Tips for First-Time Aerialists
First-time visiting AerialWorks? Use these tips to be super prepared!
We want you to feel awesome the first time you take an aerial class. Use the recommendations below to help you choose an outfit that you’ll feel comfortable and confident in, and be ready for what's coming your way:
- Wear athletic-type clothing that covers your legs and torso (for example, leggings and a t-shirt or tank top). This helps protect your skin. You want something that you feel comfortable moving in, examples include stretching to your max range and going upside-down.
- Bring layers, especially in the colder months. Sometimes it takes a while for our bodies to warm up. Having an extra layer can help keep your muscles warm and can protect the skin on your arms when trying new skills and tricks for the first time.
- Be ready to clean your feet! You'll notice that we clean our feet with baby wipes at the studio. But you can stay in socks for the warm-up or even all class if you really want to. However, some of the skills are easier with bare feet. Generally, when we are the sling/silks we have bare feet, so whenever you do decide to take your socks off, please consider cleaning your feet so that our studio stays smelling fresh and not like stinky feet!
- Leave jewelry and clothing with zippers at home. These items can snag the delicate fabric and can interfere with your practice; however, anything that doesn't come off is welcome to stay on. Also, it's not a great idea to lather up with lotion just before class, as this will cause your hands to slide on the fabric.
- Check your fingernails. Long nails can make it difficult to grip the fabric, so they’re not ideal for aerial arts.
- Bring a water bottle. It helps, especially in our dry, Colorado climate, to sip on water in between turns on the apparatus.
What's the Difference between "Sling" and "Silks"?
Let's start with a little history of these terms, shall we?!
The first thing you should know is that both "sling" and "silks" are relatively new to America, and thus the English language! Cirque Du Soleil popularized aerial silks in America the late 1980s but it wasn't until the late 1990s and early 2000s that training began in America, and it wasn't until the early 2000s that any training in America was formally established for these art forms. So, when they first began just a few decades ago, there were many names for it! The French call their fabric hanging from the ceiling "tissu" so many aerial silks artists use that term today, including the founder of AerialWorks, Rebekah Leach.
"Tissu" is the French word for "fabric." Since this is the most direct translation, the generation that more closely learned from the French tends to call this mesmerizing art form "aerial fabric." The part of the generation who did not learn from the French but were more self-taught---or perhaps had trainers from other countries---created their own vocabulary. The "fabric" looks very much like "silks" especially the way that the new aerialists were so graceful on it, so that term was also used. Over the years, like all evolving languages, it simply comes down to a popularity context. In this case, "silks" ended up becoming the dominant term and is more widely used today. If you hear/see someone using "fabric", they are probably more "old-school" and may have a direct linage to French training as Rebekah Leach does. In fact, they may be one of the ones that use her "Aerial Fabric Manuals," which have been shipped to over 100 countries around the world!
"Sling" is also known as "hammock." The two terms competed for many years. It makes sense because this apparatus uses the very same fabric as you would use for "silks", but you just hang it in a loop instead of the two tails hanging straight down. In fact, some studios refer to the "silks" as "tails" to make the differentiation more clear. Over the years, "sling" has been winning the popularity context in language, since a hammock is generally hung more open. While "sling" can be rigged more open, on two points with distance between each other, it can also be rigged with the ends connected at just one point, as we do at AerialWorks.
Please enjoy the following two videos of examples of aerial silks and aerial sling being performed at AerialWorks.
The first thing you should know is that both "sling" and "silks" are relatively new to America, and thus the English language! Cirque Du Soleil popularized aerial silks in America the late 1980s but it wasn't until the late 1990s and early 2000s that training began in America, and it wasn't until the early 2000s that any training in America was formally established for these art forms. So, when they first began just a few decades ago, there were many names for it! The French call their fabric hanging from the ceiling "tissu" so many aerial silks artists use that term today, including the founder of AerialWorks, Rebekah Leach.
"Tissu" is the French word for "fabric." Since this is the most direct translation, the generation that more closely learned from the French tends to call this mesmerizing art form "aerial fabric." The part of the generation who did not learn from the French but were more self-taught---or perhaps had trainers from other countries---created their own vocabulary. The "fabric" looks very much like "silks" especially the way that the new aerialists were so graceful on it, so that term was also used. Over the years, like all evolving languages, it simply comes down to a popularity context. In this case, "silks" ended up becoming the dominant term and is more widely used today. If you hear/see someone using "fabric", they are probably more "old-school" and may have a direct linage to French training as Rebekah Leach does. In fact, they may be one of the ones that use her "Aerial Fabric Manuals," which have been shipped to over 100 countries around the world!
"Sling" is also known as "hammock." The two terms competed for many years. It makes sense because this apparatus uses the very same fabric as you would use for "silks", but you just hang it in a loop instead of the two tails hanging straight down. In fact, some studios refer to the "silks" as "tails" to make the differentiation more clear. Over the years, "sling" has been winning the popularity context in language, since a hammock is generally hung more open. While "sling" can be rigged more open, on two points with distance between each other, it can also be rigged with the ends connected at just one point, as we do at AerialWorks.
Please enjoy the following two videos of examples of aerial silks and aerial sling being performed at AerialWorks.
