The Secret to a Sassy Hip Key

Heh heh heh – I DO love watching my Dear Danglers first attempts at hip keys – ya’ll are hilarious! I say that with lots of love. 🙂 There’s a whole lotta flailing going on up there! What to do? “To nail your key, hit all three!”

The 3 Parts of a Sassy Hip Key

I’m not going to go deeply into the physical mechanics of a hip key – your instructor can take you through that. But I WILL let you in on some secrets to make it smokin’ hot!

1. Red lipstick. OH – and a solid first position I like to call, “Look at your butt.” First, make sure your elbows are glued to your waist. Let’s say I’m keying right. I bring my fabric to the right side of my body (as if I were inverting). I then bring my right leg straight forward, my left leg back. Now, look at your butt – there should be a fabric on it, and your hip should be hiked up and squeezing towards your ribs (like a side crunch).  If it helps, you can think of putting your tiddly bits on the fabric! Legs should be straight here (bent legs = Poopy Technique).

2. Slutty legs (a very wide straddle)! After the fabric is on your butt & you scissor it between your legs, you should do the biggest, most indelicate straddle you possibly can. Your legs should be even, and straight out in front of you or above the horizon. DON’T allow one leg to go higher than the other – you should look as if you’re sitting on the floor.

3. Tap the taut (“live” or “pole”) fabric with the left foot as you key over. Leg too low to tap? You’ve got Droopy Drawer Syndrome – your butt’s not high enough!

Troubleshooting

1. You’ve got to walk before you can fly, friend! In-the-air hip keys require a solid inversion/back straddle. Not in the cards for you yet? Practice the position by wrapping it on the ground.

2. In step two, make sure you’re not dropping one leg in an effort to haul the other one over! Not only is it unproductive, but it’s spastic (in an ugly way, not a charming French-Canadian circus school kind of way).

3. Shallow straddle – In step two, that wild, indelicate straddle should scoot the fabric all the way to the upper thigh. Don’t be shy! Hint: if the fabric keeps winding up around your knees, straddle for all you’re worth and lift those feet!

4. SPEED KEY! I’m sad to say that your commitment to speed is no substitute for proper, sassy form. Also? No matter how fast you go, I still see you. Slow down, speed demon.

5. Not enough of an invert/rolling too early. If you’re not able to tap the fabric with the far leg as it cartwheels over, you’re not in a good position (good = fabric tail falling squarely over the lower back). Fun fix? Instead of rolling to the side to complete the key, invert straight back and eliminate the side roll to train yourself to get your hips up high enough. Once that becomes easy-peasy, add the key to the side back in.

6. Terrifyingly bent legs. No. No no no no no. NO. Shut. that. down. Work for straight legs every time. You can do it! If you train it, it will come.

Well, that’s all I have to say about that. Hope it wasn’t too confusing! Maybe I’ll post a demo pic or two when I get back.  I’m off to Wheel Weekend in Chicago! I’m super excited, and super nervous. Just hoping not to embarrass myself too badly! I’ll report back! Love and pull-ups, Laura

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Get to the Point! Fast Fixes for Fabulous Feet

First, Dear Danglers, I cannot tell you how many foot fetish websites came up while I was researching more exercises for this blog post. Also hilarious? That “how to get my boyfriend to suck my toes” repeatedly came up as a google search option. Apparently, we collectively think a lot about feet and the many, many naughty things we can do with them. But what do I want you to do with yours? POINT THEM, Dear Dangler! Here is my humble contribution to foot fetish communities around the globe. You are welcome. 😉

Point #1 – Send that Sickle Packing

“Sickling” refers to allowing the big toe to curve inward when you point your foot. True confession? I have a tendency to work with a slight sickle, and oh my – it is not pretty. Let’s fix that – pronto!

Point #2 – Yoga Point? Also No.

A few years ago, I noticed that my yogi students had a tendency to forget that they had digits when they pointed their feet, resulting in a demi-point with splayed toes. A full point extends the toes, but does not curl them. Do you do this?

Point #3 – Banish “Banana Feet”

OK – I’m about to bring the tough love here. I do not care *why* you might have banana point (gymnastics, no ballet, the fact that you are in fact a banana, etc). Regardless of why you are not achieving a flat point, it breaks the line of the leg – let’s fix it!

