I’m performing in my first student showcase and am having a really hard time finding something to wear that feels “special” without being over top. I’d 1000% be dressing in a nude illusion uni with sparkles all over if I could have my way, but my studio trains mostly kids (there are just 3 of us adults 😂) and the gym has a “modesty policy” (no exposed midriffs 🙄) so something more family friendly is the way to go here.

If costumes are your love language and shopping for them is fun for you I’d looooove if you would read the rest of my post and comment with some links for options you think would work well!

In my act (sling) I’m Jane Doe - it’s about wanting to be seen and to be authentic in my movement and expression, but being afraid of that being interpreted as an invitation… (as in “she shouldn’t have worn such a short skirt”).

My coach thinks something with a little bit of softness and femininity would align with the act, but the closest things I can find are lyrical dance dresses and I’m worried the skirt will get stuck in the sling if it’s too long. Also there are lots of crotch/ splits moments and idk if nude tights w a Leo are enough coverage?

I’m 5’ 7”, 145lbs, 45 years old and my point of insecurity is my mom pooch 😂. I’m a d cup so that also makes some costumes tricky. Anything with a skirt or design that’s drop waisted (below the natural waist being accented) makes me look super frumpy.

I have silver and brown hair and green eyes and look greens, browns, purple, and cream/oat colors tend to suit me. Also silver or gold.

I want to feel confident and beautiful and strong in whatever I’m wearing… not afraid I’m going to lose a boob or butt cheek 😂.

I spent almost an entire day last weekend and couldn’t find anything that would check all the boxes.

Please fairy godmother me 🪄✨

my aerial IG for body/color reference

Hey friends! This is not my fourth class of Lyra hoop.
I was SO exhausted after class it knocked me out for 24 hours..
and right after the class I had to sit down for 20 minutes from being dizzy.

I sleep well, drink, eat healthy.. does this go away at some point? Will I get stronger?

This maybe a little much for some, and others might be in the same position.

I’ve been doing aerials for 2 years including pole. I did pole my first year and had to switch because of personal reasons and switched to circus arts. I want to emphasize that it was for outside studio reasons I had to switch. While I still had friends and other supports who gave me the suggestion to try circus arts is really where things began.

As most of you know I’m now 48 male and visually impaired. I have zero athletic background and doing aerials including pole has helped with my strength training.

I’m coming up on my 2 years and I love it all. I’ve made lots of new friends in my studio, and support from others too.

I realize that all aerials come from all walks of life and backgrounds, even political backgrounds, I’m here to perform and have fun.

Being a guy here as a minority I wouldn’t say was a challenge, but yet when I got to my studio now I felt loved and supported from day one.

My thing is now, I maybe addicted to it! I’ve been involved in performing arts my entire life. Mainly playing in bands and in churches. I’ve always been a public figure because of that and aerials just happen to fall into that. I keep my instagram public and gained over 1300 suns and nearly 1/4 million dashboard views. I don’t want to focus on the numbers, you can look me up and see those. My main intention was to post my progress. I didn’t realize how after posting my first silks video nailing a trick would cause my channel to explode, and it has.

I’m sharing that because it’s apart of what I do, it’s not why I do it, I’m a performer in life with music, being public and doing other art forms just follows me.

Am I going crazy and trying to center my life around the arts? (Including music, I’m a gigging musician too). I want to find a job that allows me to work the hours I want 25-30 hours a week daytime only hours. I get disability too SSDI so I have to keep track of income, I know how to manage schedules, I use tools like planning center for church and zen planner for aerials and both link to my calendar. Gig nights I have to plan those in.

I don’t really want to give up anything having to work during class time or during gigs when they are paid gigs. I can make as much in one night then working a half week. My only issue is the obsession and I don’t want it to be one of those life phases. Just need ideas on how to balance all this too.

Thoughts?

I used to teach aerial and am an engineer - but I ended up moving to an area without a studio. I was given the unique situation where I was able to build a house (not me - all the contractors we hired) and had a home studio built to Hall’s specs with a structural engineers stamp of approval. I have never worried about additional insurance outside health and home because it was just me training in my house.
Recently, friends have found out that I do aerial and want to try - but I am hesitant from a liability standpoint and when I looked into having the room insured (years ago) it was around $4k per year - which did not make sense at the time. I do not think it is worth it for me to get the $4k insurance - but do not want to tell everyone that they cannot use the space! Is there a third option I am unaware of?
Add:
I am in the US
Sorry to sound facetious - I specified that I am an engineer to let everyone know I fully understand loads (and like math)

Hey y’all!

