Diamonds in the Dark

Choreographic tools for aerialists, circus artists, and physical performers

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What is Diamonds in the Dark?

Diamonds in the Dark is self-guided online course in creative excavation; a collection of over 16 time-tested exercises that get results. These exercises are specifically designed for aerialists, circus artists, dancers, and movers to facilitate creative research. It's created to aid you in devising choreography and smooth, buttery transitions for your unique movement patterns, as well as provide you with tools to add depth and meaning to your work.

The course is delivered through a series of assignments:

  • Written assignments for you do in a notebook
  • Physical exercises for you to do in the studio
  • Video examples of these tools have been prepared and recorded for you so you can see what they look like

I recommend the exercises for Diamonds in the Dark be done in the order in which they are given.

This is not a course for learning tricks, repertory, or aerial technique. I made this course for those who know tricks, who know technique, and who are ready to make some fucking art. We reach a level of training in which the high of upping our skills is no longer satisfactory, we wish to know how people invent movement out of nowhere. When it is no longer enough to do an impressive skill, but you also want to know how to use that skill to elicit an emotional response in an audience...and ourselves. How to unleash your unique movement qualities. How to make a transition as powerful as a triple star drop, how to unlock an act that means something to us, how to connect with an audience core to core, how to push farther, deeper, longer into our creative process.



If this sounds like a familiar hunger, I made this course for you.



These are the tools and methods I've gathered and taught around the world since 2007. I have chosen only the exercises and tools that I have seen ignite fires in people that insisted they did not possess a creative bone in their body, but they WANTED to create. Through these exercises, they realized they already knew how, and were able to tap into and express those urges. You already have everything you need to make a movement, an act, a breath, absolutely mesmerizing. These are some tools to unearth those facets of your performance.



It is not intended exclusively for professionals, nor exclusively for hobbyists. It is intended for artists.


Here is some of what you can expect:

  • Video exercises of choreographic tools I've been testing for proven results for over 12+ years of research
  • Tasks for you to try in the studio, both on and off the apparatus
  • Written assignments (do not skip these, they are delicious) for you to do in your notebook
  • Lifetime access to the materials for as long as I'm kickin it on the interwebs
  • Access to any updated materials (you'll receive an update)



Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
Do you need a dance background to benefit from this course?
N. O. Much of my coaching career has centered around pulling luscious, drippy, provocative movements out of circus artists who did not have a dance background but wanted those qualities in their work. This is how all of these exercises were conceived and refined over the past 12+ years; for movers who did not have a dance background to draw on.
Can a Dancer Benefit from this Course?
Yes! I always had 1-3 lifelong dancers in my classes, and saw wonderful results in both dance-trained and non dance-trained bodies. The real deciding factor is in your openness to your own vulnerability. Some of these exercises were developed with the aid of friends and colleagues who are working dancers with many years of experience.
Will you teach me how to rig?
Absolutely not. This is not a technique course, or a skills course. It is designed purely for creative research and excavation, and it is your responsibility to keep yourself safe, and to move through the course with the integrity of knowing you will keep yourself safe, both on the ground and in the air.
What does the course entail?
Diamonds in the Dark is a collection of over 16 specific exercises designed for creative excavation- delivered through written assignments and video examples. It will require you to write...a lot...to confront your own expectations and ideas, and to show up and be vulnerable to those ideas. It will not require you to do pull ups. That's conditioning...this is creative excavation.
How long does it take to go through the course?
Since this course is entirely self-propelled, it's up to you. However, I recommend giving yourself at least 4 weeks to go through the exercises. This is not about the end result...so there is no rush! Take your time and get every last drop out of the course.

Check out the free preview below: Rules of the Road!

Course Curriculum


  Preparation
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  Concept: Choosing the Forest
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  Buttermelt Exercises: 3 Principle Tools for your Toolbelt
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Audacity Project Alumni:


If you have gone through the rabbit hole with me in The Audacity Project, you get $100 off the price of Diamonds in the Dark.

Contact me for your coupon code, you know where to find me :)

Your Instructor


Rachel Strickland
Rachel Strickland

Classically trained in ballet since the age of three, Rachel is a dancer turned aerialist, choreographer, and variety performer. She began her study of circus arts in 2007, developing a unique style and approach to aerial work, and has performed extensively across the United States and around the world. As a performer and choreographer, Rachel is known for her innovative combinations, movement quality, and obsessive study of spiral momentum. International collaborations include devising choreography and performing with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance in Ireland, as well as the award winning show “Elements” with Natural Wings out of Perth in Western Australia. Homemade recipes include writing and producing “Icarus” which debuted in the 2013 New Orleans Fringe Festival. She feels honored to have worked on US soil with such fine companies as ticktock, Emerald City Trapeze Arts, Madame Rex Entertainment, Kinetic Arts Productions, Trapeze World, Queensryche, and Circus Automatic.

Given to excess and quixotic tendencies, Rachel specializes in aerial hoop choreography and the practice of telling stories.



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