Stay Tuned…

As you can see, after several severely sprained ankles, my point isn’t what it was in my dance days, so I’ll be working on a better point too! Stay tuned for more info on how to make a pretty good point into a glorious one! Now, here’e one just for the fetishists. Love and pull-ups, Laura

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Fix Those Questionable Lines – Ballet Beginnings For Better Aerial Extension

OK, true confession? I saw video of myself rehearsing last week and nearly wept. Time for an Aerial Extension Intervention, stat!

 Frequent Offenders

When we talk about “lines”, we’re referring to the extended alignment of the body. Some aerialists have glorious lines, while some of us have to chant, dance, and make ritual sacrifices to get our legs over our heads. Whichever camp you’re in, the rules are generally the same (unless you are deliberately distorting the line for choreography’s sake):

• Straight or lengthened legs
• Deliberate toes (pointed, flexed, etc.)
• Long, lengthened arms and torso
• Lifted chest (when in doubt, boobies out!)

This is a small list, but it should get us pointed (ha – get it?) in the right direction.

(Not So) Fast Fixes

Alas, the road to lovely lines is a bumpy one (somebody stop me!). Strong extension can take a while to cultivate, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! They are non-negotiable in professional aerial work, and worth every minute you spend with your trusty theraband. As you’re watching your videos, pay special attention to loose legs, floppy feet, questionable shoulders, etc. Spotting some bits that need work? Try this:

• Bent knees – straighten your leg (duh). But often, what feels straight is still bent, so think about lifting your kneecap with your quadricep (front of the thigh) muscles, or “pretending you don’t have knees” as one delightful dangler recently suggested.
• Sickled feet – think about winging your pointed foot outward. I’ve always found it helpful to think about “energy out the feet” or “out the leg”.
• Chicken wing arms – ya’ll, chicken wings are for Friday night happy hour, not aerial work. Extend extend extend, or tuck your elbow into your side when a bent arm is called for.
• Rounded back – when in doubt, BOOBIES OUT! Tilting your charms slightly towards the ceiling (or floor, depending on your orientation) will keep the back longer instead of rounded.

The video below shows some excellent exercises for improving your aerial lines. A strap or theraband works well for the leg stretch exercise if you can’t get your ankle comfortably into your hands, and you can probably skip the tendus if you want. We’ll look at more specific fixes for each Extension Violation in the future, but this will give you a great start. Your lines could ALWAYS be better whether you’re a beginner or a pro, so get going! Love and pull-ups, Laura

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Do You Really NEED an Aerial Warmup?

Aerial warm-ups were the hot topic this week in the blog-o-sphere. What are the essentials for a good warm-up? (chocolate, red wine, Vampire Diaries) Do you really even NEED a warm-up? (yes)  How long should it last? (depends) What should it include? (again, depends) What should you wear? (tiara) These are the pressing questions of our times, people! Come with me.

Why Warm Up, Anyway?

Well, you can certainly skip it if pulled muscles, ruptured discs, and spontaneous combustion sound like a good time to you. BUT, if you’re someone who would prefer to reduce the risk of injury (and spontaneous combustion), you would to well to do some sort of movement prep before you work in the air – it will lube up your joints, get blood flowing to your muscles, and (most importantly) alert you to “creaky” areas you’ll need to be aware of during your training.

What to Include in a Proper Aerial Warm Up

Depends. Warming up for a show where you’re about to ask your muscles to go at full throttle for 6 minutes is really different from a warm-up before an aerial class, where you’re likely to do an aerial warm-up and progress more slowly through your moves. Today, I’ll focus on the latter. A good pre-class warm-up usually includes:

1. Raising your core body temperature. If I don’t see a glisten of sweat on your brow, you’re probably not as warm as you need to be. Jumping jacks, jogging or marching in place, dancing, or this clip from “The Vampire Diaries” will all raise your temperature.
2. Taking your body through it’s anticipated range of motion. Arm/shoulder/neck circles, rolling your spine up and down, shaking out fingers and wrists, up-dog, down-dog, inch-worms, electric slide, you get the picture.

That’s it! Notice I did NOT say “deep stretching” – click here to find out why.

