Dynamic Duo
Rope Retreat
Mexico
w Master Teacher PJ Perry
Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Intermediate + Retreat – January 15-22, 2024 – 3 spots left
Advanced Retreat – January 23-30, 2024 – 1 spot left
If you are not sure which level to sign up for, email PJ and Alex at gingerly.aerial@gmail.com.
BIPOC and/or LGBTQ Half Scholarship Available.
Application deadline is August 15, 2023. Apply here.
Intermediate + Retreat – Jan 15-22
The Dynamic Duo (intermediate +) rope retreat brings this coaching dream team together to help you refine, develop and expand your dynamic rope vocabulary. Pj and Alex are both known for their choreography that integrates smooth c-shaping within powerful dynamic sequences. For this magical week in rope paradise they’ll be pooling their knowledge and experience to help you level up your rope game. Skill development will be focused on dynamic transitions and pathways, basic rolling and building strength foundations to help you reach your momentum and c-shaping goals. Original choreography will be woven into technique class to help you integrate skills. Handstands, floor/rope exploration, pilates and straps conditioning will round out the physical program. There will be daily talks around related movement theory as well as more time for targeted rope practice in the afternoons.
Advanced Retreat – Jan 23-30
The Dynamic Duo (advanced) rope retreat is the same format as the (intermediate +) but adds more advanced release work to dynamic combinations, more challenging c-shaping movements as well as requiring greater overall strength strength in choreography. Alex will bring his vast repertoire of ½ releases and hand switches to the table and PJ will bring her biomechanics brain to work on those beautiful beefcake moves (think elephant lift). Both coaches are rolling experts and definitely look forward to assisting your super squish journey.
This Dynamic Duo Retreat will have a morning Coffee & Kinesiology talk followed by 2 daily movement discipline classes – Morning class will be Skills, Drills, & Choreo that Kills. Afternoon classes will alternate between Grounded, Rope Study Hall, and Straps Conditioning.
The rest of our time can be spent eating amazing, healthy food, swimming in the warm river and ocean, reading in hammocks, and breathing the tropical air.
Prerequisites
Students should be able to execute the following prerequisites with good form.
Intermediate + Jan 15-22
See a video of these prerequisites here.
- Straight arm inversion
- Bell beat
- Scissor beat
- Front/Back beat
- Straddle beat
- C-shape roll down
- Beats with straight arms and legs
Advanced Jan 23-30 – This retreat is now full.
See a video of these prerequisites here.
- Planche beats
- Break beats
- Straddle to meathook
- Some rolling success…(at least one under belt…send us your fav)
- 5 full skin the cats
- Cut/Catch
If you are not sure which level to sign up for, email PJ and Alex at gingerly.aerial@gmail.com and alexjamesallan@gmail.com.
If you are not sure which level to sign up for, email PJ and Alex at gingerly.aerial@gmail.com and alexjamesallan@gmail.com.
Sample of daily schedule
7:30-9:30am Breakfast
8:45-9:25am Coffee & Kinesiology
9:30-10am Warm up
10-12:45pm Rope Class
1pm Lunch
1-5pm Pool-time, siesta, relaxing
3:30pm afternoon snack and ice coffee
4:30-6:30pm Ground Work, Creative Work, & Rope Study Hall
6:30-7pm Myofascial Release
7pm Dinner
8-10pm Evening Activities
We’ll take you to our favorite beach for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and releasing baby turtles into the sea.
If you are not sure which level to sign up for, email PJ and Alex at gingerly.aerial@gmail.com and alexjamesallan@gmail.com.
“I am so impressed with PJ’s knowledge of kinesiology and how to apply this to her aerial and handstand teaching. While I have only had the pleasure of learning virtually from PJ through her Patreon membership, I have fine tuned and progressed my aerial rope practice immensely solely from her classes! I always do and will continue to recommend her for any aerialist needing technique and dynamic movement guidance.”
Kim Freedman
“Alex is an amazing coach! I cannot thank him enough for the guidance and support that helped me finally get the skills/tricks I’ve been dreaming about! All the queues and progressions were personalized and that certainly helped with how quickly I improved!
L.G
Classes include:
Rope Skills
Dynamic Skills
Release skills
Rolling
Floor to Rope
Straps Conditioning
Pilates
Handstands
Kinesiology
Space is limited, so sign up now!
About Your Coach
PJ Perry has been multi-disciplinary aerialist since 2008, specializing in corde lisse since 2013. She was introduced to the rope in 2012 during a varieté theater contract (nothing like learning by performing!). After finishing the contract, she realized she’d found her apparatus. Though PJ is primarily an autodidact, she sought help from multiple coaches along the way and has studied rope with Alex Allan, Emiliano Ron, Gabrielle Tramullas, Ezra Weill, and all of the amazing rope community found at rope meetings. PJ loves the simplicity of this apparatus and thrives on chasing momentum. Her performance work is defined by her love of the narrative, with a strong sense of intuitive pathways stemming from training and creating in isolation.
Holding a masters degree in kinesiology in addition to 20+ years of teaching experience, PJ strives to dive deep in her coaching. Her pedagogical background includes teaching Pilates to both students and teachers, anatomy and kinesiology for healing trades such as massage therapists and acupuncturists, lecturing in kinesiology at Western Washington University, and of course, coaching rope since 2017. She firmly believes that coaching should be comprised of encouraging self-discovery of pathways, learning multiple techniques, and pushing physical limits safely, in equal parts. Her progressions involve seemingly unrelated skills that utilize similar motor pathways but with graduated physical demand. This particular approach has enabled her to assist many students and performing artists to access one of the more complicated skills, rolling while ascending.
