Frequent Flyers Productions, Inc.

A nonprofit organization

When we pause to look back at our first 35 years as Boulder’s premier aerial dance company, we are wowed by what we have collectively accomplished. It’s hard to quantify the power and grace that comes from learning to dance in the air. We are usually too busy to stop and detail the impact of our work on our community. An anniversary this big, however, deserves some reflection so we ran the numbers and here’s 35 years of impact by the numbers.  

  • 25 years of Aerial Dance Festivals and 110 ADF artists produced and careers furthered
  • 46 Professional Training Program grads: performing and teaching around the U.S.
  • 51 Student Company Performances: 1000 students with performance opportunities
  • 85 High Flyers / Intensive Training Program students: empowered to achieve personal and career goals
  • 146 Professional Company performances: spanning 23 cities, 6 states, 3 countries
  • 4,125 ADF students from 12 countries
  • 4,500 square feet of training and rehearsal space
  • 9,085 Kids Who Fly: youth finding their wings and overcoming fear
  • 19,200 ADF audience members: witnessing world-renowned artists in flight
  • 22,580 Students learning the joy of dancing in the air
  • 208,350 Audience Members: sharing in the magic of aerial dance 

We need you to invest in the next 35 years because these numbers are about people and the power of finding out that you have wings. We ask you to help nurture our community by supporting all the nuts and bolts that hold our wings together: teacher and staff pay, facilities, equipment, marketing, and theatre rentals for shows and ADF. 

Thank you from the tips of our wings to the bottom of our hearts for keeping our programs aloft!

Aerial Dance is a positive force in people’s lives, but don’t take our word for it:

"Frequent Flyers has always provided me with a safe space to express myself creatively, learn from others in a supportive environment, and cultivate meaningful friendships. Since beginning taking classes at Frequent Flyers, I've learned so much about myself, fallen in love with aerial dance, and developed my creativity. Frequent Flyers has given me a constant stream of support, love, and friendship!" - Anonymous Student

"Being part of Frequent Flyers was such a privilege, and while I ultimately went the route of medicine as opposed to continuing dance, I take the creativity and generativity that was nurtured as a part of the time I was in the company with me into my current endeavors!" - Aron Janssen, Professional Company Alumni

"It felt very touching & meaningful. Loved the diversity of performers." - ADF Performance Showcase Audience Member

"I found what it means to witness, without judgment or bias. I found best friends with whom we shared our ambitions and dreams, and ultimately helped each other propel these into motion. I was pushed to discover how to be an artist without boundaries and an athlete that has one more pull-up in them. I scared myself, surprised myself, and found gratitude for myself. I learned skills, a plethora of aerial vocabulary skills, but most importantly life skills of communication and teamwork." - Jenna Haddock, ProTraining Alumni

"I learned that I can try a lot harder than usual. Usually I'm pretty light on myself." - Kids Who Fly Student"

"I sat transfixed in my seat for the entire performance, my heart palpitating - every single dance was a surprise! By the end, I was crying, not discreet tears but heaving sobs, so moved by what had happened onstage." - Professional Company Audience Member

Giving Activity

Mission

Our mission is to create and promote the magic of aerial dance through performance and education.

Our vision is to help all people to see the world from a new perspective through experiencing the upside-down realm of aerial dance. We believe this expanded consciousness helps everyone to maximize their creative potential, which in turn provides the fertile ground for these problem-solvers to address issues, create new opportunities and solve problems in our community and beyond.

Background Statement

Frequent Flyers Productions, Inc. (FFP) was founded by Artistic Director, Nancy Smith in 1988 and incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1990 to explore and promote the relatively new art form of aerial dance. Since 1988, FFP has been delighting audiences worldwide and is Colorado's only professional aerial dance-theatre company. Performances have included site-specific work (drive-in theatre, church, parks, galleries, etc.) and collaborations with visual artists, composers, construction workers, physicists, and more. FFP pushes boundaries and explores new frontiers. This fearless innovation and attention to quality has made FFP a unique pioneer in the international aerial dance community. To date, over 228,000 people have experienced FFP through a class or performance.

FFP also has pioneered a variety of educational programs: Kids Who Fly for at-risk youth; Aerial Sci-Arts, experiencing physics and the low-flying trapeze for middle and high school students; the international Aerial Dance Festival now in its 24th year; and a variety of aerial classes for the general public. We have reached over 21,000 students with our education programs over the last 34 years, and counting! FFP is recognized as a leader in the field of aerial dance and has put Colorado on the map nationally and internationally as the locus for aerial dance.

In January 2010, FFP took a flying leap by leasing a dedicated class and rehearsal space and in 2015 added a 2nd studio to meet demand. We are the nation's premier Aerial Dance School. We added a 50-member student company and a 9-month Professional Training program. We are on-site at 2 schools for our Kids Who Fly, at-risk youth program and several schools and social service agencies come to our facility for classes and workshops.

Through all performances, the international Aerial Dance Festival, our many educational/outreach programs, and the Aerial Dance School; we bring aerial dance to the people to fulfill our mission.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Frequent Flyers Productions, Inc.

other names

Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance, FFP, FF

Year Established

1990

Category

Arts, Culture & Humanities

Organization Size

Medium Organization

Address

3022 E. Sterling Cir., #150
Boulder, CO 80301

Service areas

Boulder County, CO, US

Phone

303-245-8272

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