Tag – You’re It! Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

Earlier this week, @AerialHorizon started a fabulous thread on the Instagrams about a more and more frequently visited topic – crediting aerial inspiration. Combine the proliferation of aerial fabulousness with the popularity of Instagram and you get BOOM-level potential for drama, shenanigans, and bad manners; of course, you also get the opportunity to build community, creatively riff on a theme, and share the circus love. Which will you choose?

Sequences, Moves, & Choreography

If you’ve followed my wee bloggie for a while, you’ll know that I’m a realist – don’t put it on social media if you’re going to be upset by seeing 10 bazillion people doing it two days later with zero credit to you. If you’d like to protect your choreography, specifically request that people respect it, don’t show the wrap (leave out crucial info – that way, at least they have to work for it), or, better yet, don’t put large chunks of it online. SHOULD it be that way? No, but it IS that way, so it’s up to you how much energy you want to spend on it.

If you’re on the other end of the equation, cruising Instagram for inspiration, don’t be le poo. Here are some goodies to keep in mind:

• If the person posting has asked you to respect their work, tag them if you use it, etc, do it.
• Tag ’em and show ’em some love!
• When you think about tagging them, do you get a funny feeling in the pit of your stomach? That’s not salmonella poisoning (I hope). That may be you wrestling with whether someone would be OK with you playing with what they posted. When in doubt? ASK THEM. Most artists are exceedingly generous with their work, but some may want to hold on to a particular sequence, or consider it proprietary work. It never hurts to ask!
• Are you posting footage from a class? Tag your teacher and/or studio! 

Is it Inspiration or Flat-Out Stealing?

The waters get considerably more murky when you begin diving into other artists’ signature look, costuming, branding, etc.

Art isn’t created in a bubble. ALL artists are influenced and inspired by the work of their peers, contemporaries, and predecessors. For example, the great Bob Fosse was heavily influenced by Fred Astaire (think bowler hats & canes) and Jerome Robbins. Picasso got considerable inspiration from Paul Cézanne and Henri Rousseau.

When you’re working on something that was influenced by another artist, tag them! Most will be delighted that their work awakened something in you! If they’re less than delighted, respect that, and back off.

As you click, like, and scroll your way through social media, you’ll want to approach the work of others with appreciation, not appropriation. If you’re just looking to piggyback on someone else’s great concept or look, shame on you. If you’re excited by what you’re seeing, and it inspires you to create something influenced by their work, read on.

• While there are a looooot of circus automatons out there, quite a few artists have spent YEARS cultivating a unique look, act, or brand, and may not take kindly to you incorporating identifiable aspects of their work. Proceed with caution. When in doubt? Check in with them and ask!
• Are you a peer in the same market? Will your endeavor be perceived as copycat competition? IS it? It behooves everyone to be as different as possible, so consider taking the time to make your work so unique that people can only see an echo of the work of others.
• Are you a student? Lot’s of studios explore choreography in the style of notable artists, and this is GREAT for experimenting and playing. Have fun, and tag your inspiration!

The Tagging Take-Away

I don’t think you ever lose anything by tagging, so when in doubt, shout it out! People often get grumpy when you don’t, so this is an “ounce of prevention/pound of cure” kind of thing. The worst thing that happens is that you build some community. Love and pull-ups, Laura

I Will Never Hold a Handstand (And Other Beliefs that Hold Us Back in Circus)

You guys, I have a confession to make (it’s not a naughty one, I swear). Ready? …….

I secretly believe that I will never, ever get my handstand.

IT’S TRUE! My goal is to be able to easily and consistently hold a 30 second handstand, with good form, away from a wall. Recently, every time I’ve gotten on my hands (and promptly toppled over), a little voice says, “You’re never going to get this.”

The worst part? I secretly believe it. ME! The champion of the beginner! The one with the core belief that any physical skill can be gained with consistent effort and enough time! The one who tells her students over and over ad nauseum that they WILL get that inversion/hip key/straddle back if they just keep practicing! ME! I don’t believe I’ll ever get my handstand. Ever.

