Clean & Sober

At Sky Candy, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. We want our students to have fun learning circus and aerial arts in a safe and supportive environment. But there’s one little word in that previous statement that we are very serious about indeed: safe. The rules we ask you to abide by when you’re in our studio were all made with your safety in mind, which is why we’re so serious about enforcing them.

There’s one rule in particular that we’d like to address today: no training or performing aerial skills while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it still comes up as an issue. Save happy hour for a day you don’t have aerial class, or go out afterwards. Hanging with a friend or out at a party? Stay off of any poles or aerial equipment if you’ve been imbibing. Save it for a sober day, when your safety (and that of those around you) is less questionable.

What Could Go Wrong?

Substances like alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs have strong effects on your body and brain. Some slow down your reaction time or make you foggy and impair coordination. Some can amp you up, making you feel fearless or even invincible. All of them are bad news when paired with aerial work, a discipline that requires precise control of mind and body, as well as a healthy sense of self-preservation. We do not want you to feel invincible as you climb to the top of the silks. We want you to be fully aware that you’re facing very real consequences. What we do is inherently risky and deserves to be practiced with the utmost respect.

Why We’re Serious About Sobriety

Keep in mind that if you were to be seriously injured (or worse) while ignoring this rule, your friend, your instructor, your studio, and/or the entire industry could potentially be affected. Anytime safety issues arise, everyone involved takes a step back and carefully considers who is responsible and how the incident could have been prevented.

While we can (and will) bar you from attending a Sky Candy class or Open Studio if you’re visibly intoxicated, we can’t watch you all the time. Please take your own safety seriously. Also, every time you jump on an apparatus, you are potentially representing Sky Candy. If you value your experience here, please keep our safety expectations in mind when you’re outside the studio.

How Sober Is Sober?

Does one drink really make a difference? It can. And rather than split hairs over individual tolerance levels, body weight, and how much you’ve eaten that day, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’ve been drinking, don’t get in the air. Period.

Do Prescription Drugs Count As Drugs?

When you find yourself under the weather, note that many medications could affect your ability to safely perform aerial work. If your medication makes you drowsy or impairs cognitive function or motor skills, please do not actively participate in class while taking it. Basically, if the warning label tells you not to drive or operate heavy machinery, consider that a no for aerial work as well. You are always welcome to attend class to take notes and support your fellow students.

We want you to have fun, but we want you to stay safe as well. And that means staying on the ground when you’re not 100% sober. 

Open Studio Tips For New Students

If you’ve never been to Open Studio, it might seem intimidating. No instructor, no one telling you what to do, just you and your apparatus. What should you expect? Where do you even start? Don’t worry; we’ll break down all the details here, so you can walk into your first session feeling like a pro.

What Is Open Studio For?

Open Studio is a chance for current students to spend time working on the skills from their classes. It is also a time for intermediate and advanced aerialists to condition, perfect technique, and create and rehearse choreography. While it is not for absolute beginners (those who have no aerial experience or who have only taken Intro to Aerials), it is highly recommended for students enrolled in Level 1 series classes and above. 

If you are a current series student, supplementing your class time with regular Open Studio attendance can help you better retain what you’re learning in class, as well as aid in gaining strength and confidence. And while Private Lessons are a fantastic way to up your training with one-on-one attention from your instructor, open studios are a more cost effective way to get in air time out of class.

How Should I Prepare?

We strongly recommend signing up in advance. While we offer Open Studios every day, all sessions have limited space and some fill up quickly. When you arrive, check in with Front Desk. Your Open Studio host will perform all rigging changes for you.

If you need the height of your apparatus adjusted, or if you want to switch to another apparatus, just let them know. And as you will have learned in class, crash mats are mandatory.

Get Warm!

Start your Open Studio session with a full warm-up, just like in class. This means enough cardio to raise your heart rate, followed by some mobility exercises to get your joints and muscles ready to work. 

If you’re not sure what to do, try to remember your class warm-up. Roll out your neck, shoulders, and back, and take a few forward folds to wake up the muscles in the backs of your legs. Finish your warm-up on your apparatus with some shoulder shrugs, tuck-ups/ninja knees, and other basic conditioning exercises.

Have a Plan

For new students, the best use of Open Studio time is reviewing the skills you’ve learned in class. To make sure you’re prepared to do this, we recommend taking a picture of your class whiteboard each week and either writing careful notes or videoing your instructor as they demonstrate new material. 

Having a list of the skills you’ve learned, along with written or visual aids on what they are and how to do them, is invaluable when you start training on your own. Avoid the frustration of sitting around for an hour trying to remember how to wrap a figure-8 foot lock or which direction your hands face in pullover.

Safety First!

If you’re not sure about a certain skill, skip it and move on. Open Studio is not the time to take risks or make guesses. Make note of skills you have trouble with or can’t remember and share them with your instructor next week. They’ll be happy to review the material and make sure you’ve got it down. 

There is no teaching in Open Studio, and while it’s great to be inspired by the advanced aerialists around you, it is not appropriate to ask how to perform the skill you just saw or try to mimic it on your own. Likewise, attempting to try out skills in Open Studio that you have only seen online and not in class is also not appropriate.

Double Your Fun

Still not ready to face Open Studio on your own? Bring a buddy! Talk to your classmates and find a time to tackle Open Studio together. Taking turns on an apparatus is also a great way for new students to ensure they don’t get worn out too fast – you might be surprised how tiring it can be to have that trapeze all to yourself for a full hour!

Just like homework for an academic course, Open Studio is an important supplement for what you learn in class and an essential component of your training. Don’t be intimidated; you belong here, and we’re saving a spot for you.

