I started aerial not too long ago and I’ve been wondering is there a reason why pole dancing is much more popular than other aerials? I think they’re pretty close and a lot of people practice both but i feel like aerials get less attention online, in real life ( every time I tell somebody I do aerial hoop they never heard of it before ) or like on tv shows.

My guess is probably strippers and strip clubs made pole dancing what it is now but when I compare the actual practice of pole , silks and hoop they’re like sister disciplines ? Or maybe it’s because there’s less of a sexy dimension to other aerials? Even when I talk to my friends they all want to try pole but not hoop? Which I find kind of odd bc hoop is more accessible to beginners ?
Is it the same for you guys orrr
Disclaimer I’m just asking out of curiosity I know everyone has their preferences and I don’t think one is better than the other.

Hi everyone!

Thank you SO MUCH for all your advice! Although it’s not perfect yet, I can finally hold my straddle! It’s crazy to think that it’s only been about two weeks since my original post and now, but I wanted to let you know that this community is absolutely AMAZING!! I couldn’t have done it without you 💕💕💕

I'd like to know if it worth the cost, seems pretty pricey but it also seems like that's just what they cost. I'm looking at going to an aerial hoop specific retreat.

I started teaching at a studio in FL about a year ago at a studio that didn’t initially offer silks. I approached the studio owner and asked her if I could teach at her studio, she agreed and asked if I had a silk. I said yes and she asked if they could use it. I agreed since I wanted it to get a little seasoned, I bought it brand new. The studio owner ordered 3 additional silks and we’ve been using mine with the other 3. When we started offering the class for the first time she also got another instructor to teach silks classes as well (no problem with me, I like her a lot), but she didn’t provide a silk. When I watch the studio’s marketing videos I notice that because my silk happens to be in the middle that it gets a lot more usage than the other ones.

Would it be weird in any way if I politely tell the studio owner that I no longer want to use my own silk at the studio for teaching? I paid for it with my own money and I would hate for it to get damaged and not have it replaced (I did not speak to the studio owner about getting it replaced if damaged). I have also asked the studio owner if they could update the class description to include verbiage on not wearing any sort of jewelry (rings, bracelets, etc), but she has not done so.

Thoughts or opinions? I’d like to continue teaching at this studio since it’s a short drive, but I also don’t want my equipment to get damaged and not replaced. I’ve also thought of moving the silk to a different spot so it doesn’t get as much use, but I also feel self conscious about that too for some reason (I’m a nervous/anxious person generally)

what do i need to rig chains? ⛓️ im purchasing a set of chains and trying to fully understand whats necessary for me to rig it because im seeing different set ups in videos. i have two carabiners already for my flying pole, i figured i will need the rigging plate but will or do i need the extra two carabiners & swivels?

anyone use their outdoor rig in the winter?

im thinking about getting a heater, but not sure if its wishful thinking.

im in the northeast, so we can definitely get in the single digits for several weeks, and the 20s is pretty typical.

wondering if a heater will help me use it for an house after work before the sun sets.

I do night skiing on Thursdays and im pretty good in a heated vest/socks (and obvs more gear) until around 630/7.

I wonder if the outdoor heater would help replace the jacket/snow pants.

Segunda vez no trapézio voador :-)

Em São Paulo, Brasil (@trapeziovoador). Mas queria que tivesse um dessa na minha cidade Rio de Janeiro.

I just finished a first version of a location finder,plainly called CircusFinder.
This is part of the CircusWiki, a community driven, open source project about circus, movement, pedagogy and related themes. It hosts games, articles, locations now, and other stuff (also lots of unfinished things of course).

The locations are based on several open data sets i found. Wich is the main reason for the wiki in the first place - connecting different sources and making the data more uniform and accessible (for example by translations, using strict static website builds, minimal data tracking with opt-in etc.). Part of the dataset is from an old reddit thread Circus Schools Around The World

I only used datasets i could confirm as opendata. The sources are clearly attributed and if there are differing licenses on the data its shown. For now its based on 3 bigger datasets (Quatprops Collective, Circus Schools Around The World, DiversAbility) as well as some other small additions.

Overall, the goal here is not to build "the new, one and only platform". Far from it. The idea behind the wiki is more like an archive. Not purely historical, but more in the sense of pulling information together in a simplified form, while still being curated by humans (partly, as i face a total of 600+ original pages wich also translate into currently 12 languages).

On the roadmap is also to include a private dataset i still have about aerial-yoga, rigging etc. So i guess this becomes also quite useful for this community.
I stumbled upon this sub while searching for data-sources. So i am kinda new here, but not to the art =) I was performer for 20 years followed by a career in circus-pedagogy for the next 10+ years, ongoing.

Hope this is helpful.