The Sneaky Nature of Secret Beliefs

I know I’m not alone. I think, deep down, we all have secret “I’m never going to” beliefs about our circus work, our circus future, or maybe our circus bodies. If you don’t have one (a belief – I’m assuming you have a body), you probably will at some point. It starts as the usual negative chit chat that we have with ourselves as we try something new. If we have lots of good success on a timeline we’re happy with, the YAAAAAAAAY voice takes over and we get to feel Very Smug; if we struggle, and the skill takes foreeeeeeeeeeever, or we make progress only to see it sucked back into the void the next day, and oh my gosh I’m even WORSE than I was last week, well, that’s the making of a secret belief.

So, here we are at a crossroads. You can’t deny your belief once you’ve copped to it – it’s sitting there in broad daylight staring right at you. It’s ugly, and it has huge teeth. Do you slowly back away, and go take up something less (emotionally) risky? Macrame? Jigsaw puzzles? Microwave cuisine? OR, do you throttle that ugly belief (with the huge teeth) and kill it with fire? CAN you kill it? Or will it vanish, only to pop up again somewhere down the road?

You Can Only Do What You Can Do

OK. Let’s assume that you’re not taking up macrame. You’re in this crazy circus game to win, and you’re going to stick around long enough to cross that finish line. But…. how?

• Just the facts, ma’am. This is one of my favorite techniques in the world to tame my run-away inner critic (also works well for anxiety). The goal is to see your training situation reasonably and logically, without a lot of judgy self criticism sneaking in. What are the facts? Here – I’ll start. I am an adult beginning handstands. Handstands have a very long learning curve in adulthood – years, not months. I have excellent and encouraging coaches. I am an enthusiastic student. When I train consistently, I see noticeable progress. I have not been training consistently, so I am not seeing progress, and am unhappy and frustrated about that. I have been given assurance that, with enough time and practice, my goal is a reasonable one for me. I have no credible evidence to the contrary.
• Manage your expectations. Are you aiming a little too high? Decided you’re going to train every day for 6 hours until you see the progress you want? Gonna get that inversion by tomorrow if it kills you? Make sure you’re not setting yourself up for a bucket load of disappointment and reinforcing of the “I’m never gonna get it” feedback loop.
  • Often, when I’m in a le poo headspace about my training, it’s because I’m measuring my progress against the end goal, NOT the 25+ tiny goals en route. Dial it back! That’s like a kid just learning her ABC’s getting frustrated because she can’t read Shakespeare yet. One step at a time!!!
  • Having trouble setting reasonable, attainable goals? Your coach can help!
• Consistency counts. It SUCKS to acknowledge that we’ve been slacking, or haven’t gotten to class for whatever reason, and that we’ve lost a lot of the ground we gained. SUUUUUUCKS. But own it! If you’re not training consistently, mystery solved – it’s not that you “can’t get it”, but that you haven’t been putting in adequate effort to get the results you’re after. No need to beat yourself up, just acknowledge it and make plans to show up.
• Words have power. Careful about how you speak to yourself! Imagine that you’re speaking to a friend – what would you say? How would you support or encourage yourself? How would you give yourself tough love?
• Use your brain. Visualize yourself doing the skill. Really SEE it. What would you look like? How would it feel in your body? The more often your brain gets a dynamic picture of you being a badass and DOING IT, the tinier the secret belief will get.
• OK – what happens if you DON’T succeed? Will the world end? Will the Bachelorette choose Nick (or Sam, or whoever is left on the show that you hate)? Will you fail in every single area of your life? No, you won’t. Don’t make your struggle bigger than it is.
• Celebrate your wins! Where are you kicking booty? Don’t tell me nowhere, because that’s not a real thing. In your training – where are you winning? Maybe you can’t invert, but your splits are the envy of the eastern seaboard; maybe you can’t climb, but you can sit on your own head; maybe everything seems hard, but damn – you’ve never felt so strong. Take those wins and MAGNIFY them; hold them tight, repeat them like a mantra, celebrate them.
• Search for examples of success! This is Randy. He’s a fabulous person, and watching his splits progress on Facebook has been SUCH an inspiration and joy. THIS IS WHAT CONSISTENCY LOOKS LIKE. Seek out stories of success in whatever you’re attempting.

