Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlyn Peters.
Hi Ashlyn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in a small town named Washington, Illinois, it was a town of just 13,000 people when I was growing up there. I attended college as a Dance Performance major at Webster University and graduated in 3 years with my Bachelor’s degree. This was where I tried Aerial Arts for the first time. I was able to take aerial classes for college credit and eventually performed in several productions through my school’s dance department. I moved to Frisco, Texas in August of 2019 to pursue a dance career. I had just began teaching a few aerial classes a week to supplement my income when the Covid pandemic hit. During the year 2020, I really honed in on my aerial skills and worked harder than ever before. I quit my dance job and made Aerial Arts my primary focus. By the end of the year, I had made tons of new connections in the DFW area, and I was referred by several people to a few of the major entertainment companies in the area. From here, my aerial career skyrocketed, and I have been booked and busy since! I’ve had the pleasure of performing in every major city in the State of Texas and also debuted two aerial hoop choreographies in New York City last year. I teach 7 classes a week currently, as well as private lessons. I am almost 2 years into contortion training and had the privilege of performing as a contortionist a handful of times at the end of last year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Moving to Texas by myself at 21 years old was a lot more of a challenge than I thought it would be. I had no family nearby and had to make brand new friends all on my own. I struggled with loneliness a lot in my first few years here. I felt deep in my heart that this was the place God called me to be, and I’d do whatever it took to make it on my own. I had a great support system in my family growing up, so their encouragement from afar contributed to my confidence that I could make a life for myself in the Dallas area. Some of the struggles I deal with regularly are mostly related to the health and wellness of my body. There’s consistent soreness and fatigue that comes from pushing the body as hard as I do in both aerial and contortion training. It’s almost as if I’m always escaping injury by just a hair each week. My training, work, nutrition, and recovery schedule is probably a bit more intense than most people I know, so it can seem like I’m on this journey by myself at times.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I currently teach and perform aerial arts. Specifically aerial silks, hoop, and contortion. I’d say my aerial style is unique because of my diverse background in dance. I took years of ballet, contemporary, and jazz, with all kinds of other styles mixed in (hip hop, flamenco, African, etc.). When I teach I really drill performance quality, showmanship, and repetition. I’m most proud of my transparency as a teacher.
I am open and honest with my students about my shortcomings as I’ve grown in this career and how they can do better. Whether it’s nutritional advice, recovery questions, or inquiries about how to become a performer, I have allowed myself to become a resource to others.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe I take a risk each time I am in the air. Not many people would voluntarily climb up 20-40 feet and be comfortable stretching, flipping, and dancing. It’s as much a mental game as it is physical. Anytime we take on a risk our heart rate is elevated, and intrusive thoughts can creep in. My remedy to this is breathing exercises and prayer. Each year, I do more and more performances, which means more brand-new venues I’ve never been in before, and sometimes I am 35-40 feet in the air. I believe each person needs to pre-decide how they’re going to handle their thoughts and emotions before stepping into a risky situation.
Pricing:
- Performance Rates: $500-$1500
- Private Lessons: $80/hour
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashlyn_peters/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ashlyn-Peters/pfbid0eSC9kKWJd8aHnuoYjAsiXAyNbEQ1Midn6Bn8PGbnA7MCy3xpbQh57AEij26CiZL9l/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlyn-peters-b2701310a
Image Credits
Benni Benz Productionz
Brian Balloon Photography
Laning Photography
Rajah Fine
Katrina Timmons
Light and Pole Photography
