Heliummm on Law & Order: SVU!!
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- Chillin’ in our trailer in the ‘Honey Wagon’
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- Listening carefully to the director.
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- That’s Ice-T and my lyra at the top.
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- Spinning so fast, we’re a blur!
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- We did it!
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- Contortionist Olga, Aerialists Heather and Cody on the set of Law & Order
Heliummm aerialists Heather and Cody were delighted to be hired as Stunt Principals to film an episode of Law & Order: SVU!
We had our very own dressing room in the honeycomb, I mean the honey wagon (I’m so unhip it hurts). Though our trailer wasn’t as big as Ice-T’s, we did get to meet him (and his new dog), and co-star Kelli Giddish (all very nice).
We spun and spun on our lyra in sequined blue tops at the Coney Island Museum, for an intriguing episode called, ‘Strange Beauty’. And, no the title is not a reference to our hair and make-up! We were well taken-care of by Emmy-award winning make up artist Nicole, and the key hairdresser, Brian. (We wanted to bring them home with us, but they film SVU 10 months a year).
It was fun to have the camera pan by us on its smooth track as we were spinning about. Talk about needing to smile at all times! We got right into it, calling ‘Rolling!’ and ‘Cut!’ with the crew like the TV veterans we are (alas, veterans from the other side of the screen). And, what better compliment than to have Director Alex Chapple tell us we were doing such a good job up there it was hard to get people watch him!
For Law & Order junkies, our vic has a strange body modification that requires some serious investigation by Fin and Amanda. No spoiler here — you’ll have to watch the episode for yourself to see us and see how it ends.
Thanks, Law & Order!
Heliummm Writes for ‘Insiders Know-How: Planning Your Perfect Wedding’
We are thrilled to write the Chapter entitled “Entertainment That Reflects The Couple” for Kizzi Nkwocha’s ‘Insiders Know-How: Planning Your Perfect Wedding”. Now available on Amazon.com and MithraPublishing.com.
Here’s a brief excerpt:
Weddings are extraordinary days where two unite to become one, celebrating love and the promise of the future. We all want an incredible, memorable wedding day. And your wedding day entertainment should reflect that special love, your personalities and your vision for your day. But what kind of entertainment reflects who you are?
STEPPING INTO THE FUTURE
While the classics are tried and true, what if you want something a little more innovative for your wedding?
What’s Old is New Again
Let’s face it. The cocktail hour is de rigeur. So why not give your guests an experience they’ll never forget? Augment your cocktail hour with aerial champagne servers. Dazzling beauties dangling from the air, suspended in white fabric or on a lovely aerial hoop. What could be lovelier than having an aerial angel fill your flute with Moet et Chandon? While you’re off taking pictures, know that your guests are being well taken care of with this exquisite touch.
Technology with Heart
In addition to offering lighting options and MCs, DJ packages now often include fun extras. Ask about Text to Screen Messaging. Your guests will be able to text you and your beloved messages that will appear on a large screen on the dance floor – live – during the event! You can alternate between heartfelt messages from your guests
Classic But Curious
Ballet dancers dressed in long romantic tutus or other period attire add an elegant touch. The dancers create lovely atmosphere and beautiful movement as they escort guests to their seats.
The Wow Factor
Aerialists are not just for Sky Candy during cocktail hour. Romantic aerial duets add incredible beauty to the celebration of your love. Make a splash during dinner and speeches a featured solo or duo aerial act. Amaze your guests with the incredible skills of contortionists, magicians, or jugglers. All artists can be costumed and styled to match the mood and look of your wedding. Perhaps to introduce the removing of the garter, you select a tasteful burlesque act!
If you want to read the full article, or want more information on how Heliummm can make your wedding extra special, contact us here.
Happy Wedding Planning!
Heliummm’s ‘Cirque du So-Can-You’
Check out this great interview Heather gave to Classtivity. View full article here. Our students look great in the photos – and so can YOU (if you come to class, that is)! Sign up for classes here.