I get it – believe me. Our hearts get so wrapped up in our training that it becomes deeply personal. Our lack of success on our apparatus can begin to feel like an accusation, as if we’re failing at absolutely everything. KILL THE BELIEF! If you feed it, it only gets bigger and stronger, until it devours your joy. That would be tragic, so here’s what we’re going to do. You go work on the thing you think you cannot do, and I’m going to go work on the thing I think I cannot do. We’re going to support one another, cheer each other on, slay the stinkin’ thinkin’, and show the f*ck up, because joy matters. If we let the belief win this time, it’s that much easier to let it win next time, and the next. KILL IT. I’ll see you in class. Love and pullups, Laura

The REAL Secret to Getting Better at Circus Stuff

I’m asked all the time – ALL THE TIME – about how to get better.

“What can I do to get stronger?”

“Is there a potion I can take for straight legged inversions?”

“How do I up my game in _________ (silks, trapeze, handstands, vogueing, etc)?”

To be fair, there are LOTS of good answers to these questions, but the best one is….. Are you ready? Seriously – I could get killed for revealing this Super Mysterious Training Secret……. Can you handle it?……. Drumroll please……..

SHOW UP. 

That’s it. Show up. Show up for your classes, show up for your training. Show up.

I know, I know, you wanted some sweet little bullet pointed list (5 Ways to Be More Awesome in Silks Class! 4 Things You can do RIGHT NOW to Get a Better Split!), but really, the most important thing is physically showing up.

What Does it Mean to Show Up?

It means exactly what you think it means, plus a little more (here’s where I break out that deeply satisfying bullet pointed list!).

• Sign up! Get to class at least once a week as a newbie beginner, more if you’re movin’ on up. The newer you are, the harder it is to take breaks without losing progress, so try to be consistent.
• Warm up. Before you take class or train, try to arrive early to warm up your creaky bits. You gotta prime your muscles, lube your joints, and say hey to your body. Sometimes, it does not want to talk to you.
• Be fully present. Are you checking Facebook during class? That is not fully present. If your coach has structured class in a way that isn’t keeping you engaged, or if there are long stretches between turns, bring homework! I keep a list of exercises for body parts that need some extra love, and go through them while I wait. Keeps me engaged and productive.
  • Conditioning
  • PT (physical therapy)
  • Line work (that foot ain’t gonna point itself)
• Take notes on paper (as opposed to on a device). Include corrections, goals, new moves, technique tips, observations, exercises, etc. If the class is too fast-paced to write stuff down, take 10 minutes after class to scribble the gist of it.

Start with one class per week. When you can get through that without feeling like you’ve been beaten with a hammer, add a class or open workout (if you’ve been cleared by your coach). Finding a rhythm that works for your life (ADULTING IS HARD) and your circus body can be a lot of trial and error, but fight the good fight.

Doing all of that? Tune in for STEP 2 next time! Love and pullups, Laura

Rush Job: You Can’t Cram for a Performance

Storytime! Three years ago, I was in Lignano, Italy competing in the German Wheel World Championships. It was glorious! I was in ITALY, eating ALL the pasta, and competing against the best wheelers in the world. Now, let me go ahead and let the cat out of the bag: I was zero competition for anyone. I did all super easy moves (Level A & B), and placed, like, one billionth in competition. BUT. I was deliriously happy! I had spent the better part of a year training (and training and training), arranging and rearranging my piece, and trying to prepare for every possibility. And you know what?

It worked.

The gym in Lignano in June was like the 9th circle of hell. There was no AC – hell, there weren’t even fans! It was so hot that the rubber coating on the wheels began to soften and stick to the floor, slowing eeeeeeeverything down. I was so nervous I thought I would pee my pants (… of course, it may have also been because I had two pairs of Spanx on, and hell if I was going to go pee after I’d managed to get into them). Anyhoo, between sticky wheels, an unfamiliar space, and nerves, I was quite literally a hot mess.

Well, I did a great job (for me)! All that preparation took over, my body went on autopilot, and I had a moment to actually savor the performance. My routine went as well as it ever had, and, even if it hadn’t, I would have been proud of myself anyway – I knew I’d done the work.

Are You Doing the Work?

You can’t cram for performance. I mean, you can try. And maybe you’ll look ok! But you could have been better.

There is no substitute for time and training. There just isn’t.

It’s a lot like a bank account, right? You can only get out what you put in. Working with bent legs & sicled feet in class? Please believe me when I tell you that you’re not suddenly going to manifest ballerina lines in performance! In fact, the minute we get in front of an audience, we tend to go backwards a bit. Old habits rear their ugly heads, and BOOM! That weird hand thing you thought was under control? Not so much. This is when we have to rely on the work we’ve done. Not enough work? It’ll show…..