Why It’s Not My Job to Make Sure Your Body is Ready for Training

WHAT?! But I’m the teacher! This can’t be right! Oh, but it is, Dear Dangler. Your body is your responsibility, and you know it better than I ever will! My warmup will be wildly different from your warmup, and Jane’s warmup, and Lucy’s warmup – see where I’m going here? As a physical person, you must get to know what YOUR body needs, and not rely on someone else to tell you. Do you have previously injured bits that need your attention? Working through some PT? Body feeling tight and grumpy? Your body may need a little extra preparation, even after a group warmup.

If you’re not sure how to get started, here’s a good dynamic warm-up from Cirque Physio that I like – it’s a great place to start. You can also ask your instructor for tips on what you should do before your class begins (even if your coach includes a floor warmup, because remember – one size does NOT fit all in this case). It’s your body – love it, protect it, and get to know it, because if it wears out, where are you going to live? Love and pull-ups, Laura

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Incredible Inverts – How to Get A Straight-Legged Straddle Without All That Swearing

Sweet heavens, ya’ll better be glad I don’t use a Swear Jar during class – you’d be broke and I’d be a millionaire. What move is most swear-worthy? When do I hear the grunts, groans, and colorful metaphors galore? Whether you call them inversions, straddle-backs, or demented flying monkey swings, it’s tough to get that crisp, tight, straight-legged straddle we’re aiming for – slightly bent legs, droopy tushies, and funky feet can make it feel like we’ll never get there. Take heart, Dear Danglers – help is on the way!

Anatomy of a Sassy Straddle

There are several “pillars” of aerial work – pull-ups being one, inversions being another. A crummy inversion sets the stage for sloppy work (and makes your downstairs feel heavy), so it’s worth putting in the time and effort it takes to execute clean, snappy straddles. Here’s what we’re looking for:

• strong upper body position to start – arms are either bent with elbows to your waist & hands just below your collarbones, or fully extended overhead (much more difficult). Notice that I didn’t say half way between bent and straight? Because that is not a thing in inversion work. Knock it off.
• clean “take-off” – legs sweep cleanly around the fabric. DO NOT kick your fabric out of the way – it doesn’t look nearly as fabulous as you might think, just spastic.
• quick tap of the legs together (hollow body), then a strong fan outwards and overhead – no pause or tempo (beat-back) – this is a Very Bad Habit. Don’t make me get my taser.
• straight legs (bent “frog” legs are absolutely acceptable in the beginning, or when used as an artistic choice)
• think about pressing your chest between your arms (you may need to have a slight bend in the arms to accommodate your chest). From here, tuck your tushie under you to keep your butt from dragging you back down.
• high, elevated derriere (no droopy drawers or saggy assets!) – get your booty as close to your hands as you can

How to Get There – Aerial Straddle Training Tips

The BEST way to get glorious straddles is to train with a good coach. If you’re looking for a better understanding of the mechanics or progressions, here are some little nuggets to think on.

• Beginners – you’re ready to start training inversions when you can hold yourself reliably with bent arms on the fabric. Until then, work going in and coming out of your straddle position using a fabric knot.
  • Start on the floor and give yourself a little assist.
  • When you’re ready to start working it in the air (low!!!), start by tucking up, as if you were trying to knee yourself in the shoulders (because why wouldn’t you?). I call this the Brazilian Butt Wax Position – try it and you’ll see why! Don’t worry about going upside down quite yet, work on really tucking your pelvis towards your ribs.
  • Once tucks are easy, add the push with the arms which will rotate you upside down. Try to keep your elbows as close to your waist as you can.
• Develop the strength to lift your leg up to 90 degrees. My two favorite exercises:
  • Stand. Place your foot on an elevated surface like a bed or coffee table. While keeping the leg as straight as you can, lift it up and down 10 times. Dance around to get rid of that Charlie horse. Do the other side.
  • Sit in a straddle with your back up against the wall so you won’t cheat. Place your hands on the floor in front of you. Lift and lower your legs 10x.
• Curl your pelvis. Try this: stick your butt out. Now, try to lift your leg in front of you. Notice how high it went (or, you know, didn’t). Now, tuck your pelvis under and do the same thing. Did it go higher? Yes. Yes it did. You need that pelvic curl to ultimately get your booty to the sky.
• Turn out from the hips! Utilizing a turn-out allows your powerful “side butt” muscles to assist, and friend, we need all the help we can get. Think about lifting from your inner thighs.
• If you think your hamstring flexibility (or lack of) is limiting your position, work consistently on stretching them out and strengthening the quadriceps (front of the thigh). Be gentle! Work with bent legs in the meantime.
• Mixed level/intermediate – now, we WORK. Get into your full straddle position. Lower down SLOOOOOOOWLY, keeping your legs straight, and bending your arms back to your starting position. Again. Again. Again (you get the picture). By reverse training your inversions, you’ll not only strengthen the essential muscles, but you’ll get a great idea of exactly when your “ugly moment” is happening so you can be aware of it.
• Tip: think “energy out the toes” – you have to engage the whole leg, and everything radiates outwards from your core. Think about laser beams shooting out of your feet (hum the theme from “Star Wars”, it helps).
• Now – EVERY time you train, add 5-10+ straddles into your conditioning, switching sides every 5 reps. Come down and do a little straddle dance – you’ve earned it. Werk it out.

