Heather Gregoire & Jess and Jess Aerial Dance
Circus Arts
Flow Arts • Movement based art that integrates dance with skill-based prop
manipulation
• Sometimes referred to as “spinning arts”
• First included poi and staff spinning
• Has grown to include props such as hoops, swords, fans, levitation wands, etc.
• Inspiration drawn from a variety of disciplines such from the martial arts, to juggling, and even yoga
“The state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” ~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience”
The Experience of Flow • Intense and focused concentration on the present • Merging of action and awareness • Loss of reflective self-consciousness • Sense of personal control or agency over the situation/
activity • Distortion of temporal experience • Intrinsically rewarding
From “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
“Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom and anxiety, when the challenges are just balanced with the person’s capacity to act”
From “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow Channel
From “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Conditions for Achieving Flow • Knowing what to do • Knowing how to do it • Knowing how well you are doing • Knowing where to go (if navigation is involved) • High perceived challenges • High perceived skills • Freedom from distractions
From “Crafting Fun User Experiences: A method to facilitate flow” Owen Schaffer, HFI
“An interface that is difficult to use is like a broken tool or instrument. If you are playing jazz on a saxophone, a broken saxophone will not make it more fun to play. Playing more and more challenging music will make it more fun. ~ Owen Schaffer
Come and find your flow at the Madison Circus Space!
madisoncircusspace.com
2100 Winnebago St.
Madison, WI
