Hang By a Thread

Aerial Homework: What Should You Be Training Every Session?

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An easy way to keep yourself on track when it's so easy to get distracted while "training"

Want to see a bit of a hot mess?

I really want to get these. In the air. On BOTH sides. It’s…going.

I’ve added them to my homework category: the stuff I make myself work on at least a little every time I’m on a rope.

Homework

So what do I consider “homework” for training? Basically, it’s the stuff I know I need to work on but can be unmotivated to make myself do.

For example, right now for rope, my beats are weak. When they’re right they’re super fun. But since they aren’t right, I hate them right now. Hate them. They frustrate me to no end, and I just want to skip them.

But that doesn’t help them get any better. And if I want to improve at corde lisse, I absolutely need them. Into the homework pile they go. I’ve agreed with myself that I will work at least a little bit on beats every time I train. Every. Time.

That’s the only way things get better.

It’s also a good way of keeping myself from “training” only the fun things I can already do.

Extra Credit

I *highly* recommend adding training most things on your bad side as well. You may never have to perform them that way, but there are still several reasons for doing it anyway.

  1. It will really help to make you a better aerialist. You’ll develop your own body awareness by making your brain work in reverse.
  2. It will help to keep both sides the same. A common aerial arts problem is being far stronger on one side than the other.
  3. There is a very high probability of you needing to use the opposite side, especially as you string more and more things together and learn to move through a piece. You will start being surprised by the amount of times a transition requires you to be in position for the side you’re less comfortable with. You can learn the whole sequence so it puts you on the side you prefer, but won’t you have an easier time if you just make yourself get as comfortable as possible with both arms or legs? It’s a perfect example of laziness creating more work.
  4. This is slightly anecdotal, but a friend of mine hurt her ankle and had to have surgery. She had to completely relearn several moves on the opposite side once the ankle healed because it was no longer as strong and we had a show coming up. She did it, but to this day she’ll tell you how much easier it would have been if she’d have just learned it from the get-go.

Both sides might not be graceful, but at least your shoulder muscles will start matching again.

Dealing With the Inevitable Rope Burn

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Rope burns! They happen when you're an aerialist. Here's how I dealt with my worst one.

This summer, during a group corde lisse routine, our midriff baring costumes came together with an inverted descent and earned me the biggest rope burn I’ve ever had. On stage. Night one.

It’s going to happen. Rope burns in this business are just part of the package. Sooner or later, you’ll sacrifice some of your skin for the hobby you love. So let’s get you as ready as possible for it.

Rope burn! It's going to happen when you're an aerialist. Here's how I dealt with my worst one to date.

First up: Prevention

It is going to happen, but let’s try to minimize how many burns you get. Cover up! You know what you need on your apparatus; make sure your clothes are covering what you need covered. I used to prefer for my legs to be uncovered because I could grip better with my knees. Until one humid day (all the summer days are humid in KC) I took some skin off my legs just sliding down to my knees on the trapeze.

You’re likely to be able to get away with exposing your stomach on the trapeze or lyra, but it can be less fun on corde lisse or silks.

If it’s hot out, you might feel better in shorts, just make sure to wear some thick tights underneath. And a word of caution about fishnets: they probably aren’t enough. One very fun performance we did had us decked out in rhinestoned bras and black fishnet tights. But the next morning, I and my fellow silk performer had fishnet shaped scabs on our inner thighs. It looked like we had grown scales. Never again. (You can still wear them, just maybe wear skin colored tights underneath.)

Wearing a longer shirt is helpful too. It covers more anyway, but you can also tuck it in for wheel-downs or s-wraps in the silks or on the rope.

 

What to Do When Rope Burn Happens (because it will happen)

If you’re still training or are in the middle of class, wrap it up to prevent it from getting dirty or getting worse. Always keep some gauze and athletic tape on hand just in case. This will also provide a little bit of a cushion so you can keep training, because burns hurt.

When you get home, clean the wound really well. It’s going to hurt like crazy, but clean it as best and as gently as you can in the shower. (Shower bonus: if you didn’t know you had a burn, you will definitely find out in the shower. Hot water on raw skin hurts!)

