Wednesday, Nov. 11
Maceli’s (1031 New Hampshire)
Doors at 7:30, presentations at 8:00

Nerd Nite 43: Body Movin'

featuring:
Special aerial performances from The Last Carnival throughout the night!
https://www.facebook.com/circusschoolkansas/?fref=ts

That’s a Wrap: Unraveling the intrinsic code of aerial silks body wraps by Dagney Velazquez

Aerial silks, a relative newcomer to the circus world, combines acrobatics, dance, and daredevil courage into an art form that seems to defy gravity. Aerialists are held aloft using not only sheer strength but also by wrapping the fabric around their bodies intricately. These combinations of wraps have been passed along from one aerialist to another, and each unique wrap has been given a common, though not universal, name.

As an amateur aerialist who was initially thoroughly confused by the body wraps, I decided to use my math skills to create a code that could adequately detail and communicate the various wrap combinations. I will present the early stages of this work.

Dagney J. Velazquez is a math professor at Kansas City Kansas Community College where she regularly annoys her students with exclamations of joy over the beauty and mystery of mathematics. She holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, a Masters of Divinity, and is one class away from her Masters of Mathematics. During her downtime, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, aerial silks, acroyoga, and annoying her daughter with exclamations of joy over the beauty and mystery of mathematics.

The Speed of Weightlessness by Crystal Shepherd

Weightlifting and how body movements like pull ups and kettle bell swings use power and speed to lift objects, not just brute strength.

Crystal Shepherd is a coach and personal trainer, with over 13 years of experience in the industry. She has Master’s level education in the area of mental health counseling and enjoys the study of human behavior and movement.

She is engaged to her best friend, Zach Sherman, and together they have owned and operated a training facility. They have 4 kids, and 2 dogs, and a lot of laundry.