Click on image to englarge.
Students in order of appearance:
Jamie Wilson and Heather Mims (foreground)
Karina Casiano and Chrysoula Papanikou (background)
Julie Krygsman (back) and Leila Blauner (front)
Kealani Tosh (in the air) and Heather Hammond
Heliummm Trains with the World’s Best!
When you want top notch performers, you want the artists of Heliummm Aerial Dance. We trained this weekend with world-renowned acrobatic balancer Virgile Peyramure, shown here.
We’re always taking our skills and training to the next level to bring the biggest WOW factor to YOUR next event. And, we can book the best in the world for your premium happening. Heliummm’s got it’s finger on the pulse to make your job planning incredible events the perfect balancing act.
Contact us now to start planning world-class entertainment for your next event.
NY Daily News says Heliummm’s a “Love Child”
Here’s what the New York Daily News has to say about our great classes.
Reporter David Yi took to the air at our Manhattan location for some fun and fitness!
Heliummm Aerial Dance
If Cirque du Soleil and your local gym had a love child, this class would surely be it. Focusing more on dance and aerial entertainment, the session has students hanging from and climbing up fabric dangling from the ceiling. With instructor Heather Hammond — a veteran aerialist with more than a decade of training — the class feels more like playtime than a workout. While Hammond challenges you to complete tricks and tasks, you won’t realize just how much you’ve worked out until the next day when your muscles are sore and worn out.
See heliummm.com for class schedule. Starts at $35. Embody Language Studio, 241 Bedford Ave. #7, Brooklyn.
Follow @heliummmaerial “>Follow us!
Where can I buy my own silk?
While every mother bird likes to see her little ones take flight and leave the nest, Mama Silk has some important information for her fledgeling silkies:
The answer to this question is, ‘You only get the answer to this question when you are ready.’ Why? As Spiderman’s Uncle Ben and others have said, “With great knowledge, comes great responsibility.” If Mama Bird pushes the babies out of the nest before their wings are fully developed THEY LAND ON THEIR HEADS AND DIE. This is the general consensus among NYC aerial teachers who ROCK and put YOUR safety first.
Aerial arts are incredibly beautiful and strength building. And, aerial can be dangerous.
-Check with your instructor to see if they think you are ready to train with a buddy in addition to your ongoing training with a qualified instructor (who should be the same person – don’t go cherry picking people to get the answer you want if you think your usual instructor will respond ‘DENIED!’)
-If your instructor doesn’t think you’re ready, ask why, and keep taking class until you get the thumbs up
-Never do aerial on your own (see reference to the ‘buddy’ above. PS: your roomie who can’t see you and has their headphones on in another room doesn’t count)
-Never attempt new skills without a qualified instructor present
-Always use appropriate mats
-Check, double check and triple check your rigging
-Examine your equipment and hardware before each use
-Take a rigging lesson that covers the particular set up for where you will be rigging
-If you don’t know how to safely rig your own silk, you are not ready to train on your own
-Just because ‘someone else has rigged here before’ doesn’t mean it’s safe. If you don’t know the person who installed the rigging or had it inspected, do your own due diligence.
-Don’t buy aerial yoga stands off the internet unless Mama Silk gives you the OK (there are lots of crappy set ups commerically available – don’t get me started)
-Well designed portable aerial rigs are available. Just ask.
-If you want to rig in your living room/apartment/patio, hire a qualified rigger to do the job right. We can recommend excellent people.
-If you aren’t ready to shell out money for equipment, rigging, and lessons, you aren’t ready to train on your own
-There are Open Workouts available at several locations in the NYC area. Ask Mama Silk which ones are insured.
Aerial is fun, and it can be dangerous, deadly dangerous. Know your limits, know what you don’t know.
Mama Silk wants you all safe.
Yours in love and aerial flight,
Heather, aka Mama Silk
The Show Must Go On…Or Not!
