Divas news

- Written by Shannon Prickett, Aerial Divas Instructor, Level Coordinator and Miss Lyra Australia 2019 Champion

Trying something for the first time can be incredibly daunting. Trying something that requires you to lift yourself off the ground and contort into a series of impossible poses can be even more daunting. I am here to tell you that it will be the best decision you'll ever make.

Many people immediately assume they need to be strong in order to start circus fitness. 'I'll have to go to the gym first before I'm ready for that,' is an all-too-common phrase that surfaces in people's thoughts. While it can be adventageous to already have a good level of strength, our classes are geared towards complete beginners. You might have never exercised before, you might have had a long break from exercise (hello lockdowns!) or you might have a history of tripping over something that isn't even there. It doesn't matter! We have designed our beginner levels with you in mind, with progressions for those students who are ready for an extra challenge.

Classes have strength and conditioning exercises built in. You'll also learn a couple of new tricks in every class and get naturally stronger from practicing and perfecting them. Then dance your cardio with a beginner-friendly routine that incorporates what you've learnt in class. In a judgement-free room full of other non-dancers like yourself, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Soon, you'll be flying and spinning through the air with a grace that you never knew you had.

So lyra or silks? What is the difference between the two options we have here at Divas?

Let's break it down purely based on their physical attributes. The lyra is a metal circle. It's solid, always the same shape, and it spins. The silk is a long piece of fabric with no definable shape. It's soft, malleable and also spins.

When you walk into the studio you'll see that the lyras are higher off the floor. Once you build the strength to hook your leg onto the lyra and climb up, you'll find that sitting in the lyra like a little tweety bird is a very comfortable rest position from which other poses develop. Sitting in the hoop for the first time can make you feel like the strongest person in the world, and your fellow students will certainly clap and cheer for you when you get there.

Let's talk about silks. The silks run from the ceiling and all the way to the floor. At first, you learn a lot of the foundations of silks low to the ground. This is so that in higher levels you know what the wraps should feel and look like. That's one less thing to worry about when you're upside down and off the ground! Believe it or not, silks is actually quite a mental workout because you are constantly manipulating the material around you to create the correct wraps. Wrong wrap, it won't hold you and the trick won't work. Or my personal favourite, you've nailed the pose but forgotten how to get out of it, resulting in the most confusing tangle anyone has ever seen.

The Aerial Divas lyra style involves alot of beautiful spinning as you hold different poses. There are also a variety of drops and dynamic moves possible which are taught in the higher levels. Over time, your flexibility will improve with the stretching that we incorporate in our warm ups, and from the fact that every time you practice a split trick or a backbend, you will be able to extend further into it.

Silks are famous for spectacular drops. Climbing, wrapping, pausing to create dramatic tension, and then...a purposeful fall that is caught by the expert aerialist. Once the foundations are learnt in the studio, then it is possible to learn small drops. You then build up your tolerance and strength until larger and more complicated drops feel achievable and fun. Personally I have always been a scaredy-cat and would never set foot on a rollercoaster, let alone cartwheel sideways down a silk. Starting small and gaining confidence and knowledge is the safest way to progress, which is what we do here at Aerial Divas.

The other thing people wonder about is will it hurt? A lyra might bruise you at first, and a silk might give you a bit of a squeeze. However, the body is amazingly resilient and adapts to the new sensations over time. Personally I am so glad I stuck it out for those first couple of weeks to now being a proud aerialist for over 8 years.

Walking in that front door could be the start of your new aerial life, all it takes is that first step. If you can't decide whether to choose lyra or silks, why not do both? Joining us in the air could be the best decision you'll ever make!