Always be Prepared!

• Train regularly. Get to class, get to open workout. Train. Train. Train.
• Video as much as you can! It’s harder to lie to yourself when evidence of your bent knees is staring you in the face.
• Show or competition coming up? Don’t procrastinate – get to work right away!
• Choose your choreography wisely. A good estimation of your own abilities is so important! Be willing to swap out moves that aren’t working in the weeks leading up to a competition or show, or tart things up a bit depending on how it’s going.
• Mental rehearsals count too! Run it in your head on the way to the train, while you’re shopping, while you’re downing that pint of Ben and Jerry’s.
• When you can do it in your sleep, you’re ready.

Do the work! Do the work. Let it be hard, let yourself HATE that music you’ve had to listen to 10,000 times this week, let yourself be pissed that you’re still not getting the little things. Let yourself cry in frustration, and let yourself celebrate every tiny victory. Hold yourself to a higher standard, because you’re a grown-up, and it’s unlikely anyone else will. Do the work, and then let the work carry you. Have so much fun. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Make Good Choices! How Not to Break Yourself or Drive Your Teacher Insane

I can’t tell you how many times a day I tell my poor son to “make good choices”. About to smack a miror with a stick? “Make good choices!” About to eat that questionable petrified cracker he found in a corner? “Make good choices.” About to set fire to the curtains? “Make good choices!” And on and on and on.

Know who else might need to make good choices? You don’t even have to guess, because imma tell you: IT’S YOU. In aerial class. All the time.

Make Good Choices When You’re Fatiguing

Question for you. You’ve inverted on silks, and you were planning on sweeping the fabric behind your back. BUT. Your knee has slipped down, and your hand is in a weird place, and you’re not sure of your grip. Should you keep going or carefully come down?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, you are the reason we now have to be warned that hot coffee is hot and not to eat those little silica packets in snack foods.

If you’re not sure of your grip, for the love of God don’t try to heave yourself upside down, don’t take a hand off, don’t keep going – hell, don’t even pass go. Come down, or get to a resting place until you can safely continue. I don’t care if your mom is watching, I don’t care if you’re THIS CLOSE to the end of your piece, I don’t care if you’re performing for the Queen. If your grip fails, so do you. Bigly.

This doesn’t just go for grip! It goes for lots of things – the questionable foot knot, sudden dizziness or disorientation, the drop wrap that’s not feeling quite right. STOP. Do not proceed. Step awaaaaaaaay from the danger zone, and come back to a place of safety. You won’t care that you almost made it all the way through your act when you’re en route to the hospital because you knew you were in a crappy position and went for a move anyway. No. Make good choices.

Make Good Choices When You’re Injured

Feeling barfy? Delightful grinding sensation in your shoulder? So hungover that you’ll never, ever, ever drink tequila again (you swear)? Maybe today’s not your day in circus class. There’s this perverse idea in American culture that pushing through all pain is admirable, and making smart choices to rest and heal equals slacking. Since I’ve written it out, do you see how counter-productive that is? Instead of doing more damage, or possibly losing your lunch in front of your classmates, do yourself a favor and:

• stay home
• significantly modify (training around a long-term ouchie, for example). Work with your coach and health care pros to find a way to modify your training while you heal.
• or audit the class – you can learn A LOT by watching!

Make Good Choices and Save Your Teacher’s Sanity

“Ms Laura, isn’t my teacher responsible for my safety?”

…. Yes and no. Your coach can give you excellent coaching and safety parameters, but you are a grown up. Part of being a grown up is trying hard not to be a dumbass. While we ALL make questionable choices here and there, the goal is to live to see another day! This includes taking calculated risks, thinking through our actions, paying attention, complying with instruction, and remembering that our coaches are not omniscient. If your teacher tells you not to do xyz, and you proceed to do xyz, then enjoy your predicament. Do you want to have to wear full body padding and a helmet for aerial training? No? Then take responsibility for your safety by (all together now) MAKING GOOD CHOICES.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go put the curtains out. Love and pull-ups, Laura

Pardon Me, Sir or Madam, But You are NOT Ready for that Drop!

Drops – the Holy Grail of aerial work (they’re not, but that’s another post). From the moment my darlings start classes, I see them eyeing the rolls, the slides, the flips, the wedgies – they WANT it (especially the wedgies)! But ya’ll…..