Aerial SILKS Piece -- performed by Teen Silks Class at AerialWorks
Aerial SLING Duet -- with teen student and teacher Rebekah Leach
What BEGINNERS Should Know About Aerial
Some people avoid doing aerial because they "aren't strong enough" or they are "afraid of heights." Saying these things shows a misunderstanding of what aerial is truly about, and shows that there are some stereotypes we'd like to clear up!
First of all, you will NOT be flying high in your first aerial class. Sorry if this is what you had in mind, but we are not a flying trapeze school. We specialize in recreational aerial arts and introducing them as simple as getting on a swing at the park. So, your first time on an apparatus should feel just like that -- you'll be sitting on a sling, silks, etc. While we do eventually climb high on our silks, you may find the following fact very surprising: Many silks artists are moderately afraid of heights, including the owner of this studio! When you climb, you use all your muscles, and slowly learn how to control your fear, and this overcoming-of-the-fear is what aerialists get addicted to!
In fact, aerial is all about conquering difficult, new tasks. You will be stretched (metaphorically and literally) by aerial. And you grow in strength because you do aerial. Aerialists don't walk into their first aerial class with muscles ready for the harder skills of aerial. No one does! You get aerial-strong by doing aerial, and only aerial gives you a unique, whole-body balance of strength like no other sport can achieve (although it is most similar to gymnastics). EVERY aerialist knows of a skill that they cannot do that they are working hard to achieve. Aerial, much like any sport, is full of demanding tasks that require you to recruit muscles that might be stubborn and fire new neuron pathways into your body. And we are here to help teach your body to take on new, hard things. This is how you grow. And before you know it, you will be flying -- high or low-- through the air with grace and ease.
If you can get on a swing just fine and you are okay with motion, then aerial is for you! You have to hold on and not fall off, but we use that as our entry point, then build from there. Everyone's abilities and strengths are different. Some people are ready to climb right away and others need a slower pace, appropriately focusing on leaning and wrapping shapes, developing their grip strength. Some people might understand how a footlock wraps on their foot after seeing it once, and others might need to see it 1000 times. The great thing about aerial is its diversity. There are many ways to weave through the curriculum, and there are many expressions the art form takes. As a studio that specializes in making aerial accessible, we are not a competition-based studio. We do not compete, we only create. We are creative in our expression and value the community that we build around the fun and joys of aerial.
All that being said, make sure to note the following: Aerial involves going upside-down and having pressure at certain places (thighs especially) that does not mix well with certain medical conditions. If you have anything that could be suspect, make sure to check with your doctor, just like you would before starting any new exercise regimen. If your body has had any injuries or needs special accommodations in any way, please let us know so that we can partner with you in overcoming anything that might be a hinderance otherwise.
But I won't take the excuse "I'm not strong enough." for aerial! Aerial is a great way to get strong and have fun while doing that!
First of all, you will NOT be flying high in your first aerial class. Sorry if this is what you had in mind, but we are not a flying trapeze school. We specialize in recreational aerial arts and introducing them as simple as getting on a swing at the park. So, your first time on an apparatus should feel just like that -- you'll be sitting on a sling, silks, etc. While we do eventually climb high on our silks, you may find the following fact very surprising: Many silks artists are moderately afraid of heights, including the owner of this studio! When you climb, you use all your muscles, and slowly learn how to control your fear, and this overcoming-of-the-fear is what aerialists get addicted to!
In fact, aerial is all about conquering difficult, new tasks. You will be stretched (metaphorically and literally) by aerial. And you grow in strength because you do aerial. Aerialists don't walk into their first aerial class with muscles ready for the harder skills of aerial. No one does! You get aerial-strong by doing aerial, and only aerial gives you a unique, whole-body balance of strength like no other sport can achieve (although it is most similar to gymnastics). EVERY aerialist knows of a skill that they cannot do that they are working hard to achieve. Aerial, much like any sport, is full of demanding tasks that require you to recruit muscles that might be stubborn and fire new neuron pathways into your body. And we are here to help teach your body to take on new, hard things. This is how you grow. And before you know it, you will be flying -- high or low-- through the air with grace and ease.
If you can get on a swing just fine and you are okay with motion, then aerial is for you! You have to hold on and not fall off, but we use that as our entry point, then build from there. Everyone's abilities and strengths are different. Some people are ready to climb right away and others need a slower pace, appropriately focusing on leaning and wrapping shapes, developing their grip strength. Some people might understand how a footlock wraps on their foot after seeing it once, and others might need to see it 1000 times. The great thing about aerial is its diversity. There are many ways to weave through the curriculum, and there are many expressions the art form takes. As a studio that specializes in making aerial accessible, we are not a competition-based studio. We do not compete, we only create. We are creative in our expression and value the community that we build around the fun and joys of aerial.
All that being said, make sure to note the following: Aerial involves going upside-down and having pressure at certain places (thighs especially) that does not mix well with certain medical conditions. If you have anything that could be suspect, make sure to check with your doctor, just like you would before starting any new exercise regimen. If your body has had any injuries or needs special accommodations in any way, please let us know so that we can partner with you in overcoming anything that might be a hinderance otherwise.
But I won't take the excuse "I'm not strong enough." for aerial! Aerial is a great way to get strong and have fun while doing that!
Our Release of Liability
If you are new to the studio, please plan on arriving a little early to the studio to complete our waiver. You could also print the following and come super prepared! Please complete the following form for yourself or for your minor who is attending class. Thanks!
| aerialworks_registration_and_liability_updated.pdf |
