@maja_isnogood

December’s featured masterclass student is a girl that’s near and dear to my heart! Maja Krsteska! I met her in 2017 during my visit to Greece and she stood out to me through her eagerness and drive. She was so organized during class, taking notes about everything and soaking in as much as she could. I could tell that this lady wanted to learn. After my visit we kept a conversation going online and I discovered that she not was not only mulitalented, but she had an incredible passion for the aerial arts and is striving to share that passion with her country. I’m honored to know this woman and to watch her transform into such an inspiring aerialist and instructor. She has a big heart and has been a loyal friend, student and supporter of mine since day one. She was, in fact, my very first patron. Love you Maja and I’m looking forward to the wonderful years to come!

Read on to hear Maja’s story:

Maja Krsteska – Founder of Aerial Movement Academy Skopje

Hello my dear aerial fellas! If you’re reading this, then you’re already familiar with Holly’s work and have a big crush on her! Am I right? :D

Here’s a little story of my aerial journey… Until 2 years ago, I was still trying to find my ‘thing’, something I would embrace with my heart and soul, something to strive for, get madly in love with…

One day, on the social media, I saw a video of aerial hammock and that was the turn-around moment for me! I start my research on aerial arts and I was falling in love over and over again with this particular apparatus – her majesty SLING! <3 I knew that there were no aerial disciplines in Macedonia at the moment, so I decided to devote myself on bringing Aerial yoga and Sling to my country.
At that time I was practicing pole fitness and capoeira, so I already had some upper body strength and enjoyed being upside down.
After couple of months practicing and exploring the hammock on my own, another crucial event came up – Holly Ann Jarvis was coming to Europe to teach Sling workshops! I know, I’m such a lucky bastard! :D After those three days of learning, observing and talking with her, I easily became her diehard fan and supporter.

I got even more encouraged to become an aerial instructor and went to yoga and aerial yoga teacher trainings to get a good foundation on which I could continue to develop my teaching and technical skills.

Being the first aerial instructor in Macedonia was not easy at all. I was facing lots of difficulties on the way, but having such awesome students made all that worth! They were one of the main reason to join HAJ Masterclass, cause they deserve the best of me as an instructor.
Another very important reason for me to become a Patron was/is simply - supporting what you love! When the Parton program went live, I said ‘great, I’m here for you girl!’. I had no expectations of whatsoever, I just wanted to give my support to Holly for everything she does for the aerial community. It turned out that HAJ Masterclass was a great choice and I’m really amazed and grateful to be part of it. It’s a lot more than just learning new moves/tricks… Holly shares great advices from her own experience as a teacher, performer and a social being. We tend to get obsessed with ‘our aerial life’ and unwillingly sacrifice our social life, so it’s really important to have a mentor who will see you as a whole person, not just an aerialist. I’ve recently started calling her ‘my sling guru’ cause she truly cares for our mental health! She’s so good with words and always speaks from her heart, inspiring us to dig deep through our own creativity. What I mostly love about these classes is the accent on the flow and fluidity in transitions, which are Holly’s signature in the Sling sphere. Her instructions are so easy to follow, even for those without any dance/aerial background and she always brings up special tips on little details that change the whole game! (As I’m writing this, the new masterclass session just came up!) In every new session there are freshly baked ideas and discussion on actual issues in the aerial community, so no matter where you live, you’re always up to date with the aerial trends.
She’s among the brightest stars on the aerial sky (oh my, almost felt like a poet there) and yet, she’s so humble, down to earth and available to us! Within all that sling slaying, she always have time to check and salute our progress.

If you’re a mover, dancer, performer, teacher, then this warm, resourceful sanctuary is for you!

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!!!

Masterclass Featured Student: Maja Krsteska