My eyeballs……

I saw one young hopeful on Instagram attempting open drops, but he couldn’t yet invert cleanly. I see students online with legs and spines whipping like noodles on advanced roll drops. I see Facebook videos with people flailing like angry badgers on drops which could easily end with dislocations. People – MY HEART CANNOT TAKE THIS!

The Smart and Sassy Student’s Guide to Approaching Drops

Drops come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and levels of wedgie; from high-tumbling quads to teensy slack drops, they’re a fun and important part of silks, rope, etc. But (BUTT), you’ve gotta be ready for the drop you’re attempting. Different drops have different prerequisites, but I’m most often looking at:

• Essential tension – is this student going to flop like a gummy worm on the way down?
• Prep skills, inversions, etc – some drops require nothing less than perfection in the invert category, some you can fudge a bit. Is the student strong enough to fully execute the wrap, drop, and proper dismount? And by proper dismount, I do not mean puddling to the floor, quivering and moaning, “whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy”.
• Understanding of the theory – do they know how/why the drop works? Recreational students often loooooove to gloss over this part in their haste to do ALL the fancy things for Instagram. Knowledge is power, people.
• Listening skills – can this student accurately interpret verbal cues in the air?
• Emotional readiness – is this student likely to panic when a drop gets a little pinchy? How’s their fear level? Are they capable of making good decisions on the fly (example: my grip is super fatigued – should I let go to pass the rope behind my back, or straddle and come down)?
• A certain level of non-flakiness, and a common-sense aversion to risk is preferred. I’m not going to lie – if I see ZERO apprehension, nervousness, questioning, etc when someone is up for their first drop, I do a quick check-in. If you’re an adrenaline junkie who likes their pony tail to brush the floor at the end of a drop, or if I’m constantly wondering how you function with that level of spaciness, I’ll be doubling down on your prerecs.

Drops in Class

I hate – HATE – when students ask me two questions when they’re 20 feet up about to do a drop.

1. Am I wrapped correctly? If you’re not sure, dismantle the wrap and come down. You are not ready to do this drop. Wrap it on the floor until it makes sense.
2. Am I high enough? If you have to ask (and it’s not your first time doing the drop), come down and let’s go over your theory.

Hear me now. 20 FEET UP IS NOT THE TIME TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTALS OF YOUR DROP (love you!), or anything else, for that matter. Here’s how this should go:

1. Get excited. Miss Laura’s teaching a new drop and I’m ready for it – HOORAY!
2. Get out your notes. Watch and listen carefully. What’s similar to previous drops? What’s different? How high does it need to be? Why? Ask questions about theory.
3. What could go wrong? Make sure you are very, very clear on whether there is a “no go” for this drop. Write it down in big capital letters. Highlight it. Write it down again.
4. Wrap it low, roll it out on the floor. Do this EVERY TIME you’re reviewing a drop that you don’t know backwards and forwards.
5. Got questions? Need to verbally review the sequence? Ask while you’re on the floor.
6. Git it! If you feel ready, and your teacher agrees, go forth and plunge, people!

Drops on Your Own

Gotten the green light to twirl and plummet on your own? Don’t care if you have the green light, you’re gonna do it anyway? M’kay.

1. Repeat after me, m’love – NO NEW DROPS. Throw the drops you know like the back of your hand, and save the maybes for class time, or for a time when you can get a reputable set of eyes on you.
2. You’re in a space with professional rigging and appropriate matting, right? Not your neighbor’s tree with a couch cushion underneath? Just checking.
3. If you’re in a new space, check your notes, roll it out on the floor. Note any bounce or play in the rigging (or lack thereof) that might affect the drop, make adjustments accordingly.
4. Check in with your body – some drops are best saved for a day when your hammie is NOT throbbing, for example. Cranky back? Sinuses exploding? Feeling spacey? You don’t get points for torturing yourself this way. Save it for another session.

Now, for some tough love. It takes a special kind of arrogance to throw new drops without proper matting, or without mats at all. Hear me now, people. Incorrectly wrapped or executed drops can result in sprains, whiplash, burns, and broken necks. You don’t get to be cavalier about them. Respect the risk, respect the work, respect the process, respect the community.

