A Place to Call Their Own: Uplift Acrobatics Opens a Studio on Main Street

By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – On Monday, July 25, 2022, Owner Kaitlyn Knapp and Uplift Acrobatics held their ribbon cutting ceremony for a new studio space in downtown Springfield. This event was a culmination of a life’s effort for the 37-year-old Stevens High School alumni.

Knapp began her lifelong journey at a young age in Claremont. “I started ballet at the Goodwin Community Center when I was three, then my friends got me into Jenkins in Claremont,” she says. In addition to these spots, she also did training at Pioneer Gymnastics in Newport. From her small-town beginnings, she would take this passion for acrobatics to college, as she majored in Dance Management and Instruction at New Hampshire’s Plymouth State University, where she says she was always known as the program’s acrobat. “I just really loved it. Acrobatics was always my #1 thing,” says Knapp. As part of her education, she also achieved a “high-level certification” from an organization called Acrobatic Arts.

According to the current Weathersfield, Vermont resident, she officially went out on her own as an acrobatics teacher 11 years ago when she moved “across the river” into Vermont, after spending time bouncing around New Hampshire teaching the artform. Knapp spent time traveling the state teaching, specifically at one business called Artistry, before deciding in 2019 that it was time to take her profession closer to home, settling on Springfield.

Knapp, who in addition to owning the business is also the Lead Teacher, states that she was able to teach through the COVID-19 pandemic by renting out spaces in multiple buildings around town. However, with the decision to teach a new discipline, Lyra, a space with steeper ceilings would become essential. Knapp defines Lyra as a circus discipline, also known as aerial hoop. “In order to fit the Lyra, you need quite high ceilings,” she says. “I realized I couldn’t teach it anywhere that I was renting from because the ceilings were too low. This is when I found the Woolson Block space.”

Uplift Acrobatics’ new home will help Knapp continue to run her current selection of classes, which include Acro 101 through 401, Tiny Tumblers, and Lyra, while providing ample opportunities for an expansion of offerings. Knapp currently teaches ground acrobatics and Lyra but hopes to continue building more classes. “We teach all the acrobatics, our goal is to keep adding until we are teaching all different versions,” she states. Knapp says that the business’ current specialty is staying in the performance art realm, where she trains dancers on how to do acrobatics, and can teach circus as well.

Currently, programs are taught to everyone from the ages of three to 18, but she does offer some occasional adult classes. Most of the studio’s classes are taught Monday through Saturday, from 5 to 8 PM.

In addition to the base-level class offerings, Uplift Acrobatics also offers a wide variety of summer workshops, each one focusing on a specific detail of the art. “Summer workshops are a chance to dive deep into different topics, for example the back handsprings workshop, where we just dive into that for two hours,” says Knapp. She states that these will be coming in August. Then, in September, the “main program” begins. This, according to Knapp, is a 10-month program (September through June) that culminates in a big show in June, where the kids get to show all that they have learned. This program will consist of both Acro and Lyra classes.

In terms of what a business like this will do for the community of Springfield, Knapp has high hopes. “I’m hoping to uplift the children and their families,” she says. “To inspire them to love the acrobatic arts and give them something to look forward to every week. She also says that she wants to give area kids something health to do that will support their overall wellness.

A large part of Knapp’s mission includes providing inclusivity. “We try to create an inclusive and uplifting environment for all the students. So even though we are teaching acrobatics, our main focus is on supporting the kids as a whole. Providing a supportive and inclusive environment for them. And uplifting, hence the name,” Knapp states.

Uplift Acrobatics will be holding an Open House event this Saturday, July 30th, from 10 AM to Noon.