Performance Prep

It’s The Day Of The Show, Y’all:
Preparing For An Aerial Performance

Performance days can be exciting, nerve-wracking, or both. Whether you’re a seasoned showman or making your first appearance at a student showcase, being well-prepared is the key to success. The following tips will help reduce your stress levels and save your sanity on show days, so that you feel calm and collected as the curtain rises.

Create A Timeline

Start with your call time and work backward to plan your day. Give yourself ample time to get to the venue and to find parking if you’re planning on driving. If parking seems like it might be stressful, consider taking a ride share service or asking a friend to drop you off.

Set aside time to pack, so that you’re not rushing around searching frantically for your eyeliner or spray rosin. Make a list of things that you’ll need or may want and check them off as you place them in your bag or kit.

From there, fill in the time however seems right to you. If you anticipate being nervous, maybe schedule a distraction, like seeing a movie. You can also spend the time before resting up and focusing on the upcoming performance.

We also strongly recommend taking it easy the night before. Don’t overindulge and go to bed at a reasonable hour, so that you wake up feeling your best. Performing tired or hungover is not only less fun, it’s also not a safe aerial practice.

Rehearse or Rest?

By now, you should feel comfortable with the material you’re performing and have completed several successful runs in your full costume. If running your routine one more time will ease your nerves, go for it, but make sure not to overdo it.

Run the piece once, and unless something goes awry, go home. Do not wear out your muscles or your grip prior to your performance. Keep in mind you will likely get a chance to run your piece one last time at tech.

What Not to Do

A couple things we recommend NOT doing the day of the show.

• Don’t perform a strenuous, new, or risky workout. This is not the day to go rock climbing or try out your first kickboxing class. You don’t want to risk pulling or straining something or just tiring yourself out. Light physical activity and your regular workout regimen is fine.

• Save any bodywork for the day after you perform. While a massage can help you relax and relieve tension, it can also lead to some major changes in the way your body moves and feels. These changes are positive in the long run, but can be disorienting when they happen right before a show. 

Stay Hydrated and Eat Something

Drink plenty of water throughout the day and bring a water bottle with you to the venue. Plan small, nutritious meals at regular intervals and pack plenty of snacks. Choose foods that are easy to digest – nothing too greasy, spicy, or heavy. While you don’t want to feel overly full or uncomfortable by showtime, you also don’t want to be lethargic or fuzzy-headed due to low blood sugar.

Pack Carefully

When packing, make sure you have all of your costume pieces (including undergarments), hair and makeup tools, snacks and water, and any props or grip aids. Bring backups where possible, just in case.

A yoga mat to warm up on and a mirror can be also be useful if the venue does not provide them. While you’ve probably sent your music ahead of time, make sure it’s on your phone – and that your phone is fully charged – just in case something goes wrong. 

Pre-show jitters are a fact of life for most performers, but you can stave off a lot of nervousness by planning in advance. Schedule your day wisely to avoid rushing around at the last minute, make a meal plan, and pack everything you need to feel like the confident performer you’re about to be. 

Young At Heart

A widespread myth outside the circus community is that all aerialists are strong, bendy, young, and thin, and have been training in gymnastics and dance since shortly after emerging from the womb. Inside the walls of Sky Candy, we know better. Every week we see students of all backgrounds, ages, body types, and fitness levels show up to the studio and accomplish amazing things. For those who don’t get the pleasure of seeing these incredible feats on a regular basis, we wanted to break down the myth of the “perfect” aerialist, starting with the fallacy that all aerialists are young. We recently interviewed some of our students to get their thoughts on training in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. We’re sure you’ll find them as inspiring as we do!

What Led You To Start Circus Training?

“My daughter took a flying trapeze class with some of her friends. At the time I was recovering from back surgery. At my 12 week check up with the surgeon, I brought in a video of the class and asked him if he would clear me for trapeze. He said it looked like a good way to strengthen my core and back.”

Betsy, 50, training for 6 years

“I was upset with a co-worker and decided instead of being mad, I would work my frustrations out in a fun way.”

Julie, 48, training for 7 years

“It was an accident. I ran into Rudy Ramirez, a local theater director, in a bar one night and asked him when he was going to cast me in something. He told me he was trying to secure the rights to Cosmicomics so he could adapt it for stage and that if he got the rights, I was in . . . . Only later did I learn it was a Sky Candy production.”

Chris, 68, training for 4 ½ years

Have You Or Your Instructor Made Any Adaptations In Your Training?

“There have been many modifications. When I was doing trapeze, I simply could not (and still cannot) do an under the bar entrance, so I worked with a single point that could be lowered.”

Jackie, 51, training for 6 months

“Tons! I’m not very flexible and I’ve had multiple injuries. But I accept my limitations, and the instructors are very good at coming up with modifications to help me out.”

Betsy

“Ha, maybe an unusual level of patience with my constant claims that ‘I’m never going to be able to do that. My (insert body part here) just cannot move that way.’”

Michael, 54, training for over 4 years

What Have You Enjoyed Most About Training At Sky Candy?

“I love being strong. I love doing things so many people my age won’t even try. I love the people – instructors & students. It’s a very welcoming and encouraging community. No one really cares about whether you are doing fancy tricks. They are just happy that you are trying and that you share a love for the circus.”

Betsy

“The community, hands down. From the moment I walked in feeling like a fool for even thinking I could do this, I was made to feel welcome and accepted for who I was and what I could do. Not a single person has made me feel icky because of my age or weight, and I have been encouraged, inspired, and pushed by some amazing aerialists.”

Jackie

“Sky Candy is helping me get strong in ways I have never been strong before. I’m seeing HUGE strength improvement in my upper body and core, which rocks! It also enabled me to try handstand classes and conditioning classes and helped ease me into open studio, which I wasn’t sure how to approach.”