I also use hydrogen peroxide at first, just like when I was little and scraped my knee. But I have a friend who insists that you shouldn’t use it much, as it can destroy the new skin forming. I’m not sure on that, but I do think that when the burn is still new it’s a good way to get whatever sweat and rosin and glitter our of there.

Use Neosporin.

I can’t believe I skipped this for so long. It’s a little annoying because you’ll be a little greasy, but it heals so much faster, and so much better.

Wrap It Up

I use gauze and tape over Neosporin for this, especially while I’m sleeping to keep the wound clean. Wrapping it also keeps the ointment from getting all over everything.

A word of caution here: my burn was bad enough that for the first few days, it would start healing into the dressing. No fun. No fun at all.

Air It Out

Okay, I know I said to cover it up, but it’s also important to let the burn air out too. Remember when you were little and put a bandaid on your finger, and the skin would get all shriveled? Not good. You need to change the dressing on it decently often, so when you can, put some Neosporin on it and just let it breathe. When I had my bad side burn, some days at home I’d tuck my tshirt up into my bra to let it air out.

 

It still might scar

But you earned that scar! Still, it’s good to minimize them. And if you take care of your battle wound, it will heal up so much better.

 

Tip Your Hips: How to Isolate Your Lower Abs in Knee Lifts

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Are you doing a million knee lifts but getting nowhere? Here's the tweak you might be missing to target your lower abs.

**Oh hey! This post contains affiliate links. They don’t cost you anything extra, and they help to keep me tangling from the ceiling. I like that.**

We need to talk about knee lifts. You know that exercise your teacher probably makes you do, hanging from the trapeze bar and lifting up your knees a million times? Are you feeling nothing? Or maybe just wearing out your thighs?

You’re doing them wrong.

This drives me crazy, because it rarely ever gets explained to new students. We’re trying to target those elusive lower abs, so that eventually you can invert (go upside down) easily.

But if you’re just mindlessly bending your knees, you’re wasting your time.

Here’s what I want you to do: right now, as you’re reading, think of trying to push your belly button into your spine. Without holding your breath or just sucking your stomach in. You should still be able to breath normally, but try to push your belly button through your stomach to your spine, and try to hold it there.

Do you feel those muscles that are working?

Hi lower abs!

(By the way, this exercise is great to do when you’re driving or sitting at a desk. Sneaking extra conditioning in whenever we can!)

Okay. Back to hanging from the trapeze bar. Or the lyra. Or the silks. Or your pullup bar. Whatever you’re hanging from.

I want you to think about those muscles you just found, and focus your attention on them. Once again try to pull your belly button to your spine. Those lower ab muscles are what should be initiating your knee lift, not your quads.
At the top of your knee lift, tip your hips back. That should dig into those lower abs even more.
If you’re not sure what I mean, I always tell students to imagine they have a tail coming out of their spine, and trying to pull that tail between their legs. Like a rolled up armadillo.

Reference.

 

Do that every time.

This is how your initiate going upside down. Most people think it’s all about throwing your body back, kicking your feet for all you’re worth.

Nope.

It’s rolling back. That’s how it can be done slowly, with no momentum. It’s how you will eventually be doing these with straight legs, if you aren’t already.

(Crappy quality, I know. But it shows the hip tip, and that’s what you need.)

Do you have a pullup bar at home? (If not, get one!) This is the one that I use. It can be placed in a doorway and is perfect for doing these at home between classes. Plus it’s great for like a million other exercises. Don’t worry, we’ll cover those soon.

If you’re still trying to get your invertions, start with 10 of these a day. Go slow and really focus on the hip tip at the top of the movement. Move up to 15, then 20 a day.

When that gets easy, start straightening your legs into a straddle instead of tucking your knees. Then continue to initiate the movement from your hips instead of throwing your feet up.

For real, guys. It’s all about those hips. Just like Shakira has been telling us all along.

How to Make the Most of Your Aerial Training When You’re Broke

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Aerial classes are expensive! How to seriously improve your skills without breaking the bank.

Aerial training is expensive. There’s no getting around that. Responsible studios have to upkeep their equipment, pay for specialty insurance, pay for teachers… And all that means that classes add up too.

