Open Air: The 4th Annual Outdoor Aerial Festival at Open Space

“Remember when you were a little kid and you would spin until you had to fall down? Or run to cool off? Or jump from the back of a couch and really really fly?”

Open Space for Arts & Community invites you to fly with us, at our fourth annual Open Air – a light, bright, outdoor aerial festival with a splash of circus and magic in the meadow. Bask in the sun, enjoy the view of Mount Rainier, lean back and fly in your imagination watching fabulous aerialists from the Northwest and beyond.

Over the last three summers, audiences for Open Air have grown and grown – people of all ages have relaxed in the shade of our pine trees, with Mount Rainier as a beautiful backdrop, and watched in wonder as joy happens before their eyes – everything from dancing dragons to summertime snow to magic and poetry.

Producers and performers Janet McAlpin and Lynelle Sjoberg weave together an amazing experience, featuring the most amazing aerial acts in the region and extraordinary homegrown favorites, along with the talented students of the UMO School of Physical Arts and RISK.

This year’s aerial acts are simply stellar, including the electrifying Duo Volta, magnetic Tanya Brno, and the premiere of new trapeze duo Dizzy Daze from Lara Lee Rasberry and Jill Marissa. Vashon favorites four gorgeous ladies – Janet, Lynelle, Kathy Zybrk and Arlette Moody – premiering a joyful new bungee dance, Tom Pruiksma making magic, and music from RISK Jr.

Bring a blanket for seating, and bring a picnic if you like! Refreshments will be available for sale as well. Admission is by Donation - and no one is turned away for lack of funds, ever!

In addition to the magical performances, Open Air is growing in fun and fabulous ways – we are unveiling a fun new pre-event and collaborating with another Vashon tradition!

NEW THIS YEAR: Come early, and enjoy the Biggest Clothing & Art Swap on Vashon! Bring whatever you are ready to pass on, and take home whatever your new treasure you find. At the end of the day, we’ll pack up any unwanted items and deliver to Grannie’s.

And, we are collaborating with the Sheepdog Trials! A shuttle bus will run from the Sheepdog Trials at Misty Isle Farm to Open Space before Open Air begins, and then take folks back to Misty Isle after – so you can enjoy both quintessential Vashon events!

And now, read on for a small glimpse of the performers who will take your breath away on August 23…
Open Air begins at 4pm on Saturday, August 23!

And the Biggest Clothing and Art Swap tables open at 2:30pm.

Duo Volta - Adrienne Jack Sands and Oliver Parkinson - came together in 2013 to begin training static trapeze and developing their duet. Adrienne is a classically-trained dancer, with 6 years of experience as a solo aerialist both locally and internationally. Oliver formerly competed in both rugby and mixed martial arts, then found himself hanging for tricks on the flying trapeze. The duo has performed at Paradiso Festival, the Moisture Festival, and Emerald City Trapeze, as well as for private clients such as Whole Foods and Microsoft. They are currently based in Seattle, Washington.

Part stardust, part showgirl, Tanya Brno has been honing her body of work from a young age.  After pursuing classical piano and opera, she discovered ballet, which consumed many years of her developmental period.  Spending summers at prestigious schools such as San Francisco Ballet School and School of American Ballet (New York City), she landed in Seattle at the age of 16 to study on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and knew she’d found her home.  Since then, she has become one of the most sought-after aerial performers in town. Tanya is a staple at the annual Moisture Festival, the Pacific Northwest’s largest display of interdisciplinary talent from around the globe.  She has performed alongside Queensryche, the Rat City Rollergirls, the Mezzo Lunatico cast at Teatro Zinzanni, and Lily Verlaine, and more.

Dizzy Daze is the latest project from Jill Marissa, a featured artist with ticktock and The Aerialistas and Lara Lee Rasberry, featured artist with Circus Contraption, The Aerialistas, and The Candleweavers. Open Air will be the premiere of this duo trapeze piece.

Thomas H. Pruiksma is a poet, magician, writer, translator, teacher, musician, and lover of life. He was born in Seattle and has lived and worked in Tamil Nadu, India, and Oaxaca, Mexico. He is the author and translator of Give, Eat, and Live: Poems of Avvaiyar, and the co-author of Body and Earth (with artist C.F. John) and A Feast for the Tongue (with Tamil scholar Dr. K. V. Ramakoti). His most recent show at Open Space was the premier of By Heart: A Celebration of Words, Magic, and Memory. He makes his home on Vashon with his partner, David Mielke. www.poetsmagic.com
The UMO School of Physical Arts is proud to feature a group of superstars, now in their 5th year of aerial study. Caz Cullimore, Madeleine Schroeder and Sarah Smith are dynamic, amazingly dedicated students who are performing at a breathtaking level for their young years.