Kat, 48, training for one year

What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge As An Aerialist?

“I am a slow learner. I have never been athletic in my life. I see other, younger students try something once and get it instantly while I have to figure out exactly what it is I’m trying to do. Over the years I have gotten much better, but it still takes me a long time to learn new things.”

Chris

“Body and mind. My body, in that I want to do the cool things that the twenty-somethings can do, but that’s a journey that will take some time to reach because I have twenty-something years of not being fit to overcome. And mind, in that I tend to overthink everything.”

Jackie

“Lack of flexibility, the time it takes to improve sometimes, recovering more slowly from injuries, and sometimes the extra size from my leftover skin (started at nearly 400 lbs).”

Eve

Tell Us About Your Proudest Achievement.

“We were learning to do a fan hipkey in Joanna’s class. Several of the students struggled, and then it came my turn to try. She looked at me and said, ‘Michael is going to pull it off on his first try.’ I was mortified, because up to that point, I was invariably one of the slowest students in any class I’d been in. But she was right, I got the fan the first time I tried. That boost of confidence went a long way.”

Michael

“Performing on lyra at a student showcase and not dying.”

Rosie

“Overall, I think maybe my biggest accomplishment is simply staying with it, pushing myself to keep learning, continuing to make progress, continuing to accomplish things I never dreamed of. Yeah, I think I’m proudest of the process and the visible change I see in myself both physically and mentally. I am so much younger now than I was when I started.”

Chris

What Advice Would You Give An Older Aerialist Who Is Just Starting Their Journey?

“Be patient with yourself and don’t compare yourself to the young pups. Make the most of open studio and the drop-ins that deal with conditioning and flexibility. It might take us longer to see progress, but it will come.”

Rosie

“I’d encourage them to come to Sky Candy and see 6-year-olds, 26-year-olds, 36-year-olds and 60+ year-olds all training side by side! THAT is amazing and encouraging to me!”

Kat

“Condition, condition, condition. Don’t rely on class as your only conditioning. Get a strong core, especially, and build up your shoulders. Start slow (I used workout bands to offset most of my weight when I first started doing pull-ups, because I couldn’t even do one), but condition regularly. Strong supporting muscles will take some of the load off your joints.”

Michael

“Age should never be a factor in trying something new.”

Julie

“Just do it. You can. YES, YOU. This is something you can do. You can be valued and loved and accomplished, just like everyone else. There is no one to compete with, just keep at it, and HAVE FUN. Also, we do heal more slowly. So keep that in mind. Rest. Seriously, rest. And it’s ok to eat. Sometimes a lot. Come seek the rest of us out if you want to talk about it.”

Eve

Finally, we asked our participants, “Are you ever too old for circus?”, to which they enthusiastically responded, “Hell no!” And there you have it. If you’ve been letting age (or any perceived limitation) keep you out of the circus, listen to those who have gone before you. They believe you can do it. This community is here for you. Let us help you get off the ground and take flight.

Circus Is For Everybody

At Sky Candy, we’re serious about circus being for everybody. In a recent post, we interviewed aerialists “of a certain age” to reinforce the idea that you can continue (or start!) your circus journey no matter how old you are. Next up, we’re talking with a group of aerialists who share a concern you may not have thought about if not personally confronted with it: chronic illness. We are excited to share their stories with you!

How Has Your Illness Impacted Your Aerial Journey?

“Sometimes, when I train, I’m so tired that I just have to stop halfway through. It makes progressing more difficult and results in a much slower timeline. I very often feel defeated. However, when I’m able to train and I master something new, the feeling of accomplishment is incredible.”

Kim, Silks Student, Crohn’s and Rheumatoid Arthritis

“I have learned that my training is not linear – there isn’t a pure temporal path towards being able to do X, Y, Z. My training is about being in touch with my body. It’s about being patient and giving my body the gift of movement, even when it’s hard. It’s about celebrating victories and honoring when my body needs to take a step back.”

 Darcy, Sling/Lyra Student, Autoimmune Disorder

“I’ve learned that ‘circus every day’ does NOT work for me. I find 3 days/week to be the max I can handle for my training. I schedule a day in between each lesson, conditioning class, or open studio. On the days in between, I go with really gentle exercise like walking or yoga. It can get a little tricky juggling the schedule each series but it works.”

 Kelly, Trapeze Student, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

“I’m still learning all the things that can spike abdominal pain for me — some beats feel fine, some beats will randomly result in deep cervical pain or cramping (due to my endo treatment IUD). Front balances are tricky around my period. Fatigue and general pelvic pain are always a consideration, and sometimes I can’t invert at all without feeling inflammation-related pain and nausea.”

 Melissa, Lyra/Rope/Straps Student, Endometriosis

What Does Your Health Practitioner Say About Your Circus Training?

“My rheumatologist is pretty open-minded and doesn’t judge me. He just tells me to listen to my body.”

 Rosie, Lyra/Fabric Student, Rheumatoid Arthritis

“They would tell me to stop — ha! While labs are helpful, I’ve stopped relying so heavily on those and really tried to get in touch with how my body is feeling each day or week and respecting that. Autoimmune is a disconnect with the body so I have been working on recreating that connection in any way I can.”

Kelly

“He said, ‘Yeah, just don’t fall on your back.’ I suppose that’s solid advice.”

Emily, Silks/Contortion Student, Ankylosing Spondylitis

Have You Noticed Any Difference In Your Symptoms Since You Began Training?

“My pain decreases some as physical fitness increases, so thanks circus!”