But there are a lot of ways that you can get the most for your money and maximize your training!

Condition at Home

This is probably the single most important thing you can do to improve quickly. Not learning a million tricks, but being strong enough to do whatever is thrown at you in class. If you ignore everything else in this post, don’t ignore this one. You will see results.

To make this easier, come up with a conditioning routine. Make a list of the body parts you want to work on (think obliques, lower abs, arms, butt…), pick one or two exercises for each, and do them at least three times a week outside of class. Work on deep stretching on the days in between.

Go to Open Gym

If your studio offers an open gym time, take advantage of it! Open gym is time offered during the week to practice what you’ve learned in class. While it still costs money, it is usually a lot cheaper than regular classes and you get the chance to practice on your actual apparatus. How to Make the Most of Your Gym Time

Take and Review Your Notes

Take notes during class! If that would distract you while you’re learning, get a notebook ready and as soon as class ends write down everything you learned, step by step. I do this after my silks class every week, and reviewing what I wrote down while it was still fresh in my head is so helpful later. I regret it when I don’t, and forget important parts of the skills. Soooooo frustrating.

Take Video

Ask your instructor if this is okay, and record them demonstrating the skills. Resist the urge to ONLY get video of yourself doing things you do well (I mean, get some of those. Instagram material!). Some of my classmates will set up a phone or tablet or GoPro and record the entire class. Our silks teacher speaks and moves quickly, and it helps all of us to watch the videos several times.

Focus on One Apparatus at a Time

This one can be so hard! Some people immediately know they only want to do silks, or that lyra is the only thing calling their name. There’s nothing else in this world for them.

For most of us though (me included!), we want to learn it all. I saw the trapeze hanging while I was taking my first silks classes. I dabbled in some lyra workshops. I finally realized I needed to focus, at least at first. I didn’t have unlimited funds. The reason I don’t do lyra now? In those first few months, there were more silks and trapeze classes. I fell in love with both of those.

But even then, I tried to focus mainly on one at a time until I got comfortable. I’ve added more later, and gone back and forth throughout my almost six years in aerial. I started on silks, did trapeze almost exclusively for a couple of years, went back to silks, tried a custom spiral apparatus, then found corde lisse and fell in love all over. And I’ve finally started training silks again.

Everything relates to everything else. Just pick one for now. Train hard and get to know it well instead of spreading yourself and your wallet too thin.

Eat Well

If conditioning is the single fastest way to improve, I’m putting this one as the second. Take care of your body! Aerial dance is physically demanding, but so, so rewarding. Support your body so that it can support you. Drink lots of water, eat protein so that your muscles can build themselves up, don’t load yourself up on crap. If you eat terrible food, your body will not perform well. You are working hard and paying good money for class. Don’t sabotage yourself!

Besides, treating yourself well feels amazing. You deserve that.

 

I know that classes get expensive. I get how frustrating it is to want to be in the air every day but not to be able to shell out hundreds every month to make that happen. But if you work smart throughout the week, you will still seem amazing results in the air. I promise!

3 Reasons You’re Not Advancing in Your Aerial Class

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Are you wondering why you haven't moved up to the next level in class? These 3 things could be holding you back.

Are you frustrated that you’re stuck in level one or two? Do you feel like you’ve checked off all the tricks in the book for your class, and you aren’t sure why you’re staying put?

Although every situation is different, there are three big things students often overlook that keep them from getting to the next level in class.

You stop trying after the hard part.

You can do a beautiful inverted split in the ropes. And then you melt back down to the trapeze bar, shoulders gloriously unengaged, back slouched, with a facial expression that screams “Now what?”.

You nail a gorgeous stag pose in the silks, only to drop to the floor, foot tangled in your footlock because you couldn’t be bothered to take it off the right way.

Finish out your movements. It builds strength (hello, sneaky conditioning!), and it demonstrates that you have control. That’s important as you learn more difficult stuff.

You’re sloppy getting into and out of the air.

I had a trapeze class who used to get furious because every couple of weeks we would drill getting onto and off of the bar. They really didn’t understand the point. They’d do it right a couple of times, then go right back to getting up however the hell they felt like it. Several of them had even expressed interest in being in our performance group!

