High Expectations Aerial Arts is located in the heart of Midtown Memphis and provides aerial arts, circus, and flexibility training for kids, teens, and adults. Youth and adult performance troupes have presented original choreography for many Memphis organizations, including Opera Memphis, Theatre Memphis, St. Jude, the Brooks Museum, and more. High Expectations is dedicated to providing all students with a nurturing and inclusive space to explore their creativity, gain strength, and gain confidence in a collaborative environment.
Sample Programs Offered
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Our adult and youth performers collaborated on an all-original show called Alice’s Dreams. Inspired by the classic Alice in Wonderland, this new imagining takes Alice and some of the motley crew from the original story into the air. The White Rabbit rushes up the trapeze, the Red Queen and White Queen battle on the silks, and the Mad Hatter invites Alice for a tea party in the hoop. Performers present acts on silks, trapeze, hoop, and sling to embody beloved characters.
This show is 25 minutes long and will provide students with exposure to multiple types of circus and aerial arts. We would recommend teachers first introduce some basic content related to circus arts, aerial arts, and the history of circus arts. We can include Q&A time after the show for students to engage with performers. We also recommend that teachers provide a follow-up lesson to allow students to reflect on their experience watching the performance and evaluate the different apparatus types and how storytelling, movement, and expression was used to create stories and characters.
Grades: K-12
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Fine Arts, Physical Education
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Our adult and youth performers collaborated on an all-original show called Tangled Roots, Whispering Leaves. Inspired by the wild and natural places on our planet, this show features a wide array of woodland and mythical creatures. Watch a bat and hummingbird battle, a garden fairy tiptoe through the flowers, a tiger find her inner strength, and a woodland warrior protect an ancient tree grove. Performers present acts on silks, trapeze, hoop, sling, and on the floor.
This show is 25 minutes long and will provide students with exposure to multiple types of circus and aerial arts. We would recommend teachers first introduce some basic content related to circus arts, aerial arts, and the history of circus arts. We also encourage content on environmental issues, nature, conservation, and biology. We can include Q&A time after the show for students to engage with performers. We also recommend that teachers provide a follow-up lesson to allow students to reflect on their experience watching the performance and evaluate the different apparatus types and how storytelling, movement, and expression were used to create stories and characters.
Grades: K-12
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Fine Arts, Physical Education, Science
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