Melissa

“Staying active has helped A LOT. The great thing about aerials is there is a lot of stretching involved, which helps my pain a lot!”

 Alicia, Silks/Pole Student, Fibromyalgia

“Gaining muscle is really beneficial for people with arthritis because your muscles protect your joints! I’ve definitely gained muscle, which I think has made my joints feel more happy and less cranky. Also, ankylosing spondylitis can lead to your vertebrae fusing together, so it’s important to keep your back flexible. I think contortion has helped with that, and my back feels less crunchy when I do silks now!”

Emily

“I’m much stronger, have a lot more stamina, and I don’t limp for as long. My rheumatologist is impressed by the positive changes in my body.”

 April, Lyra Student, Psoriatic Arthritis

Have You Talked To Your Instructor About Your Illness? What Kind Of Support Have You Been Offered?

“I have been taking classes with the same aerial instructor for most (if not all) of my training, and the main reason I have done that is that she is incredibly responsive to people’s different levels and needs — whether that’s over the long term or because of a short-term need/change. Even when I feel like absolute garbage, my instructor would find something I could do that was challenging but also made me feel like I was moving forward. If your instructor cannot or will not give you the support you need, I suggest you try out new instructors because there are many out there who want aerials to be healing and fueling for you, and they will give whatever support they can to make sure that happens.” 

Darcy

“Sky Candy has been fantastic. The instructors are supportive and understanding and work around my issues. They also never make me feel like I’m broken, which so many other people in my life have. They encourage me and make me believe that I’ll be able to actually perform one day. I think I probably would have given up aerials by now if it hadn’t been for the support, encouragement, and acceptance provided by Sky Candy.”  

Kim

“Yes, [my instructor] is always supportive, and helped with some strength training and stretching suggestions. She has also taken time to help me be more included when the pain is a little worse, and has kind words of encouragement when my body refuses to listen.”  

April

“No. Luckily, most instructors are great about respecting boundaries – not just for people with a known illness. In my experience, anyone that says they’re too tired or just not comfortable with a trick or exercise is welcome to sit it out. The Sky Candy instructors have a great way of knowing when you need a little push and when you need to rest.” 

Kelly

What Advice Would You Offer A New Aerialist With The Same Condition?

“You may have to learn or practice at a different speed from others, but it’s worth it to keep doing things that bring you joy.” 

Melissa

“Take things slow and listen to your body. It’s ok to be the slowest person in your class and progress more slowly. It can give you more time to work on your technique and think about your goals. Focus on building muscle and getting strong. You’ll have good days and bad days, but overall you’ll make amazing progress.” 

Emily

“Let your instructor know you have the disease. They can’t help you if they don’t know. Don’t feel like you’re being a quitter or lazy if your body isn’t up to it. Only you know your body best. Be patient with yourself. It might come a little slower for you but it will come. Trust me. Enjoy the small progress.” 

Rosie

“Don’t compare yourself to other aerialists. It’s so hard mentally seeing other people progress when you aren’t. Make achievable goals and forgive yourself if you don’t meet them. The one thing I’ve learned is to not look at missing your aerial goals as failure. You are trying to do something that your illness tells you you can’t do, and that’s incredible.” 

Kim

Personally, we think these students are incredible, and we are so happy they are part of our Sky Candy family!

Training Talk

We’re gearing up for the start of another Sky Candy series! While we’re looking ahead to a brand new series, we’d like to address a question we frequently get from students: when will I be ready for the next level?

Let’s Talk About Levels

In case you’re new to the Sky Candy series class system, here’s how it works. Most students without previous aerial experience start in a Beginner level class of their choice. This can be Beginner Silks, Sling, Lyra, Trapeze, Pole, Handstands, etc.

Foundational principles like proper shoulder position, engaged knee hangs, and basic aerial vocabulary are all part of our Beginner series curriculum. Students should expect to take a Beginner level series class multiple times, not only to develop the strength to advance, but also to increase their skill vocabulary to get ready for the next level. You can find all of our prerequisites for all of our leveled apparatus (or discipline) classes here.

Most major Sky Candy apparatuses offer Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced classes. As students advance, the skills become more challenging and take more strength, mobility, and knowledge of foundational skills to perform.

The amount of material also increases – there’s only so much we can safely teach a student at the beginning of their aerial journey, but there’s a whole slew of Intermediate level skills. Finally, expectations become higher. It may be acceptable for a new student to bend their knees or tag in an inversion, but by the time you’re taking Advanced level classes, we expect clean, straight-legged inversions.

So Why Haven’t I Leveled Up?

Here are a few reasons why your instructor may not have recommended that you move up to the next level yet:

• It’s your first (or second) round in your current level. Even if you are the strongest, hardest working aerialist to walk through our doors, we just can’t teach you everything you need to know in five weeks. And even if we could rush through the curriculum, that’s not what we’re about. We take things slowly, break them down, drill the basics until you can do them in your sleep. We want you to really learn these skills and progressions, not just do them once and check them off the list so you can move on. 

• You’re not strong enough – yet. There’s no shame in this. We all come from different starting points and progress at different rates. If you don’t meet the strength requirements for the next level, it’s okay. We’re not holding you back to be mean or to punish you – we’re just trying to keep you safe. Attempting to perform a skill you don’t have the strength for can lead to serious injury. We want to be sure your body is ready for the demands a more advanced class is going to put on it.

• You’re not retaining the material. To advance, we require students to be able to execute the current level’s curriculum without prompting or cueing. This means that when we say “Get into Mermaid”, you don’t respond with, “I’ll know it if I see it!” We need you to be able to recall and perform moves cleanly from memory, so that in the next level when we say, “This move starts out of Mermaid”, we’re not met with a bunch of blank faces, and have to hold up class time reteaching. If you have trouble remembering the material or the names of skills from week to week, take video. Keep a notebook. Make aerial flashcards. Practice the skills in Open Studio. Do whatever you have to do to make sure the information sticks.

