Featured Masterclass Student: Jessie
For the month of February 2020, I wanted to feature the beautiful and bubbly, Jessie!
Jessie has been a consistent student of mine for over a year now. Every month we get to meet online for a private class and she actively participates in the monthly MC content. If I can say my students have one characteristic in common with eachother…it’s drive and passion! Okay, that’s two. I love working with this amazing girl because she knows exactly what she wants. She is very receptive to feedback and has an extremely humble heart. I think in the aerial world, those two things will get you the farthest. Not “high level” skill, not 100 certifications. Drive. Passion. Gratitude. Humility. Jessie is all of those things and more. It’s been amazing to watch her overcome some of her aerial obstacles and to see the amazing things she is doing and producing in her own community. I am proud to call her a friend and student!
Here’s a bit more about Jessie, from the Queen J herself:
I’m an aerial artist, producer, and coach based in St. Louis! I’m coming up on my four year aerial anniversary in March 2020 and I primarily train on aerial hammock/sling, silks, and chains! The first show I co-produced was a female empowering show presented at the St. Lou Fringe Festival in August 2019 and I won the grand prize award for the best art (my chains piece) in the whole festival! Honestly, this was so freaking validating giving how much work, sweat, and tears went into that show. Since, I have produced shows around St Louis and have 8 shows planned for 2020! On top of that, I have also won first and second place in aerial competitions. Prior to aerial, I had no dance, gymnastics, or sports background. I started mainly as a hobby and just fell completely head over heels for it!
Where do I even start. Hollys movement quality was what drew me to her class. I’ve always admired her for both her aerial approach, but also because of who she is as a human. I think it’s extremely important to connect with your coaches, and Holly is so supportive and welcoming of everyone. Honestly, I’ve felt more validated by the content of Holly’s posts than by many of the aerialists in my local community. She has helped me in practice, teaching, and performing. The way she conceptualizes movement is amazing and super translatable to any skill level. It’s also applicable to students, coaches, and performers alike. I’ve become physically stronger, but I’ve also become a stronger performer with her help. She has helped me identify weaknesses and imbalances in my own body and given me super specific exercises to help even out how much I cheat. We’ve discussed different ways to reduce handsiness, and ways to think about wraps, windows, and weight distribution in the sling Plus she kicks your 🍑!
I always recommend Hollys Master Class and especially her online instruction!