May your rolls be level, your wedgies be shallow, and your landings light! Love and pull-ups, Laura

Gimme Gimme Gimme – Our Circus Love Affair With Free

Let’s be realz – who doesn’t love free stuff? Truth be told, I live for it. I love me a sale, some coupons (STACKING!), a sample of this, a PDF of that. As I was browsing the interwebs last week, however, I stumbled upon a comment that gave me pause. Many artists were extolling the virtues of Cirque Physio & Physio Flex (so amazing!!!), and someone mentioned that they’d just use what they could glean for free from FB & Instagram, since they didn’t see why they should pay for a program. It got me thinking.

The Value of Free

When experts on social media post useful tidbits, I am THERE! It gives me a great example of what I can expect if I choose to work with them; it’s like a little sample in the frozen foods aisle. But, just like that egg roll, or the mini wiener on a stick, I’m just getting a taste of what I could have, right? I’m not really getting the whole enchilada (literally) unless I buy it. The freebie is just the tip of the iceberg. When dealing with frozen foods, I’m just losing out on volume; but, what about programs or classes? With these, I’m missing theory, in-depth how-to, balanced exercises, and more. This isn’t a huge deal if I’m just looking for a few good ab exercises to do on a ball, but what about things that are really important to me, like handstands or safe gains in upper thoracic mobility? The first thing to remember when dealing with free is:

Free will only take you so far. 

We Don’t Value What We Don’t Pay For

Ask me how many free PDF’s I have sitting on my computer (over 200). Ask me how many I’ve actually read. The answer? 3. Now, ask me how many programs I’ve paid for that are sitting unused in a file. Zero.

I’ve seen it again and again. People will no-show to the free class, donate the free tote, toss the free T shirt. We are, quite literally, not invested. This says a lot about the importance of a particular choice, skill, change, etc. to us. I’m not going to pay for a list of ab exercises on a ball because I genuinely do not give a crap about doing exercises on a ball. Handstands? Backbends? That’s another story – my wallet is literally vibrating with excitement. I do not want to waste time cobbling together snippets from 85 FB videos, or hopping from class to class and teacher to teacher hoping for the cheapest deals. I want solid, consistent instruction and progression. The second thing to remember is:

We can tell a lot about what’s important to us by following the money. Excellence is worth paying for. 

At the end of the day, I want to encourage you to think it through. If a skill or result isn’t particularly high on your list of life’s must-haves, by all means – stick to freebies! (I mean, I love sausage-on-a-stick, but you’re not going to find me hovering near the smoked meats with intent to purchase.) You won’t get the same results you would with a dedicated program, but you don’t care, and that’s totally fine! BUT. If you love something, if you want something badly, or if you want to see meaningful changes, consider investing in whatever it is, even if you have to get creative/save a long time/sell your plasma to get it. Good training is worth paying for. Love and pull-ups, Laura

PS – Disclaimer. Please do not go sell your plasma, and then say that Ms Laura told you to. While we’re at it, don’t eat Tide Pods.  😛

Self Taught – Good, Bad, or Ugly?

Here’s a fascinating tidbit. In the 1400’s, something happened that enabled the explosion of art, science, and learning that heralded the European renaissance: the invention of the printing press. For the first time, information could be more easily and widely distributed, enabling scholars and scientists to build upon the discoveries of others. In short, they no longer had to reinvent the blasted wheel on the daily – they could piggyback on the knowledge of others. This kind of sling-shotted things forward, and POOF! Renaissance.

Now, why on earth did I share this with you? Cause we’re gonna chat about a potentially combustible subject: the self-taught circus artist and teacher.

Surprise – I’m (Partially) Self-Taught!

OK – yes and no. When a began my circus journey a bazillion years ago, coaches were few and far between. I moved to CA, and then to Montreal in pursuit of training. Thing was, aerial fabrics were still in their infancy, and everything was a little wild west. Everyone was trying to figure out what the hell to do with this apparatus, so vocabularies were MUCH smaller than the glut of moves we have now. I got a great start in technique and safety, but there was a lot – A LOT – of figuring stuff out, both on my own and with my coach.