What if you feel you’re meeting all the requirements but still not moving up? Talk to your instructor to see what you’re missing. If possible, email your instructor rather than asking them during or after class so that they have plenty of time and advance notice to fully address your concerns.

Above all, be patient. Focus less on your class level and more on the progress you’re making. You’re continually getting stronger, learning new skills, finding that older skills come more easily, and having fun – that’s what matters most!

Your Presence Is Your Present: How To Stay Present In Class

We’re all faced with distractions throughout the year, but as we head into the holiday season, they tend to loom especially large. We know you’re likely facing own a full to-do list packed with shopping, entertaining, and wrapping up end-of-year projects at work, school, and home. 

With everything our busy lives entail, it’s understandable that your attention might occasionally wander during class. When it does, here are a couple tips to help yourself stay focused.

Put Your Phone Away

We know this is one of the hardest things we can ask you to do. But how many times have you picked up your phone to take notes or video a new skill and then seen an email or notification that demanded your attention and broke your concentration?

When possible, take notes by hand instead. Our brains process the act of writing differently than they do that of typing. Keeping a notebook may help you retain the information better, and this format allows you to add visual aids (i.e., stick figure sketches) to written text. You can also use your notebook to set goals and track progress, record creative ideas, and make connections between skills you’ve learned.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a good substitute for taking videos on your phone; it seems silly to recommend purchasing a separate video camera. And we can’t deny how helpful videoing yourself can be to your development.

We can, however, strongly recommend doing whatever it takes to prevent your phone from becoming a distraction. Put it on silent. Turn off all notifications. Ask your instructor if you can review all new skills at the end of class, so you can video everything at once instead of reaching for your phone very few minutes. Install a phone app that blocks social media and other distractions. Do whatever you can to ensure your phone is helping rather than hindering you

Use Downtime Wisely 

Our classes are intentionally structured so that you’re not in the air the entire time. Make sure you’re staying engaged when you’re on the ground by employing any/all of the following methods.

Watch. It’s amazing how much you can learn from observing your fellow students.

• If Student A places a hand higher up on the rope, does that give them more control as they turn or does it block their progress entirely?

• Did Student B’s misunderstanding of the directions result in a super-cool variation?

• Are Student C’s long legs a huge advantage in this particular skill and if so, what’s a shorter student to do?

If you’ve been looking at your circus training as simply learning new vocabulary and adding it to your bag of tricks, you might be surprised how much of a game-changer studying the intricacies of those skills can be (and how engaged those little details can keep you).

Condition. If you find yourself zoning out, put your body to work. An extra set of pushups or v-ups never hurt anybody. Work on finishing techniques, such as your toe point. Stretch out your hands and forearms to prevent tightness during your next turn in the air.

Review. Look through your notes and try to find connections between what you just learned and what you already know. Consider what might precede or follow the skill you’re currently working on in a routine. If inspiration strikes, ask your instructor about testing out a possible sequence.

Staying focused isn’t easy, especially in a busy studio, but it is one of the most helpful things you can do while training. Give yourself, your instructor, and your fellow students the gift of your presence in class – this holiday season and all year long.

How To Deal When You’re Too Busy For Circus

Work. Family. A social life. Circus. This might not be your entire list of priorities – we’ll allow that you might have other hobbies (gasp!) or additional responsibilities, but even if you’re just trying to balance the four things above, it can be challenging. As we head into fall and start preparing for the busy holiday season ahead, let’s take a moment to look at how we can keep our circus dreams alive when we’re too busy to train the way we want to. When your time is limited, what do you prioritize?

Drop-In Classes Are Your Friend

When things get really busy, committing to a weekly series class might not be the right solution for you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep up with your training. If you’re able to squeeze in an hour before work, sneak away on your lunch break, or come in on Saturday between the kids’ soccer games, sign up for a drop-in class. Choose conditioning and fitness classes to keep your strength training on point, or try handstands and acrobatics as a great cross-training tool (pushing vs. pulling!). And remember that it’s important to take a break from that go-go-go mindset – our Saturday afternoon Self Care and Repair class might be the perfect reset button to help you make it through another busy day/week/month.

When looking at the schedule, keep in mind that most drop-in classes have no prerequisites. So if you’re a diehard silks fan, but Lyra Fit works nicely into your schedule, go for it. You’ll still get the benefits of a great upper body and core workout, and trying something new can help wake up your brain and invigorate you for whatever comes next.

Make The Most Of Open Studio

So you’ve managed to clear a few free hours and you’re headed to open studio for the first time in weeks. Oh, happy day! You’ve got so much you could work on. Before you get overwhelmed with all your choices and waste a bunch of studio time thinking about what to train, do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to create a plan ahead of time. Pick one or two fundamentals to work on – maybe front balance rollups and skin-the-cats. Find your notes or videos from the last time you were in class and review those skills. Write yourself a simple sequence (entrance, your three favorite skills, exit). Whatever you do, just have a plan of action in mind, so you can use your time effectively!

Note: It’s important to acknowledge that sometimes what we really miss isn’t so much the training, but the camaraderie of being with our fellow students – and that’s okay! If you wake up to discover you’re not quite as motivated as you thought, give yourself a break. Put your plan aside, and just head into the studio. Say hi to your friends (but be respectful if they’re working). Stretch. Do a few shrugs. Do the skills you love most. Be inspired. Remind yourself that whatever is keeping you from regular training is temporary and that you’ll be back eventually. Remember that circus is a joy, not an obligation.