And that’s how we do it! How are you doing on the 30 day straddle challenge? If you haven’t started, what are you waiting for? Are you gaining inches? Lemme hear you! Love and pull-ups, Laura

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21 Days Of Pull-Ups!

Why do we care about pull-ups? Because they’re the single most important conditioning exercise for aerial work (click here & I’ll tell you why). A few rules:

1) Don’t hurt yourself. Work hard, but be mindful of pushing to injury. Never done pull-ups before? Have a pro check your form.

2) Use a chair underneath you or pull-up bands to assist as necessary, helping you to complete the full range of motion with good form.

3) Be exceedingly conscious of maintaining proper technique: shoulder blades elevated & rotated when arms are extended overhead (read this!), shoulders away from the ears at the top of the pull-up, ribs tucked in. If you experience anything more than normal muscle soreness and fatigue, stop immediately and consult a medical professional.

4) You can check out this video series for tips on improving your form.

Now. Who says girls don’t do pull-ups? Nobody. Nobody should ever say that. GET BUSY.

Click here to download the 21 Days of Pull-ups PDF!

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Find Your Inner Superhero – Increasing Strength for Aerial Acrobatics

Are you feeling more Peter Parker than Spider Man? Less Storm, more drizzle? I hear ya! Let’s get all strong for the new year! … But how?…

Get To Class!

My personal favorite! Nothing trumps aerial training for building the muscles you need for, well, aerial training! Aim for at least one class and 1-2 practice sessions per week and you’ll be dangling pretty faster than you can say, “Flame on!”

Get to the Gym

If you belong to a gym, for heavens sake GO! Once you get there, don’t even waste your time with the piddly weights. We’re looking to gain strength, so you want to work with the heaviest weight you can control with good form for 8-12 reps, cycle repeated 1-3 times. If you can raise the weight again after 12 reps, it’s TOO LIGHT – upgrade, friend! But first, I want to see you on that pull-up bar or assisted pull-up machine. A combination of free weights and machines are good – machines challenge you to lift more weight, but free weights force you to work on stability.

Torture Yourself at Home

No need to haul your tushy to the sweat factory – you can get a super strong body in the privacy of your own home (and no one will see your bunny-foot pajamas or the sweats with the unfortunately placed hole). A couple of dumb bells and a stability ball later, and your muscles rival the Terminator! Well, maybe not, but you sure will be sore. You can also find great online Pilates classes, stretching, mobility, and a whole host of resources just for aerialists. Get googling!

The most important things for building strength are consistency, working to fatigue with excellent form, cross training, and finding movement you love. Not sure where to start? I’m an ACE certified personal trainer, and a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified Corrective Exercise specialist – let’s book a virtual or in-person session! Have fun getting strong!!!! Love and pull-ups, Laura

PS – What is your superhero name? The color of your shirt + the first object on your right. I’m The Black Coupon! Cower in fear, villains! What’s yours?

Learning To Spin Without Tossing Your Cookies

I’ve done my share of spinny acts, most often with a bucket offstage in case of “too much of a good thing”. Love web, lyra, single point trap, and other spinning apparatus, but afraid of the up-chuck factor? That’s OK, it’s very real. Here’s how to get off to a good start, and keep your cookies where they ought to be!