Do you do this? Do you not see the point of making things look nice if it’s not a big silk drop or a pretty spinning lyra pose? Are you just ready to move on to the next level so you can learn harder stuff?

Move on? You should be getting back to the basics. If you’re consistently ignoring the basics, the foundation stuff, then you aren’t ready for more. You’re going to be a danger to yourself with more advanced moves, and your teacher isn’t having that.

Not to mention, that looks terrible. For real. Terrible. We don’t want to look terrible.

You aren’t conditioning.

You knew this was coming.

If you’re refusing to condition (or being a bit of a baby about it), don’t expect to go anywhere anytime soon. As you advance, you’ll be learning things that are more difficult and more dangerous. If you can’t do pushups or won’t even try to work abs, your teacher probably doesn’t feel like you’ll be safe going forward.

This is an easy fix though! Just work a little every day. On the ground. Come back to class and start seeing progress.

 

Every student, every teacher, every class is different. If you still aren’t sure why you aren’t advancing, go to the source. Ask your teacher what you can do to progress, and then really do those things. And keep in mind, this isn’t a race. Everyone progresses at their own pace. Just keep working and know that no matter how far you advance, there will always be more to learn.

Get Comfortable Looking Stupid

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Quit trying to look cool during class. You're holding yourself back!

I’ve seen a lot of people walk into their first few aerial lessons and knock that shit out of the park. Maybe that was you? Possibly a former gymnast, you’re strong, you’re graceful, you can invert on the first try no cheat, no problem. Effing wonderful. You’ve got a killer head start.

But a month or two in, something happens. We’re not doing just the basics anymore. We’ve diverted from the things you were so comfortable with (that’s what happens when you’re progressing). The people you were effortlessly showing up week after week are now catching onto moves before you are. No more one and done tricks, you’re having to work. And think. And sweat a little.

And by the end of class, you still might not have figured out what we’re doing (hint: that’s expected!). And you’re pissed. Where before you were so eager to do whatever your teacher threw at you, now you’re refusing to try and begging to do that move you mastered two weeks ago while your instructor is explaining something new.

You stop progressing. Do you know why?

It’s because you’re afraid to look stupid.

 

Looking stupid is important to progress.

Seriously.

Get comfortable with it. Embrace it, even. Because if you want to get better, sometimes you’re going to look really stupid.

And that’s okay. Really. I promise. Who exactly are you trying to impress in class? You aren’t on stage right now. If you are learning new things, those things are going to be awkward and sometimes awful at first. The only way to get better is to start at awful.

If you refuse to look goofy, you are holding yourself back. Not just a little bit. It will compound. You refuse to try moves that made you feel awkward the first time through, so you never improve them. They don’t get added to your aerial arsenal. You don’t learn new ways to move through things, new positions, new transitions. Having a wide range is important, especially as you start creating your own routines. Do you really want to leave all that on the table?


That’s me, losing all grace as I nearly fall out of the air.

And I hate to burst your cool looking bubble (that’s not true, I’ll happily burst this one), but you look like an idiot trying to play it cool all the time.

You aren’t fooling anyone. Instead of coming across as an aerial savant, you really seem like the person who doesn’t want to try. And that’s really lame.

I teach a way to go from standing to seated on the trapeze that can be scary at first, so I have people start by doing somersaults on the floor to simulate the motion. And sometimes I have students all but refuse to do it. They came here to learn to be prima aerialists gracefully gliding through the air, not to look like toddlers rolling on the ground.

The people who somersault with me? They get that move a lot faster than the student sneering in the corner. And they have a lot more fun in class. And, well, this may be reaching a little bit, but I’m going to assume they have a lot more fun in life, too.

So get over yourself, my little spider monkey. And embrace your own awkwardness. It’s okay to look a little stupid.

Four Benefits of Learning Aerial With Other Students

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Four Benefits of Learning Aerial with Other Students

Private lessons don’t come cheap. Well at least, they shouldn’t. (Running a studio is expensive. Have you ever told an insurance company that you want to teach people to hang from knots in the ceiling?) Having the teacher to yourself can be great, but if they’re out of the question right now, know that being in class with several people can really help you to learn new skills too.