Make Your Own Circus

Sometimes even getting to the studio for an hour every few weeks is impossible – but it doesn’t mean you can’t train. Turn to your trusty pull-up bar. Hold hollow body for a minute before bed. Take a five-minute stretch break at your desk. Just keep moving – stressful times are when we need physical exercise most.

You can’t train all the time – circus is just one part of a full and rich life. Sometimes other responsibilities will take priority. But don’t despair – do what you can. The circus will still be here when your schedule allows!

Circus Charm School

Whether you’re brand new to circus arts or you’re a seasoned student, you might have some questions about proper aerial class etiquette. Is it really a big deal if you’re a few minutes late? Is the dress code strictly enforced, or is it more of a recommendation? We’ve put together a simple guide to help you navigate your way through these and other important questions, so that you can spend your class time focusing on nailing that new skill rather than worrying that you’ve somehow stepped out of line.

Punctuality Pointers

We live in Austin, so we know that traffic is a beast. Your regular commute to the studio sometimes doubles in length for no obvious reason, and now you’re going to be late to your aerial class. What should you do? Call the studio (safely!), and let the front desk know about the situation. While the late arrival policy might differ from studio to studio, the reason behind it is the same: we want you to be safe, and being safe in the air requires a proper warmup. If you miss the warmup, some studios might let you warm up on your own and still join the class, others might give you a short grace period, and some might not be able to accommodate you. Again, they are all looking out for your well-being and focusing on the safety of all students. At Sky Candy, if you arrive within 15 minutes of your class’s start time, you’ll join in when you get there (though you might expect some extra burpees to ensure you’re nice and warm!). If you miss the 15 minute window, you’re welcome to stay and observe the class, so you can see the material, but you won’t be able to participate. If you think an exception is warranted, you can always request one — just don’t be surprised or upset if the studio chooses to stick to their stated policy. After all, they put that policy in place for a reason!

No-Show News Is Good News!

One breach of etiquette is sure to ruffle your instructor’s feathers: if you can’t make it to class, please let us know. Call the front desk, cancel through the app, send a carrier pigeon — we don’t care how you do it, just let us know when you won’t be there. This is especially important for private lessons and drop-in classes, where you might be the sole reason your teacher is headed to the studio, but it’s a good policy for series classes too, just so your instructor knows what to expect and can plan accordingly. We get that life happens — you wake up with the flu, an important meeting gets rescheduled, your body or your brain is just screaming for an impromptu rest day — and we can serve you better when you keep us in the loop!

Make Like A Scout

Come to class prepared! Make sure you’re ready for whatever your instructor chooses to challenge you with. That means arriving well-hydrated, with your (non-glass) water bottle, so you can continue to replenish fluids during class. Ideally, you’ve eaten something recently, so you’re not in danger of low blood sugar fuzzing up your brain and body, but you haven’t just downed a rich, four-course meal that will leave you feeling lethargic and possibly nauseated. And of course, there’s no alcohol or other substances in your body that could jeopardize your safety.

Dress To Impress

Another important part of preparation? Your clothes! Most aerial studios provide guidelines on what to wear — if you’re new to the studio or to a particular apparatus, we recommend sticking to the dress code! It’s there primarily for your safety and comfort, and to ensure your success. For example, silk burn on bare legs is no fun, so we recommend pants in silks class. Pole, on the other hand, demands bare skin for stickiness; you’ll have a hard time executing climbs and other skills without shorts. Once you understand the reasons for the dress code and determine your own level of comfort, you might (with studio permission) make some adjustments. For example, even though it’s recommended that backs of knees be covered in trapeze class, some students are more comfortable in shorts and don’t mind (or feel) any extra discomfort. There’s no safety issue here, so it should be fine.

Keep It Classy!

A few things to think about when you’re in class: first of all, this is your time, so use it wisely. Warmup, conditioning, and cool down are important parts of class that prevent injuries and increase strength and flexibility (helping you nail that big important skill you’ve been drooling over). Don’t skimp on them. Pay attention to your instructor, even when the lyra class across the studio is learning some super cool distracting spinny thing. Don’t attempt to teach or correct your fellow students — that’s your instructor’s job. It’s confusing enough when you’re upside down and backwards; only one voice should be telling you what to do next. Stay present, even when it’s not your turn on the apparatus — there’s much to be learned from watching how other students execute a skill, and a big part of class is celebrating each other’s accomplishments. Be there for your classmates when they nail something new, and commiserate with them when none of you is able to do the thing . . . yet. And remember, some days are not your day. It’s totally fine (and expected) that you’ll have an off day, be tired, be cranky, etc. Try not to take it out on yourself (or your instructor), but don’t stress too much if you’re not all sweetness and light 100% of the time. We’ve all been there, and we’ll all be there again — it’s part of the circus journey!

We’ll talk more about how to deal with training highs and lows in future posts. In the meantime, we hope the guidelines above will be helpful to you as you make your way through your first (or fifteenth or fiftieth) circus class. Come prepared, dress for the skill you want, and keep your eyes on the prize. See you in class!

Why Can’t You Circus?

What do you need before embarking on your first circus class? We’d say proper clothing, a water bottle, and a waiver. What do people think you need? That’s a very different story. If we had a dollar for every time someone told us they were waiting to take their first class until (insert excuse here), well, let’s just say we’d have a lot of dollars, and we’d probably spend them on a new piece of circus equipment. Let’s take a moment to debunk some of the common myths about what you need to do before you can successfully take a circus class.

“I Need To Get Stronger!”

