCFP: Is there an aerial fabric move or technique you haven't yet mastered but would like to learn?
RM: There are lots—I'm learning and experimenting all the time. Some of the bigger falls I don't get a lot of chance to practice because of our limited availability to high ceiling spaces. I'm working on one right now that I can't seem to conquer. It's a double-forward drop but my legs keep bending at the knees, breaking my momentum. It's hard to remember to keep my legs straight and extended while falling face first!
KCFP: What's your most memorable experience, whether teaching a class or performing with Voler?
RM: Having a “most” of anything is hard. So many moments are memorable for various reasons. I love teaching and helping others find their strength, joy and accomplishments so a lot of favorite moments are the cheers of students getting something for the first time. For the most memorable performance moments, the ones that stick out are the ones with the highest risks like performing at Starlight Theater with fabrics hung at nearly 80 feet—I was only halfway up and felt like the whole room could see me shaking. Or when I know I just had a flawless performance—I usually walk away with the biggest smile on my face.
KCFP: Where do you get your inspiration?
RM: I am inspired by all of the aerialists I have been lucky enough to study with. Each performer in Voler is so talented in such different ways they will always keep me motivated. Music will always inspire me to want to move and create. And my newest inspiration is AcroYoga, a partnered acrobatic form of yoga I've been learning for a couple years now.
KCFP: If you weren't performing and teaching with Voler, what would you be doing?
RM: Hard saying. I was always floating from one thing to another as far as jobs go before I started aerial. I actually would tell people I was a professional levitation artist if ever asked what I did for a living because I was jumping all over the place professionally. In a weird way that flippant, evasive answer kind of became a foreshadowing of things to come. Becoming involved with aerial arts changed the course of my life in ways I never would have imagined. I am happier, healthier and stronger than I've ever been before. I can say this is the best part of my life so far.
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