*This intensive week is designed for dancers who are confident and experienced in aerial practice; prior experience with vertical dance is required.
Once again, Autin Dance Theatre and Imagineer Productions are partnering to deliver an exciting series of Aerial Intensive Workshops in Coventry this January. Across 2 creative weeks, participants will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Vertical Dance and Aerial Dance practices and rigging systems.
Following the success of our first Aerial Intensive training last year, we’re thrilled to return with an expanded and enriched programme for 2026. The incredible response and popular demand from participants truly inspired us, and now we have expanded the offer to the advanced level practitioners.
The programme will be delivered by Autin Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director, Johnny Autin, and Head Rigger, Jamie Higgins, bringing years of experience and creative vision to the training.
These training opportunities are subsidised by funding from Arts Council England, supporting the professional development and creative growth of dance artists looking to expand their aerial practice.
Vertical Dance: An extraordinary exploration where the walls become your dance floor. Using climbing harnesses and rigging equipment, we’ll tip the dance floor 90 degrees, turning gravity into a playful partner. This practice is liberating, exhilarating, sometimes strenuous, and always a bit disorienting!
Aerial Dance Harness: An immersive low-flying aerial dance experience, where the harness allows for dynamic movement just above the floor, blending grounded dance with flight. Using low-fly aerial harnesses, you’ll move fluidly between the floor and air, opening up new dimensions of dance theatre. This style is perfect for those wanting to explore weightlessness and suspension at a manageable height.
What to Expect:
On the wall – we’ll start with an introduction to specific rigging equipment and foundational orientation, building common ground before progressing to more complex sequences. Throughout the week, we’ll explore movement through different planes, engaging in creative exercises and improvisation tasks – all designed to help you discover your unique dance on the wall.
Low fly – we’ll build familiarity with the harness and equipment, exploring balance, surrender, and creative movement, finding effortless transitions in moving from floor to air while hovering just off the ground. We’ll experiment with low-fly sequences, working both independently and with partners, to discover how aerial dance harness work can add depth and expression to dance theatre narratives.
When
Monday 5 – Friday 9 January 2026 (10AM – 4PM)
Where
Daimler Powerhouse, Coventry (Unit 4 Sandy Lane Business Park, Sandy Lane, Coventry CV1 4DQ)
The Powerhouse will be open from 9am to 5pm for own movement/warm-up/cool-down practice.
Price
The full cost is £250. We offer the option to spread payments. Select ‘deposit’ at the checkout.
This intensive week is designed for dancers who are confident and experienced in aerial practice; prior experience with vertical dance is required.
You should feel comfortable with the following skills:
None of these need to be perfect!
Not sure if it’s right for you, or have a question about skill level? Drop Autin Dance a line at hello@autindt.co.uk
For the best experience, wear snug layers around your hips and waist (or stretch jeans, which can be ideal), as they’ll make the harness more comfortable on your skin. Long-sleeved shirts are also useful for certain movements.
If you have a preferred harness or other equipment, please feel free to bring them along.
There are large toilet cubicles for changing, but no showers.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided, but we recommend your bring your own lunch.
Johnny Autin (Autin Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director)
Johnny Autin is a multidisciplinary performance artist, choreographer, and director based in Birmingham, UK. He is the founder and artistic director of Autin Dance Theatre CIO, an award-winning charity known for creating ambitious, socially engaged, and interdisciplinary performances. Johnny’s work spans contemporary dance, physical theatre, puppetry, and aerial performance, often exploring themes of resilience, belonging, and the human experience in the face of adversity. His notable creations include ‘Parade – The Giant Wheel’, a large-scale performance featuring a striking giant wheel structure, and ‘Out of the Deep Blue’, an acclaimed work that features a 13-foot giant puppet addressing the climate emergency. Johnny’s latest creation, ‘Up in the Sky’, is an outdoor aerial dance and physical theatre performance that delves into themes of displacement and change, blending storytelling with movement.
Committed to community engagement, Johnny also leads intergenerational dance sessions, street arts workshops, and family movement classes, fostering creativity and connection through movement. Johnny has collaborated with international presenters and toured globally, sharing his innovative approach with audiences across Europe, China, Australia, and Canada.
Jamie Higgins (Up in the Sky’s Head Rigger)
Jamie Higgins is a professional aerial dancer with over a decade of experience in the circus and dance industry. Trained initially as a dancer before specialising as an aerialist, Jamie has discovered a powerful synergy between the two art forms, blending technical skill with expressive movement.
After graduating from the London Contemporary Dance School in 2008, Jamie has spent the last 15 years performing across the world. His expertise has led him to perform at prestigious venues including the Royal Opera House, Bregenz Opera House, and Opéra de Lille, and to collaborate with renowned companies such as Gravity & Levity, Fidget Feet, and Levantes Dance Theatre. He has also appeared in major productions including The Olympics, The Commonwealth Games, and the Bear Grylls Arena Tour (Endeavour).
Jamie currently works with Autin Dance Theatre as Head Rigger and a key member of the creative team behind Up in the Sky, an ambitious new aerial performance that began previewing in 2025