What a wonderful reason to come to circus class! Many of us had very little upper body and core strength when we first started our circus journeys. Pull-ups seemed like a distant dream, and inversions looked like some sort of sorcery. It’s perfectly fine to feel nervous or intimidated when you first walk into the studio, but remember that most new students are in the same boat you are — and the experienced students clearly remember their own early days. You don’t need to get strong before trying circus. Yes, certain skills will be easier if you are stronger. Yes, coming to class will help you get stronger, especially if you supplement class time with open studio and other training. But there’s no reason to wait until you pass certain benchmarks before beginning your training.

“I’m Not Flexible Enough!”

Just like strength, you’ll gain flexibility as you train, but please don’t delay your training until you’ve got an oversplit and can sit on your own head. Flexibility is at least partially genetic and is also impacted by your job and lifestyle, so everybody is coming from a different starting point. A bendier back or more open shoulders can help improve many aspects of your life (and yes, they will make certain skills easier and prettier), so we absolutely advocate for safe flexibility training, but you don’t need to touch your foot to your head before starting circus class. Heck, you don’t even need to be able to touch your toes!

“I Need To Lose Weight!”

No. No, you don’t. Our equipment is designed to handle tens of thousands of pounds. You’re just fine. Come to class.

“I’m Too Old!”

We’ve got students of all ages training with us, including a family that spans three generations. We may make some modifications for you based on your comfort level and safety, but you’re never too old for circus!

“I’m Injured!”

This is one excuse we will accept. Sometimes, we have to listen to our bodies (and/or our health professionals) and allow ourselves to heal. We strongly recommend getting that tight neck or cranky knee looked at before you start your circus training. Circus is hard work and uses a wide variety of muscles — make sure yours are in good shape before you come play with us!

You don’t need to wait until you’re more this and less that. If you’ve been inspired to try circus and your body is healthy, find your local aerial studio and make a reservation for an intro level class. Then get dressed, grab your water bottle, and fill out your waiver — that’s all you need to get started.

A Private Affair

Learning to share is one of the first skills we’re asked to master as children. We might love the toy, or the swing, or having complete control of the TV, but if we want to have friends and be, you know, functional adults, we eventually have to let someone else have a turn. This is especially true in aerial class. There’s up to six of you, one instructor, and generally not enough trapezes that you can commandeer one for the entire length of class. But wait! There is a way that you can stake out a set of silks as YOURS ALONE, at least for an hour. Welcome to the wonderful world of private lessons, where sharing is no longer necessary.

As you might imagine, the price tag for a private lesson is a little higher than what you pay for a group class, but it can be worth it to have your instructor’s undivided attention. Here are a few scenarios where, if you have the extra dough to spare, investing in privates can make a huge difference in your training:

You’re Struggling With A Particular Skill

Are pullovers the bane of your existence? Have you been working on straight arm inversions for months and just not getting there? Booking a few private lessons can be extremely helpful when you’re trying to master a skill. During a private, you can dive way deeper into basic (and not-so-basic) skills, taking all the time you need to work through various progressions. Your instructor can target conditioning exercises to help strengthen the muscles you need and give you specific exercises to do at home to continue making progress.

A calmer, quieter studio can also make a difference — we all feel pressured when there’s a roomful of people watching us work through a challenge, even when we know they’re pulling for us. Plus, allowing your instructor to focus on you and what your body is doing gives them additional insight into how to help you achieve your goals.

You’re Working On Something Special

Planning on performing in the next student showcase? Need help stringing your ideas and skills into something cohesive? Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to give a finished routine that extra polish, private lessons are great preparation for performance. Your instructor can help you sequence moves together, find a character to play or a story to tell, and watch you run your routine over and over, offering encouragement and constructive criticism to make sure you shine in the spotlight.

Your Schedule’s Impossible

Sometimes our schedules just don’t align. If work has you in and out of town or your favorite series interferes with your kids’ bedtime, ongoing private lessons might be the best way to get regular instruction. If this is the case, see if you can rope a friend or two in with you to share the cost and make things more social — you might not want your own lyra (and all the pullups that come with it) for an hour. Private lessons can be a great way to stay in prime aerial shape even when life gets hectic and to keep up with curriculum, so you can hop back into series classes when your schedule permits. But be warned, some students find that private instruction is so beneficial, they decide to make it a permanent part of their training!

Be On Time

In fact, show up early. If you’re a seasoned student, you know how to warm up. Arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your lesson, do a little cardio to get your blood pumping, and work through your major muscle groups so that everything is warm and ready to go. When your lesson starts, you can go straight to warm-ups on the apparatus or your instructor might have some additional floor exercises for you depending on what you’re focusing on that day.

If you don’t feel comfortable warming up on your own, that’s okay! This might be the first thing you ask your instructor for help with. Show up early anyway to account for any possible traffic or parking issues and take a few minutes to mentally prepare for your upcoming lesson. You don’t want to rush in at the last minute (or after the lesson has started) stressed and frazzled because the parking lot was full.

Give Your Instructor A Heads Up!

If you want to spend the hour mastering meathooks, tell your instructor a few days ahead of time. It’s possible they have already have an entire plan for progressions, conditioning exercises, and stretches that will help make this skill easier. Or they might want to do a little research, revisit meathooks in their own practice, even talk to other instructors about how they teach this skill. Giving your instructor advance notice allows them to be better prepared to help you achieve your goals.

Do Some Routine Research

Maybe you want help with an upcoming routine. As we mentioned last week, it might be anywhere from nearly finished to just getting started. If it’s the former, bring your music and know what you want feedback on. Is there a messy transition you’d like to clean up? A section of choreography that doesn’t quite match the music? Do you just need someone to call out when you microbend your knees or stop pointing your toes? Let your instructor know what you want help with and what you don’t.

