It’s a bird…It’s a plane…It’s a dancer hanging upside down from the ceiling by a piece of silk! You didn’t think I was going to say Superman, right? Because that would be crazy. 

Aerial performers, while not endowed with super human abilities, have unique claim to the sky. It may be easiest to call them dancers without the traditional confines of a dance floor. To illustrate this relationship, I present you with a joke: Do you know why Aerialists are superior to the dance floor? Because it’s so far beneath them. Terrible puns aside, this fascinating new community of soaring acrobat-dancer hybrids is rapidly expanding and in need of support and appreciation.  

Imagine combining a performance art piece, a theatrical show, a dance recital, and a circus act. Now take that finely crafted mental image and add fantastic costumes and outrageous makeup and you’ve got Exposed: Humanity in Motion. Billed as a contemporary circus show, this performance explores a variety of emotions, reactions, and experiences in a fresh format. If you’re still having trouble picturing this unique spectacle, check out their video advertisement. 

Even the still frames from the show are breathtaking. The beauty of this show also stems from the fact that it facilitates collaboration amongst the growing aerial community in Atlanta. Liquid Sky, D’air Project, The Space: A Movement Arts Studio, and Paper Doll Militia will all be taking to the air together. (Side bar: Why do aerial studios have such amazing names?) Rather than focusing on individual performances and competition, this event rallies these various groups behind a common cause. 

These stunning aerialists will dangle from a variety of silks, chains, poles, triple trapezes, as well as brand new aerial inventions. Sets also include oversized steel objects including cubes, ladders, and a coat hanger. The dramatic aesthetics aid this striking exploration of the human condition through movement. 

7 stages is located in Little 5 Points, so you can roam around before the show and get a feel for the area. Exploring Little Five is always an adventure. Order a drink from the adjoining coffee shop/bar or grab a massive burger at the Vortex down the street. There’s also a plethora of specialty shops in the area that you can browse through. They’ve got everything from trendy tattoo parlors to elaborate smoke shops. If authentic vintage clothes are your thing, rejoice. There are more hipster apparel stores than you can handle, I promise. Just try not to get so distracted by go-go boots and suspenders that you miss the show.