Nowadays, you can’t throw a stick without hitting a silks teacher in the head – oh, if I’d had the resources we have now! There is so, so much I wouldn’t have had to figure out the hard way, and a lot of injuries I probably could have sidestepped. I didn’t see my self-taught stuff as a badge of honor, I was desperate for trained eyes on it to make it better. Training and education lifts us up to another level. Even now, I’m ALWAYS looking for better – better technique, better transitions, better cuing, better business practices, etc. Education is a GOOD THING, and we’re never, ever, ever done. Never ever. Even master coaches are never done (and if they say they are, watch out – hubris and rigidity are setting in – ugh).

The Good

Being self-taught can absolutely have it’s advantages! You get really good at breaking down how things work, because you have to. There’s also a certain sense of freedom – with fewer “rules” to hem you in, you can often explore an apparatus or movement style in an incredibly fresh way. In fact, I’d love to see this spirit seeping a bit more into mainstream work.

The Bad

I’m going to just go ahead and dive in in my usual candid way. There are some real and serious drawbacks that cannot be ignored or casually brushed aside.

At the forefront is safety. When we have to cobble information together, while simultaneously evaluating EVERYTHING for trustworthiness, it’s a lot; we often miss the mark. From questionable DIY rigs to inadvisable movement progressions, this misinformation matters. Major falls, preventable repetitive stress injuries, rigging failure – it all matters. I often see the following all lumped together:

• Questionable rigging
• Poor or inappropriate matting
• Students trying large progressions such as drops with poor – and dangerous – technique
• Crappy habits that will take YEARS to undo (easy example is a swing back with the legs before a straddle inversion on silks)

All of this is fixable with education! But. Many of us in the educational community have had really negative experiences with self-taught students. My guess is that, when you have to rely on your own understanding of everything for a long time, information and critique can sound like judgment. There’s often push-back as the student actively resists instruction, and this tends to go far beyond the good-natured tackling of accumulated poor habits. Self-taught is frequently translated in our community as “resistant to information” or arrogant – it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Ugly

The USA sometimes has a funny relationship with education, have you noticed? For some, education is seen as “elitist”, somehow suspect. I’ve seen this point of view raise it’s head a number of times in people who are “proudly self taught”.

So, do you need to be ashamed of being “self-taught”? Not at all! The question is, are you determined to stay that way? If so, why? I think it’s easy to romanticize the rebel, the one who’s “bucking the system and living the dream with no training and screw you sheeple, I’m going to do it my way and I don’t need anyone to teach me how!”.

But, what if I told you that you could live the dream and totally do you AND get better by incorporating information from excellent sources? I think it’s really foolish to eschew info and wisdom from experts in your field. Far wiser to take EVERYTHING they have to offer, acknowledge where your weaknesses lie, and shore them the f*ck up.

So, if you’ve got awesome coaches and community, amazing! I’m not talking to you. But, if you get most of your training from instagram and youtube, I want to strongly encourage you to seek out excellent instructors (many who will do online coaching with you if there’s no one in your area!), and get with the education. Because self-taught is a place you pass through, not a place you build a condo. Love and pull-ups, Laura

It’s Cold – Hold Me. Training in Frigid Weather

Well! Here we are in the frozen tundra that is NYC. It’s fekkin’ cold, and most of our training spaces are drafty warehouses. How do you train and perform safely in cold weather? Any good options aside from packing it up and moving to Aruba? So glad you asked! Get your hat and your fuzzy sweatshirt, and I’ll meet you in the next paragraph.

Warm Thyself

You. You on the mat half-heartedly reaching for your toes.  That is not a warm up. You KNOW that’s not a warm up. A good warm up increases your core body temperature, and prepares your body for the circus misery/joy you’re about to encounter. Are you sweating a teensy bit? No? You’re not warm. Get with the jumping jacks.

A good warm up is a swell idea ALL the time, but ESPECIALLY in a bazillion degrees below zero weather. Not sure what one looks like? Click here. You can also get your heart rate up by doing ridiculous dance sequences from the Fitness Marshall! 

*Note: don’t rely on your teacher to give you  all the warm up you personally need – your body is unique, and it’s your responsibility to take good care of it. I arrive 20-30 minutes before handstand or aerial class to warm up my (many, many) creaky bits.