It helps to see how other people do a move.

Yes, everyone will be learning the same thing, but watching different people do the same thing is so helpful while you’re learning. Everyone moves differently, and seeing someone else move through what you’re learning can be illuminating. Plus if they are having trouble, you get a great perspective on the trouble spots in a move. We are constantly watching and helping each other out in class as we see what is happening in the air from the ground.

Watching others learn is one of the best ways to get a better understanding of what needs to happen when you’re in the air.

Encourage each other.

When you’re regularly in class with other people, you end up becoming cheerleaders for each other. You know what each person is working on and who is knocking certain moves out of the park. You can become your own little support group for each other. Learning difficult skills with people is a bonding experience; I’ve grown a lot with the people I met in class years ago!

You don’t get tired as fast.

Aerial dance is exhausting. Crazy fun, but exhausting. With others in class, you’re much more likely to get a breather in between silks climbs or trapeze drops.

Other people can offer different perspectives.

Has one student nailed a move that you’re having trouble with? Ask them for tips! Were they putting a lot of weight in their hand on the lyra? Were they turning their hips towards the ground with the trapeze behind them? Sometimes hearing something in someone else’s words is all you need. Maybe they can shed a different light on it.

The big caveat here: make sure that students aren’t teaching students. It’s one thing to share what worked for one, it’s another entirely for a student still learning how to do something to try to teach others. Listen to your teacher and stay safe!

 

You’re doing something insanely cool with these people once a week. How many other people do you know who are striving to drop from the ceiling while tied to fancy curtains? Make the most of your time together and you’ll learn much faster!

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When You Learn a New Move

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Ask yourself these 3 questions to solidify your new aerial move and improve as as an aerialist and a performer.You have a new move! You’ve done exactly what the teacher said, nailed it with pointed toes, and have already posted that noise to Instagram.

On to the next thing!!!

Slow your roll for a minute, though. Want to make any move better? Figure out exactly what’s going on. Ask yourself these three questions for a solid understanding of the things you’re learning.

What’s Holding Me Up?

How are you staying up there? With some memorized hand placement, wishes and prayers?

I hope not.

What part of your body is supporting your weight? What part of the apparatus is supporting your weight? Is that hand currently a load-bearing hand? Are you pulling the trapeze bar or lyra toward you or pushing it away? Which silk post needs to be taut for you to stay in the air?

This is important! Don’t just trust that you followed the instructions (although you should absolutely follow them!). Feel out what is going on in your body and with your apparatus.

Where is My Center of Gravity?

This is a big one I see overlooked. Where are you balancing from? You really want to pay attention here, especially in inversions. When doing an inverted split in the trapeze ropes or in the silks, are you wobbling back and forth, tick-tocking your legs on your posts to keep from falling? Not good.

Although every move is different, check your core first. Tighten your abs. Don’t untighten them. There’s a very good chance that your center will be there.

If you cannot find your balance, you do not have that move down. I don’t care if you can recite the directions verbatim. You don’t have it.

How Can I Safely Alter This?

Well here’s a fun one.

Want to get creative in the air without looking like a windsock in a hurricane? Start playing with safely altering the move.
What if your feet were here instead of there? Can you open the silks tails and spin them separately? Can you go into another pose without getting tangled?
Slowly and mindfully changing a move or pose is a great way to get better aquainted with it and to start developing your own style. Once you know what is holding you up and where your center of gravity is, you won’t be relegated to the exact same 5 poses.

Fight the urge to simply memorize trick after trick after trick! Work to understand what’s happening and you’ll not only create a better foundation for yourself, you’ll be a lot more interesting in the air!

Class Is Only Once a Week! Can I Really Improve?

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How to supplement your beloved new aerial class when it's only once a week

Over and over again, we have new students ask how they can possibly improve when class is only once a week.

  • Should they go ahead and hang a trapeze in their living room?
  • Should they do a million pushups everyday?
  • Should they really even bother, since obviously they can’t learn a new skill only coming once a week?

