On 20th anniversary, Athens aerial dance studio focuses on inclusion and community health
When Deborah Atwood first attempted trapeze in 2007, she was good-naturedly teased for doing so in her late 40s. The Athens resident set out to make a point about her abilities, and now teaches her own mixed-level class at Canopy Studio called the Over B-52s, which consists of women her age and older.
Atwood is one of a variety of performers who will take part in the aerial arts center's 20th anniversary series scheduled for April 22-24. The event will mark the first in-person Repertory Company shows in the building at 160-6 Tracy St. since 2019, and will consist of five performances over the weekend.
Opened in 2002 by Susan Murphy and Don Carson, Canopy Studio was among the first businesses at the Chase Park Warehouse Complex, a 1940s cotton loft that was renovated one year earlier and went on to become an artistic hub currently home to multiple dance, photography and tattoo studios, among dozens more.
For Atwood and many others, the 501c nonprofit organization isn't just a space where young and athletic dancers sail through the air in costumes on wings of billowing fabric, it's a source of self-expression and empowerment.
(Story continues after photo...)
"Canopy Studio isn't a cookie-cutter environment full of Barbie doll look-alikes," Atwood told the Banner-Herald. "There are people in their 60s and 70s; there are immunocompromised people and folks of all different shapes, sizes and abilities. It's about more than exercise for me. It feeds my soul."
Ann Woodruff, who serves as executive director at Canopy, has been with the studio since before the Chase Warehouse days when she was a founding member of a repertory company that began as a community program led by Murphy that grew out of the University of Georgia's dance department.
More: Athens designers and musicians set to rock the runway at free fashion and music event
More: Nominees and concert date announced for the 2022 Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards
Now, with a staff of 40 instructors who oversee 80 classes and opportunities for the Athens community, Woodruff described the growth of the studio over the past decade as "explosive" under the supervision of her predecessor, Melissa Roberts, who served as Canopy's executive director for 12 years.
(Story continues after video...)
Prior to her current position at the studio, Woodruff spent more than a decade as Canopy's children's programming and teen outreach director. Woodruff told the Banner-Herald that she routinely heard parents comment on the positive effect the center's classes had on their child's self-confidence.
"One of the primary takeaways from Canopy is that you can do things that may seem difficult in the beginning," said Woodruff. "It can also be a creative outlet for adults who might've had dance experience when they were younger, or just a place where folks can find camaraderie and a sense of community. Though we don't advertise as an alternative to therapy, I've had many people remark that what we offer is cheaper."
The 25th anniversary performances will take place at Canopy Studio at 160-6 Tracy St. on Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. For tickets and safety information, visit canopystudio.org.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Canopy Studio celebrates 20 years in Athens with anniversary shows
