September 26 – 28, 2025
Straps
With Julian McTaggart
Straps is a hard apparatus, there is no way around it; but it is also predictable and consistent. Many skills rely on recognizable foundational pathways, and deliberate timing and body positioning. In this immersion, we’ll explore the fundamental shapes and pathways of straps conditioning to establish a strong baseline of shoulder preparation. We’ll also show how to spot them properly.
Our main focus will be on Flares and C-shaping. We’ll focus on building mechanically optimal flare pathways that we can use to gain power, and we’ll spend time on valuable skills like C-shaping and leg twisting, exploring the essential movements that allow us to approach a range of other skills going forward. We will also cover one arm swinging technique, skills generated from a swing, and spinning/reverse-spinning twisting skills.
The goal of the weekend is to leave you with valuable progressions and a framework on which to base your training that will allow you to progress your aerial work with knowledge and confidence moving into the future.
Details
When:
Friday | 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Saturday | 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Sunday | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where:
The Trapezium
10 Town Crier Drive
Brattleboro, Vermont
Cost:
$370
Register By:
September 1, 2025
Prerequisites:
The ability to execute 2 pull-ups, 3 leg-lifts, 1 straight arm skin the cat (in and out), and injury free shoulders.
Ages:
16 & up or by permission of instructor
About The Coach
Julian McTaggart is a working circus artist and acrobat. He graduated NECCA’s progressional program in 2021, and has studied under Victor Fomine, Yury Bozyan, and Haley Viloria. He has performed in over 15 countries with Dragone, Circensia, Virgin Voyages, and others.
He has also developed his own artistic work, which was brought to the VIVA Festival, earning the Judges Choice Award in 2023 and the Cirque du Soleil Prize in 2024.
In addition to his work as a performer, Julian is a passionate coach specializing in Aerial Straps and Acro, working both in-person and online with developing professionals, recreational artists, and youth troupes. He works closely with students to build personalized training programs that support their individual goals, and has taught workshops and intensives across the country.
Julian’s coaching style is highly technical and detail-oriented, with an emphasis on body mechanics, timing, and efficient movement patterns, and supported with functional strength training catered to discipline and skill. Whether working with beginners or advanced students, he focuses on helping each individual understand how and why a skill works — not just how to complete it. He fosters a learning environment that is supportive, curious, and built around what’s meaningful to the student — whether they’re using straps as a conditioning tool or developing it as a long-term craft.