I’ve been an aerial silks dancer for 9 years and a teacher for 2 at a few studios. I’m considering purchasing a rig to teach private lessons in my yard & to take to gigs. Since it’s silks, ideally it would be as tall as possible, like 20ft+, but adjustable for smaller venues, and have a pulley system so I could get a student down in an emergency. I am very tall so the rig may need to be wide at the top. I live in Austin, Texas, it’s temperate I guess but it gets really hot over the summers. Can I have any and all recommendations for going down this route? Which brand silks, rig, figure 8, swivel, and carabiners should I buy? I’ve heard good things about Firetoys and Ludwig. I don’t know what I don’t know so if I can prevent problems from y’all’s wisdom I would appreciate it a lot. Let me know of any warnings you have. I have been very weary of doing this because safety is #1 and this is why I’ve waited 9 years until I felt fully competent. What do I need to know about insurance, teaching from a rig in my yard? Also, I am considering building a studio in a few years, and I wonder if like a trellis instead of a tripod or quadripod might be more scalable to add onto for the future, but it feels like it would be less transportable for gigs, and I don’t know what the size of the building will fit or if I’ll even need that in case they have beams, so that might be for a later post.

Thoughts?

I appreciate any and all comments. Thank you for your guidance.

Aerial strap - added more shapes to my last mini routine 😊 I think this will be the basis of my little upcoming performance piece 🖤

(I'll clean up my splits more - any other feedback is welcomed!)

Nächsten Sommer werde ich 50. Vor acht Jahren habe ich angefangen zu tanzen und ich liebe jeden Moment davon. Ich habe immer schon viel Sport getrieben, doch mit zunehmenden Alter verändert sich natürlich mein Körper, meine Leistungs- und Regenerationsfähigkeit. Planung wird immer wichtiger, nicht nur das Training, sondern auch die Regeneration und die Ernährung betreffend. Gleichzeitig merke ich, dass ich gelassener und liebevoller als früher im Umgang mit mir selbst bin.
Ich bin dankbar und glücklich, mein Hobby so genießen zu dürfen. Doch manchmal kommt es mir vor, als sei alles davon fragil und ich würde Sand beim Zerrinnen durch die Uhr zusehen. Wenn ich bei einem Wettkampf antrete, gibt es kaum Teilnehmende in meinem Alter und bei allem Glück schwingt jedes Mal leise die wehmütige Frage mit „wie lange noch?“
Gibt es noch mehr Poleartists in meinem Alter oder noch älter hier? Was erlebt ihr? Wie geht ihr damit um? 
Ich bin gespannt,  von Euch zu lesen.

So I have been doing aerial silks for about 3-4 months now, and I feel like I am making good progress. I do really well with picking up new skills and retaining the information. My biggest issue at the moment is how tired my body gets. Once im about half way through class my body is screaming and I can maybe get up in the air, do a trick once then have to get down and breathe. I also do an open gym hour once a week so I would love to dedicate that time to upping my stamina and time in the air and would love some advice. This is one of my favorite hobbies already and I want to give all my time to it haha.

Edit: I also do gymnastics once a week and daily walks so I do have some cross training with other workouts

I have had the privilege to be able to perform. Weve been working for a few months of our show, and its finally coming together and every rehearsal Im just.

Wow.

I want to do this forever. I never want to stop. I'm actually devastated were about to finish the show. But I will be joining the next one I am able too. I want to do this forever. The only way I can relate this feeling I'm expericing is in films when the main character falls in love with the love of their life. That realization that you want to spend the rest of your life with this person.

This is just me sharing some aerial joy. I only begun in February and I could never go back.

I have started taking aerial silks, and I am in love, but they only offer the Level 1 class one time per week. I am 44F, and have an unusual amount of upper body strength for someone in my general fitness level (i.e. I could climb the silks in my first class). I am not particularly flexible, and I get dizzy easily when inverting and coming back upright.

I do get bored easily with weight training and other class 'gym' routines, and I find it hard to be consistent with them. I do have nearby options for other aerial classes, such as straps, chains, static trapeze, or lyra, as well as other activities, such as Pilates, yoga, and bouldering (though too many classes might become financially prohibitive). I could probably commit to doing 10 minutes of stretching at home every morning, but likely would fail at any more intensive in-home routine.

Does anyone have advice for what would be most helpful for me to add to my regimen to aid my silks development, given the options and restrictions I have outlined?

