Today we’d like to introduce you to Jade Glasgow.
Hi Jade, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! Thanks for chatting with me. I am a flow artist, aerialist, and model based out of Minnetonka, Minnesota. I grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota and moved to the Twin Cities seven years ago. The thriving arts scene in the city was a big factor in my decision to move here. I kept finding myself coming back to catch live music while I completed my psychology degree at NDSU in Fargo, and fell more in love with Minneapolis with each visit.
I first discovered flow arts, and specifically hoop dance at a music festival in 2014. I had played with hula hoops as a kid and loved them, but I had no idea that there was a whole art form and community behind what at first glance looks like a kid’s toy, until I watched flow artists work their magic. I was instantly hooked on hooping, and have since dabbled with many other props. Flow arts is an umbrella term for dancing with props or “flow toys” like hula hoops, poi, fans, contact juggling balls, dragon staffs, etc. “Flow” refers to the term coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: a state of complete absorption or concentration with an activity where people tend to be happy, and nothing else seems to matter. Some people describe flow arts as a moving meditation. For me, flowing helps me get out of my head and centered in my body.
I began studying aerial arts in 2015 when a good friend started teaching aerial hammock classes at a new studio near me. As a kid who spent my days hanging upside down from the monkey bars on the playground, I was not in the least bit surprised to find that this was an instant match for me. I’ve trained with a variety of apparatuses, including hammock, lyra, trapeze, merkaba, silks, and pole. I have a hard time focusing on any one discipline, because I simply love them all too much to choose a favorite. While I may be a jack of all trades and a master of none, I find that there are many benefits to cross-training, and I love finding moves that can translate from one apparatus to another.
I began my journey with modeling about a year ago. I had been interested in modeling for many years but had only dipped my toes in, letting myself believe I was past the proper age to begin, or that I was way too short at 5’0″. I finally decided to stop buying into all that nonsense and dove in head first last May, and I’ve had a wonderful year collaborating with local photographers and other creatives. I feel so lucky to live in a city with so much creative talent around every corner. I’ve spent the past year experimenting with various styles of modeling to find out what best suits me. I’ve found that I really love modeling fantasy, dance/aerial, and fun creative concepts. I am always up to trying something new and funky!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest struggles for me is finding the time to dedicate to my various passions. I want to do it all, and to give each passion the time and dedication it deserves, but there’s only so much time in a day.
The past few years have certainly brought their own struggles as well, with cancelled performances and paused aerial training during the peak of the pandemic. It’s great to see live performance art returning to the community again, and to get back into the studio and see familiar faces.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Something I am proud of is how much I’ve grown over the last several years, as both a creative and as a person. I’m actually fairly shy, but performing and modeling force me out of my shell. My passions have helped my confidence, have made me stronger both physically and mentally, and have given me a wonderful creative outlet to express myself.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The list of people that deserve credit is a long one. I’ve had a large community supporting me and helping me get to where I am today, from my various aerial instructors to my community of flow artists, to the photographers, makeup artists, and stylists I’ve worked with on photoshoots. I’m endlessly grateful for everyone I’ve had a chance to learn from and collaborate with.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/jadeflows
Image Credits
Helen Gallup
Carl Stover
Kyle Olson
Douglas Gustafson
Rachael Henn
Erik Blume
Rachel Simmons-Swanson
Tom Smouse