First, some fun info about why we throw up when we get too dizzy. A doctor I met a few years ago in a trapeze workshop had an interesting answer: poison. Apparently, a number of poisons make your head spin and disrupt your orientation, so your body’s natural response is “Aw, hell no! Get that OUT of here!!!” And there you have it – you cast up your accounts and live to see another day. Whether that’s true or not, it can be a real drag to have to sit out half your aerial class with your head between your knees. So here are some things that may help:

• Ginger (my personal fave is the Trader Joe’s crystalized stuff). Eat a bit before class and see what happens!
• Experiment with closing your eyes. This makes me more nauseated, but I know some aerialists who swear by it!
• Fix your eyes on your apparatus. Don’t try to spot the way you would in dance, you’ll look like you’re having a seizure. Just focus on your hoop or rope.
• If focusing doesn’t help, try this! Blur your focus as much as you can (this one works well for me).
• Start slow and keep at it. The more you spin, the greater your body’s ability to acclimate – don’t give up!

Bottom line? Rome wasn’t built in a day. Spinning the way we do simply isn’t natural, and your body will let you know in a dramatic fashion! You can and will get used to it – just keep a bag handy while you learn. If you’re a spinning apparatus enthusiast, what works for you? Love and pull-ups, Laura

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Pullups – The Most Important Exercise On The Planet

As an addendum to my previous post about circus being durned hard, I wanted to address one very concrete thing you can do TODAY to begin to ramp up your training. Friends, I give you (cue confetti canons)… the Humble Pull-Up. That’s right – hauling yourself up and down using your well-on-their-way-to-being-super-strong arms is my number one essential training tool, and it should be a part of your regular training at least a few times per week.

A matter of discipline

Yes, I’m aware that you hate pull-ups. I don’t leap out of bed every morning shrieking, “YAAAAY! I get to do some pull-ups today!!!!” either.  Thing is, it doesn’t matter whether or not you hate them – you just have to do them. I’m willing to bet that one of the biggest reasons you hate them is because they’re really tough and they hurt and you suck at them. Am I right? It’s OK! It’s OK that they’re tough; it’s OK that they hurt, and it’s OK that you suck at them, but that will change. I promise you – train them, and they will suck so, so much less. First, you’ll do one, then another, then another, until you are kickin’ some serious tushie.

A matter of skill

I would say a solid 75% of aerial work hinges on variations of the pull-up. It’s that foundational. True – you can crank out some reasonably solid work without being able to do a traditional up and down, but you’re cheating yourself in a huge way. I’ve been around the professional block a few times (that doesn’t sound quite right, but you know what I mean), and I can tell you this: in all my years of performance, I have NEVER worked with a professional aerialist who couldn’t do a pull-up. In fact, the very idea is absurd. So, if you are serious about meaningfully moving ahead in your aerial skills, get to work. TODAY.

A matter of safety

It’s not just a matter of strength; it’s also a matter of safety. Many of you have had the panic-inducing experience of getting into a bad knot on your fabrics, or finding yourself below your trapeze or hoop with little reserves to get back up. This is where your training – the muscle memory, the strength building, the endurance drills – is absolutely essential; it could mean the difference between a successful recovery to a safe position and a nasty injury for you (or someone else if you’re working with a partner). Be responsible and do the work, even if you hate it.

Here’s a good (though admittedly intense) video series for how to properly execute a pull-up, and a link to the bar I have at home (no installation required). I’m also including this link from Cirque Physio which dives deep into shoulder position when hanging with arms extended overhead (required reading). If you’re a beginner, try putting a chair underneath you or using pull-up bands to help you go through the full range of movement. Start slow and small, Rome wasn’t built in a day. For more advanced puller-uppers, you can try varying your hand positions to work the muscles from different angles and keep things interesting. In closing, know this: if you train your pull-ups consistently, you’re gonna love what it does for your aerial work. Surprise and amaze your friends! They’ll think you’re a total Bad Ass Rock Star. Because you are. Love and pull-ups, Ms Laura

PS – click here to download 21 Days of Pull-Ups if you need a little challenge!