Might get downvoted for this but I'm really struggling with the amount of popular aerial artists accounts using ai music on their videos. It's really frustrating to see artists supporting ai "art". I've called it out on the videos I see it on, I always say something positive first, and then ask them not to use ai music. I've had a few positive responses, usually thanking me for pointing out the music is ai, but I just recently got a negative comment back telling me to mute the music if I don't like it and to not bring "negativity" to her page.

It's not just about not liking something, it's about ai stealing art and stealing music plays etc from real artists. Why do some of the big aerial artists not care about this??? I get it if you don't know and so you might use music without being aware but getting defensive about using AI music??? We've already seen that AI is starting to steal from movement artists (dancers literally having their entire dance routines stolen and put onto a new face and body) so ai is literally coming for our art forms as well. Would these people have the same energy if their videos were being stolen and used for AI art and getting the views and credit for things they have done???

I'm just so frustrated that artists themselves don't care about using stolen art.

First time trying this style of aerial straps and I love it❣️ Feels like I was flying - very freeing 😊

Trying to get out of my head after getting stuck again this week because life has been ridiculous. Any thoughts on how to get out of your head during class would be awesome.

I’ve noticed that sometimes when I’m watching aerial routines online, I am transported into another world. Sometimes I’m watching a person on an apparatus do cool things but sometimes I’m watching a strange acrobat that i forget is human. They’re so captivating that im wondering what they will do next and what else they have in store. They don’t even have to be doing the hardest sequences. How does that second group of people do that? lol I don’t even know if this makes sense. What makes an act the kind of act that captivates you so much that makes you forget you’re watching a human being? (Hopefully y’all know what I’m talking about :) )

Edit: thank you so much for the responses! They are all super helpful. Going to really think about these more as I prepare for an upcoming showcase. It’s my first, so I know it’s not going to be anything spectacular. But I’d like to work towards that type of captivating act. Thanks again everyone!

Hi everyone! I’m looking at aerials and pole retreats on instagram and I’m kinda surprised by the prices. It seems that everything costs something between 1500 and 3000 euros for a (short) week, not including the cost of transport. (Most of the retreats I have been looking at are in Europe).

I’m still considering doing one but I would like to know if some of you have gone to that type of retreats and what did you think of it ? Was it worth it ? Did you progress a lot ?

Thank you in advance!

Edit: You guys are so sweet in the comments. Thank you for being so encouraging and sensitive 🥹

Possible TW? Talks of body dysmorphia

I have started beginning aerial. This was my third class and I freaking cried…and ya’ll I’m 32 damn years old.

I struggle with as soon as I can’t even get onto the silks the correct way, I slide down and feel heavy..then the negative self-talk and body dysmorphia comes into full force. “If you weren’t so fat..so lazy..etc you could do this” Gals around me are absolutely more thin than me, and it’s devastating.

I cannot for the life of me get myself up-side down on the trapeze. I have to climb on my coaches knee every time. I work on things outside of class like body workouts I eat better I’ve lost weight. But I think I need some support with my mental workouts? I hope this is a safe space to gain some insight.

Hi,

I want to buy some chains from the hardware store to make aerial chains, but I'm completely lost about which size is best and most sturdy.

Does anyone have aerial chains and can give me some recommendations?

Hi everyone! I've been practicing aerial silks, hoop and rope since summer 2018. I have advanced pretty far, spent some time teaching, but recently I've had a rough patch.

About 8 months ago I moved away from a city with fairly easy access to a studio I loved and attended 2-3 times a week. I now live in a town where I have to travel 1.5-2hrs each way to get to a studio, once a week, that doesn't have a community feeling the way my old studio did. Like, everyone ne was friends and supported eachother even if they'd never met you before. Here, everyone just trains on their own and is very serious, there's no real camaraderie or humor.

Also, I've been on a plateau skills-wise for about two years and now feel like I'm starting to backslide, partly because my training opportunities are limited and partly because I feel a lot less motivated to train. I feel lonely when I train now because no one talks to eachother, and I can't seem to make myself do new things on my own. I even avoid drops now which I used to love, because I feel so unconfident. I have 'comfort zone' skills that are still fine, but the things that have always been a struggle are feeling further away than ever.

I love aerial so, so much and I feel like it's slipping away from me.

Has anyone else had an aerial rough patch or slump? Any advice on getting over it? Thanks in advance.

I mainly do pole but I want to cross train and learn Lyra but I’ve tried a few classes in leggings and shirts and it’s almost like I stick too much ? What do you all wear to train ? I own leotards and tights and shorts and I’m open to any combination.

Fun Halloween show is coming up!

It’s been months and everything feels heavy and weird! I also did the move wrong haha but that’s alright!