There’s something romantic and glamorous about that ‘the show must go on!’ mentality. And, many times, we’ve pulled out all the last-minute stops to make that happen.
We recall dancing for Noemie Lafrance 70 feet up on a Frank Gehry building in 2008 in Rapture. When one of the performers pulled a muscle in his back, the choreographer re-jigged the remaining dancers. After teaching another talented dancer my role, I spent the afternoon learning the injured dancer’s role on a roof with a much different incline and a much different rigging system. We had to make some last-minute modifications given that the rigging system was designed for a 175 lb man and I’m a 112 lb woman…And, we pulled it off, thanks in part to the injured dancer calling me cues from the rigging station behind my spot during the 50 min show!
But what about those times when, well, the show really can’t go on? Sometimes, it just needs to be postponed. For those rare times, you’ll be glad that Heliummm Aerial Dance & Entertainment is on your team.
Last December brought the East Coast a record snow storm that paralyzed NYC and its environs for days. This threw a wrench into the Demetro family wedding, given that the guests, the caterer, myself, and the bride and groom couldn’t make it to the venue on the wedding day. So, the wedding (and performance) was postponed till January 10th, when the streets were clear and everyone could get there safely. We were happy to accommodate this client on another date.
This holiday season has brought another unexpected event delay. Lexi’s Sweet 16 was supposed to be tonight, but alas, she is quite sick. The event planner and venue owner luckily has a couple of free dates in January. So we’re wishing Lexi a prompt recovery and we’ll be whooping it up for her and her friends later next month.
The message? Heliummm Aerial Dance & Entertainment delivers. Rain or sleet or snow or shine. Exceptional performers you can trust.
Heliummm Gets Stellar Review from Fit Engine.com
What better Christmas present than to be called:
…”one of the most unique, well-taught, and well-constructed classes I have taken.” by Fit Engine reporter Djuna Passman!
If you’re looking for aerial classes, here’s proof that ours are the ones you’ll want to sign up for.
What more can we say? Except, Thanks, Fit Engine! Click here to sign up now.
And here’s the review of a Manhattan class by Sharon Osborne of Fit Engine.
For the budding aerialists in your family, get HELIUM AERIAL DANCE gift certificates in our ONLINE STORE.
See full article here
And see YOU in class!
Heliummm Aerial Dance Rigs It Up!
Luxury Tribeca jewelry boutique owner Kristin Hanson told us she wanted aerialists in her new raw event space for Carbon NYC’s exclusive men’s networking club party. Heliummm Aerial Dance made it happen, efficiently, on time and on budget.
Heliummm’s rigger extraordinaire, Aaron Verdery, who holds an MFA in Technical Design and Production from Yale University’s School of Drama, expertly assessed the venue at our site inspection visit. He and Heliummm’s Artistic Director, Heather Hammond, recommended the best options to make the client’s vision a reality, taking into account the uniqueness of the space’s architecture.
A few days later, Aaron arrived with all the gear and gack necessary to flawlessly install the rigging points. He drilled through the wooden support beam, ran rebar through, and finished it off with discreet rigging plates. And, always the gentleman, he swept up and left the space clean. Don’t you wish all your vendors did that?
A few more reasons to hire the seasoned professionals of Heliummm Aerial Dance & Entertainment.
Stay tuned for performance photos from this fabulous event!
Heliummm Flying High at NYC Aerial Dance Festival
Wheeeeee!! I’m flying!!!
Heliummm Aerial Dance’s Heather Hammond teamed up with Sarah Wollschlager of Surface to Air Dance to perform a quirky bungee duet to Tom Waits music, A Window In, at this year’s NYC Aerial Dance Festival.
This rehearsal photo gives you an idea of how high we can fly on the bungee – we like to think of it as a jolly jumper for adults.
If you’re looking for a super fun, unusual, upbeat act to add to your party – this is it! We can even put your guests, children to adults, in the bungee for a bounce or two.
Thanks to Cherie Carson for the photo.