Well, as tempting as it is, please don’t hang a trapeze after one class. I’m never going to argue with someone who wants to do pushups. And for God’s sake, DON’T convince yourself that improvement is impossible when class is only once a week!

It’s completely possible to keep improving in aerial classes when class is only once a week. In fact, when you’re just starting out, it’s kind of perfect. You have plenty of time to digest the new information and it gives your body some adjustment time.

But there are a lot of things to do in those sad, sad six days when your feet are on the ground.

Conditioning

Aaahhh, who just cringed? You knew it was coming!

I know. This is not as fun as swinging from the ceiling. But this is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE.

Does your teacher do ab exercises on the floor? Do those at home!

Does your studio offer a conditioning class? Take it! Our studio offers aerial conditioning classes three times a week. They are open to every student, and are required for our performance company members. New students are oftened intimidated by these classes, but chances are, if you’re at a safe school, they’ll be tailored to everyone’s fitness level. Ask your teacher.

Can you get a pullup bar? I have one that hangs in the doorway at home. It’s great for, duh, pullups. But when I started focusing on trapeze, this came in really handy for static moves under the bar.

Seriously. Condition.

Take Notes During Class

Bring a pen and a notebook and take notes during class. Write down what new moves you learned, what conditioning exercises you did, etc. Ask your teacher if you can take pictures or record yourself or them doing that new silks wrap. I’m a visual learner; video plus notes helps me a lot.

Mentally Practice

This is far more helpful than it sounds. Mentally walking yourself through the physical steps of a new trapeze transition or silks move is huge. Where should I place my hand on the rope? Should my leg be in the middle of the trapeze bar or near the thimble? Which side am I placing the fabric on before my knee hook?

If you can work these things out on the ground, step-by-step, in your head, it will be so much easier in the air.

Eat Well

This means actually eating!

Aerial classes are physically demanding. You need those calories. Don’t fear them; good calories are your friends!

The key here is good calories. If you eat like crap, your physical performance will likely reflect that.

Stretch

Finally, make stretching a habit. Just like you want to build strength for aerial, maintaining and increasing flexibility is really important. Focus on your shoulders, hips, and everyone’s favorite, the splits.

Make sure to stretch after you condition. Stretching temporarily weakens your muscles, so save it for after all those pullups. Because you are definitely conditioning, right?

What to Do After an Aerial Class

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How to get the most out of your aerial class AFTER it's over.

Have you just taken your first aerial silks class? Just climbed off the lyra or the trapeze? Still wound up and wondering what to do with all that lingering energy? Make it work for you!

Cool Down!

This is the first thing you should do after class. Cool down whatever you have just worked. Stretch! Your muscles have just worked hard, and they need some lovin’. Pay special attention to your shoulders (I say this from experience), and any part of your body that you’ve worked a lot (which in aerial, tends to be everything).

Don’t skip this!
With all of the strength that silks, trapeze, lyra and whatever else you choose to climb on is building, loss of flexibility is a constant threat. It will also help your muscles be less tense the next day.

Eat Protein

Protein builds and repairs muscles, and after you’ve worked them so hard in class, your body is probably craving some. Eating protein after a workout speeds up recovery and can help you gain strength faster (which means nailing that climb sooner).

You’ve got options here. I eat eggs CONSTANTLY. I love them. Red meat! Any meat! Tuna (seriously, this stuff is almost pure protein). Greek yoghurt.

Looking for vegan options? Lentils, quinoa, tempeh, tofu… You’re not off the protein hook.

Take Notes

If you don’t already take notes during class, jot some down after while the material is still fresh. Include what you worked on, what conditioning you did, and especially helpful, any tips you figured out. Does this transition go smoother when your hand is facing forward? Does this silk drop go land better when you imagine you’re a board? That stuff is helpful. For real.

Mentally Review

This goes along with taking notes, but it’s a big one. Take some time to mentally review what you’ve just learned while it’s still rolling around up there. In your head, walk yourself through the steps. It will help solidify what you’ve just learned, which will give you a BIG headstart the next time you’re in the air.

Epsom Salt Bath

It eases sore muscles, and it’s a bath. And you shouldn’t need any more convincing than that.

What about you?

Anything you find helpful after class? Give us your own tips.