PJ currently lives in Bellingham, Washington, and coaches rope and handstands at the Bellingham Circus Guild and online, via her Patreon. She still performs and is always looking for the next fun opportunity to be creative. She has performed with the Acrobatic Conundrum, Circus Monti, Venardos Circus, the Aerialistas, Bellingham Circus Guild, the Dream Science Circus, Western Australian Circus Festival, Moisture Festival, Apogee Aerial Dance Festival, Southern Fried Circus Festival, Vashon Open Air Festival, Denver Aerial Arts Festival, Vancouver Circus Festival and in Stuttgart, Germany, at the Friedrichsbau Variete. Her most recent adventure was in collaboration with Eve Diamond (Girls Gone Rope) and they attended the Circus Princess Festival in Saratov, Russia, in October 2021.
Click here to see PJ on Instagram. Click here to see her website. Click here to see her patreon.
Alex Allan is a Corde Lisse Artist and Dancer best known for his performative work that blends the boundaries of circus, dance and theatre. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Alex graduated with a Bachelor of Communications – Theatre & Media. Here he began exploring Circus techniques through the lens of Theatre. He then continued his formal Circus training in the Professional Aerial Program at the San Francisco Circus Center.
As an aerial and movement coach, Alex helps his students to develop a powerful yet graceful aesthetic in the air by conveying an understanding of momentum and efficient movement pathways. In his creative practice he is currently most drawn to developing research tools to create movement and choreography that isn’t restricted to the air but that can explore the horizontal space as well as the entire architecture of the ‘stage’.
He has both performed and taught workshops, retreats and teacher trainings across Europe, North America, and Australia. Alex also currently teaches remotely through online coaching from his current home in Bristol, UK
“Working with Alex…helped me take my rope game to new levels; I saw more progress in just a few months than I had seen in years…Alex was able to see where I needed adjustments and clearly communicate them in a way that enabled success. Could not be more recommended!”
J.W.
“Working with PJ has been incredibly helpful in my training and growth on rope–her capacity to integrate detailed pedagogical information, provide simple and supportive diagnostics, and share her expertise from multiple disciplines in approachable, digestible ways has allowed me to grow tremendously.”
Drew Sevel
Retreat Pricing
Rates are listed in USD. A $500 deposit is required to save your spot. Payment is due in full by Dec 1, 2023.
| Room | Early Bird Price until Sept 1, 2023 | Full Price |
| Dorm (up to 4 people – mixed gender) | $2050 | $2350 |
| Private room w shared bathroom | $2550 | $2850 |
| Private room w private bathroom | $2850 | $3150 |
| Private room w private bathroom & air conditioning | $3150 | $3450 |
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Couples/SO’s are welcome at an additional price.
What’s Included?
- Ground transportation to/from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to our accommodations if you arrive/depart on designated days*
- Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
- Daily meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, & snacks/smoothies!
- 2 Daily classes (3-6 hours total/day)
- Morning Coffee & Kinesiology Talk
- Photo Shoot
- Evening Activities
- Trip to baby turtle release!
- 24 hour use of Swimming Pool, wi-fi, and Community Space
If you are not sure which level to sign up for, email PJ and Alex at gingerly.aerial@gmail.com and alexjamesallan@gmail.com.
BIPOC and/or LGBTQ Half Scholarship Available.
Application deadline is August 15, 2023. Apply here.
“PJ is a fantastic coach. Her understanding of body awareness and mechanics lends beautifully to her instruction as she aims to meet her students where they’re at skill wise and build from there. Her insight and guidance has helped me tremendously in a number of ways ranging from warm up techniques to activate the appropriate muscle group to technique specific conditioning to help me achieve my goals. PJ’s support cues and insight have helped me in making progress with beats and roll-ups, things I had previously thought were simply out of my reach. She is phenomenal and a treasure to the circus community!”
Sarah Claussen
Links for more information:
- Accommodations – room descriptions
- Meals and Food
- How to get here. Info and advice on booking your travel
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Testimonials
- Excursions
- Registration FAQ’s
Discounts
- Sign up early to get the Early Bird Discount
- Sign up on our mailing list to find out about more discounts.
- Referral discounts are not offered for this retreat.
Questions? Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com.
“what was really exciting for me…was his knowledge and ability to break down each pathway. Movements I’ve struggled with for years, would finally feel achievable. Sometimes it was achieved just after one lesson!”
H.E.
“Alex’s teaching style has made me feel comfortable and encouraged while learning skills that are completely new to me. His attention to detail is evident when he corrects me in my form and picks up on minor adjustments I can make to improve the techniques. He is a master of dynamics!”
J.K
“Alex is a master of his craft. He helped me conquer the single coil roll-up through specific conditioning drills and proper mechanics. His expertise will equip you with the tools to unlock unknown movement/aerial potentials.”
N.M
Working with Alex as a coach has taken me to where I want to be as an aerial artist. I feel safe and inspired exploring new techniques and fine-tuning old techniques. Even the progression exercises Alex has given me to help me reach my ultimate goals are fun to do; they make working smarter, not harder, fun and beautiful. If you want to hone your craft, dance your transitions and feel inspired each step of the way go to Alex!
E.M