Wear ALL the Clothes

When it’s cold, you’ll find me in about 100 layers of clothing. I’m not even kidding. Make sure your layers are form fitting, and easy to take on and off as needed. You might include:

• Tight-fitting “runners” hat
• Neck gaiter
• Cotton or silk long johns
• Back warmers
• Leg warmers (lower or whole leg)
• Arm warmers (over-knee socks with the toes cut out work great)
• Thick socks (sometimes several pairs) *You can put traction slippers or ballet shoes over your socks if you need a bit of floor stick.
• Leggings
• Sweatpants
• Long sleeved shirts
• Hoodless hoodies or sweatshirts

I am wearing all of the above right now. Beware of loser clothing that flops over your head upside down, or poorly- positioned zippers that can eat apparatus. Consider investing in some Under Armour brand gear if you routinely train in cold spaces in the winter – I can confidently say it’s worth the $$.

Live Your Best Life, But Go Easy on Your Splits

You probably know this, but cold muscles tend to be a bit grumpy. If you’re feeling cold or achy, it’s probably not the time to go all “Solid Gold” on those splits (if you got that reference, I love you). Don’t push it! Respect how your body is responding in THIS moment. You may need more hammy conditioning, more side stretches, more cocoa, whatever. You do you, and don’t let ANY teacher push you to do something you don’t feel warm enough to do. They don’t have to live in your body.

For the Love of God, Keep Moving

Cold weather training is compact and efficient; it’s not like the lazy, languid days of summer when you spend half an hour talking to your bestie in a straddle sipping lemonade. Nerp! Get in, get hot, be fabulous, get out (sounds like my college days). If you let yourself get cold, you’ll be sorry! So sorry. Because now you’re cold. Save the chit-chat for hot toddies after class, and don’t be a lazy butt.

When is Cold Too Cold?

I dunno, ask the Rockettes the next time you see them kicking to eye level in 20 degree weather wearing panty hose, a set of antlers, and not much else. I will say that, as a student, you will likely be pushing yourself; the colder you get, the more conservative you need to be with pretty much everything. My general rule is that, if I’m not down to two layers by the time I’ve completed my warm-up, it’s too cold and somebody betta turn up the heat. If you’re a pro working outside, you do you – you know your performance parameters, and can adjust your act as needed. But students? You be safe, take it easy on your hammies, and dream of summer. S

Bundle up!!!! We’re almost there! Love and pull-ups, Laura

We All Hate Conditioning – Do It Anyway

Hello Dear Danglers! There was an interesting post floating around the F-Books a couple weeks ago, which posed the question: do you do your conditioning at the beginning of class or at the end? There was a lot of virtual side eye slung around, until we realized folks were defining “conditioning” in a lot of ways. What is it? Why do you need it? And why are you an a$$hole if you skip out on it in class?

Muscle Activation vs Conditioning

At SassyPants Aerial Arts, I have two veeeeeeery different things going on – muscle activation, and conditioning.

Muscle activation – getting a muscle fired up and working properly. It can be part of a warm-up (hanging sit-ups), or done separately later in class if it’s to help you focus on using the correct body part (chicken wing pull downs). Think of it as aerial foreplay, getting you ready for a good time.

Conditioning – working the muscle to complete fatigue; you are unable to complete another rep with good form. Designed to produce an increase in muscle strength and endurance. Imagine you’re doing a biceps curl with a weight (you can imagine a personal trainer barking orders at you too, if that helps). You get to 10, and physically cannot lift the weight again without doing weird gyrations with your body – that’s the sweet spot you’re aiming for with conditioning (it should, at the very least, be f-ing challenging).

Both are exercises we might do in class, but designed to do very different things. Using the definitions above, doing conditioning early in class – working a muscle to complete fatigue – would be foolish; but muscle activation drills make a lot of sense.

I See You Half-Assing Conditioning

Yes I do. I see everything. Now, I can’t MAKE you complete your conditioning to the best of your abilities, same as I can’t make you eat your broccoli or park farther away from the mall. But I CAN give you The Look. I can also explain to you that the miserable things we do in conditioning will make the fabulous things you WANT to do in class possible. We’re not doing conditioning to torture you! Well, not just to torture you.

Also. If you routinely skip out on conditioning, you are being an a$$hole. Your teachers think it, your fellow students think it. If it’s more than a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence, knock it off. (To my students – don’t even try it. More than “very occasionally” will get you The Talk. Not that one, another one. It will be just as awkward.)

So activate those muscles before and during class, and push them to fatigue (with good form) at the end! And don’t half-ass your conditioning. Enjoy your awesomeness. Love and pull-ups, Laura