Introducing Rachel Adams
Rachel Adams is the Marketing Manager at the Acadiana Center for the Arts and co-owner of the new aerial gym in town, Sky Craft.
Rachel finds herself captivated by Acadiana’s rich cultural ecosystem that includes art, local music, food, and the special places that create community. She was drawn to her position at the AcA because it aligns with this vision and offers a platform to cultivate the local creative community. She is a fan of the performing arts whether it be dance, theater or music and takes an active role as an aerial silks performer and teacher.
Rachel discovered her love for movement art when she took her first aerial silks class at the start of 2015. Never having taken dance or gymnastics classes, it was exciting to find such joy in movement. This hobby soon turned into a passion (or maybe an obsession?) and she found herself dreaming and daydreaming about choreographing, performing, teaching, and opening her own studio.
In 2019, after years of hard work, training, conditioning, and learning, Rachel became certified to teach aerial silks. She started performing publicly when Basin Arts asked her to participate in the 2020 Window Wonderland Performance Events Downtown Lafayette. Following that show, the Stardust Acrobatics performance troupe was born.
Stardust Acrobatics is made up of 3 amazing ladies who share an affinity for dancing in the air – Erin Welch, Becca Ezekiel, and Rachel Adams. You can find them “hanging out” at Parc Sans Souci during ArtWalk, serving up champagne as “aerial bartenders” at swanky soirees, and showing off their tricks at private events and back-yard parties.
This year presented an exciting opportunity for Rachel to create her own space to practice and teach. Erin Welch, who has been teaching aerial arts in Lafayette since 2014, and Rachel ventured out on their own to open Sky Craft – Lafayette’s first & only circus arts studio. Sky Craft’s mission is to provide fun fitness opportunities to the community and make circus arts accessible to a wide demographic. One of Sky Craft’s long-term goals is to bring the concept of Social Circus to Lafayette. Social Circus uses circus arts as a tool for fostering the personal and social development of at-risk and marginalized individuals.
Who makes up your art circle?
My circus troupe, our audiences who cheer us on, those who hire us to perform, my fellow aerialists – near and far, our students at Sky Craft, and my co-workers at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
How do you expand your art circle?
I am constantly expanding my art circle by introducing aerial arts to new people. The more people experience aerial arts, either by taking a class or seeing a performance, the bigger our circle grows.
What value do you see in having a creative community?
Lafayette’s creative community is so incredibly valuable. We inspire each other, we teach each other, we hire each other, and we celebrate each others’ successes. Although aerial silks is mostly a solo art, the circus community is so welcoming and inclusive – we love to help each other improve skills and techniques, stay safe, and have fun. The people you train with become your closest and most trusted friends.
How does your artistic approach contribute to your community?
I enjoy sharing my passion and inspiring people to pursue something new. My approach to teaching is inclusive – we teach kids and adults of all ages and bodies. Our classes not only focus on fitness, but also on nurturing self-esteem, exploring creativity, having fun, building trust, and exploring potential.