I'm trying a coffin apparatus for the first time this weekend! I'm experienced on pole and Lyra, and wondering what I should wear. Lyra I prioritize covering high contact areas, but pole is as little clothing as possible. We're actually doing tricks, not just posing on it... So how much should I be covering to do my best?

To preface, I have a diagnosed arthritic condition and I have consulted every single of my injuries and health issues with doctors and physical therapists.

I've been doing aerial hoop for around 3 years now... although, realistically, it's been much less because I keep getting injured and then have to sit out multiple months. First year was amazing, I gained so much strength, loved being in the air, felt absolutely confident in my body on the hoop.

But then I got injured for the first time and it's been downhill ever since then. I got a partial ACL tear, surgery was even on the table for some time, but it eventually healed. I came back to the hoop, a bit weaker, a bit more cautious, but still loved it. Then I injured my other knee by trying to avoid the previously injured one. Then I injured the first knee again. Then I started losing my grip because my fingers started randomly swelling up.

I'm pretty sure it's not the instructors or the studio, because nobody else in our group has these issues, including people much older than me. I watch all of them get stronger and more confident, while I no longer trust myself to do a simple drop.

I'm worried I have now permanently fucked up my hands. My fingers are always a bit swollen and I've had trigger fingers on both hands for like two months now. I haven't been on the hoop for almost a month and it's not getting better. I've had multiple diagnostic tests done and none of them show anything.

I know that this is just a hobby, but I've dedicated so much time and effort and money to it, I did so much cross-training to get better at it that now it feels a bit like a loss of an identity. I'm naturally very lazy and need to force myself to do any sport activity, but I really loved aerial. I was even willing to go to the gym and lift weights to get better at it, or do flexibility exercises regularly. I've completely lost that motivation now.

I don't even know what I'm looking for, maybe commiseration, I suppose.

Hi all, I have major sweaty hands problems and have literally tried every grip possible, so I have decided to wrap my pole in silicone tape. Has anyone done this before? I applied it but as soon as I used it it curled over on itself like on the photo. So annoying. If anyone has any tips!

I just came across Pyroterra’s LED Lyra and I’m tempted to buy one. I’m just wondering if anyone else has one or an alternative that they like? I know Pyroterra’s control software is amazing.

Ginger travel tablets have been a life saver 😅

Hi! I am looking for intensive Aerial Teacher trainings in Europe, long-term, like a year or two.

Preferably that would also offer Scholarships and have international spots, for latam students.

I know it’s a very specific request lol, but if you have any info about any offers that would have any or of the mentioned, please let me know!
Thank you so much!

Hey all! Today was my third class and after class I realized hey, my teacher is instructing me to do all the heavy lifting with the right hand
My left hand is the strong one

Is it cool to just tell the teacher that I’m a leftie and to give me everything opposite?
I feel like it’ll make my life much better haha

I honestly don’t even know if I’m looking for advice or just need to vent to people who might understand.
I started aerial hoop when I was living in London, and it genuinely became one of the best things in my life. It was something that helped me through a lot, and I absolutely fell in love with the sport and the community. My instructors were always so supportive, encouraging, and genuinely happy to see us progress.
Since moving back to Doha, things have been completely different. There’s only one aerial place here and one instructor, so I don’t really have the option of going somewhere else.
The instructor is extremely controlling, and I find her teaching style quite harsh and discouraging. She gets visibly annoyed if we try poses that she isn’t teaching, even if they’re moves we’ve already learned. And before anyone mentions safety, I completely understand how important safety is in aerial. But from what I’ve experienced, this feels less about safety and more about having complete control over what we do.
It’s also the way she speaks to us and her general attitude. I feel like instead of being encouraged to grow and enjoy the sport, I’m constantly worried about doing something that might annoy her.
And because she’s the only instructor and we can only access the hoop during her classes, it feels like she has complete control over our ability to practise something we love.
Today, after class, I actually sat in my car and cried.
I know that might sound dramatic, but aerial hoop was genuinely something that saved me during my time in London. It was my happy place, something I looked forward to every week, and something that made me feel strong and proud of myself.
Now I feel so disconnected from it, and it breaks my heart that I’m slowly losing my passion for something I loved so much, not because I stopped enjoying aerial, but because of the environment I’m forced to train in.
I miss being excited to learn new tricks. I miss feeling supported. I miss being able to enjoy the hoop without feeling judged or controlled.
Has anyone else experienced this? Have you ever had an instructor completely change how you feel about aerial? And what did you do when you didn’t have another studio to go to?
I really don’t want to lose something that means this much to me.