If you’re still in the beginning stages, put together a list of skills you feel very comfortable with, as well as one or two you haven’t quite mastered yet but would like to include. If you have music in mind, send it to your instructor in advance. If there’s a particular style you’d like to emulate, try to find a video that shows what you have in mind. Anything helps! If you’re having trouble deciding what type of routine you’d like to do, narrow it down to a few choices, then spend the hour trying them out with your instructor to see what feels most enjoyable and maximizes your innate abilities (or pushes you out of your comfort zone!).

Always Be Prepared

If you don’t have a specific goal in mind, it still helps to do some quick prep beforehand. Check in with your body — what’s sore today and could use some TLC? Is there a skill you can’t quite remember and want to revisit? Something you saw on Instagram that you’d love to learn? Having even a basic idea of what you want to get out of the lesson will help your instructor structure your hour.

Private lessons are a big investment. Showing up early and being prepared will help you capitalize on that investment and get you the payoff you’re looking for. Interested in trying them on for size? Contact the front desk or talk to your instructor about scheduling. 

It Takes Two

Let’s say you’re an experienced Austin trapeze student looking to add a little variety to your aerial life. You could always add a new apparatus to your portfolio, or you could add a new person to your current apparatus! Partner aerial work opens up a whole new world of possibilities, forces you out of old habits, and consistently wows crowds at aerial shows. What do you need to know before diving headfirst into the wide world of partner aerials? Let’s take a look.

Not For Newbies

We hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but it’s extremely important that you’re a strong solo aerialist before adding a partner to the mix. It’s imperative that you’re comfortable with basic vocabulary and know your way into and out of a wide variety of skills. If your knee hang is still a bit shaky, adding a partner’s weight could be extremely dangerous, or if you struggle with entering cross-back straddle consistently, you could put yourself and your partner at risk. If you’re unsure whether you’re sufficiently advanced for duo work, talk to your instructor.

Choose Wisely

Perhaps the most important part of duo is deciding whom to work with. Contrary to popular belief, your bestie might not be your best choice. Ideally, you’ll want someone close to the same skill level as you and who has a similar schedule (it will never work if you can’t make it to the studio together). Think about the type of partnership you want: do you need a strong base, so that you can show off your fabulous flying, or are you more interested in making symmetrical shapes with someone around your own size? Compare performance styles and goals. If one of you is looking to incorporate her modern dance background into your work and the other has two left feet when not in the air, you might not be the ideal pair. Similarly, if you’re interested in performing as much as possible and your partner has the worst stage fright and just wants to have fun in the studio, you’ll want to know that now. Make sure you choose a partner who’s responsible, who will show up for training (and potential gigs) on time and ready to go. 

Finally, keep in mind that duo work can get extremely intimate. There’s a pretty good chance that your head is eventually going to wind up in your partner’s crotch; be sure both of you can handle that. (As you can see, we’re really not kidding about the head/crotch thing!)

Duo Dos And Don’ts

The golden rule of great duo might be familiar to you from other relationships: communication is key. Short commands such as “Down!” or “Stop!” will be essential to keeping you both safe. Work out ahead of time which words you will use and remember that some positions make speech difficult; you might also try communicating through taps or other nonverbal cues. When trying a new position, add weight gradually and have a clear exit strategy if things go awry. In the same vein, warn your partner before coming out of a position, as the sudden loss of weight could make their position precarious. Finally, if you’re the first one off the apparatus, get out of the way immediately, so that your partner can also come down.

Duo aerials are an excellent way for Austin trapeze and lyra lovers, as well as fabric fanatics, to further explore their favorite apparatus while strengthening both their bodies and their communication skills. If you’re feeling a little lonely in the air, we encourage you to give duo a try!

Love Is In The Air

Your best friend has found the love of her life and is getting ready to tie the knot. She’s the one who holds your hand when you’re scared, holds you up when you’re having a hard time, and even holds your hair back when you’ve had a bit too much. You want to make sure her entire wedding is as special as she is, and that starts with an amazing bachelorette party. Anyone can plan a night of cheap cocktails sipped from sexually-suggestive straws; you want an experience she’ll never forget. Consider an activity that will get her heart racing, her adrenaline pumping, and even make her break a sweat. No, not that! We’re talking about an Austin aerial or pole  bachelorette party!

Party Like A Cirque Star

A circus bachelorette party allows the bride and her attendants to strengthen their bonds while they strengthen their bodies. Depending on your preferences, you can choose to focus on a single apparatus (aerial silks, static trapeze, bungee, even pole!) or you can take a sampler class that allows you to spend a short amount of time on multiple different apparatuses. You’ll literally be in good hands, as a trained, highly experienced instructor guides you and your group through each exciting skill. There’ll be plenty of pauses for pictures and videos, so you can share your amazing accomplishments (imagine, bachelorette party pictures you’ll actually want your family to see!). Afterwards, you might be ready for a nap, but you’ll still have the rest of the night to continue your celebration.

Be Prepared

To get the most out of your party, plan to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled start time. You’ll want extra time in case you hit unpredictable traffic or have trouble finding the studio. Wear comfortable clothes that allow you to move easily (similar to what you might wear to a yoga class). We recommend covering the backs of your knees (unless you’re doing pole, in which case shorts are best!). Bring water so you can stay hydrated — you’ll be working hard! It’s great to have something in your stomach, but you probably want to save the giant barbecue feast until after your aerial adventure. Same for the libations — you can absolutely toast your new accomplishments once you reach the ground, but you need to be 100% sober in the air. To save time on the day of the party, make sure everyone in your party signs a liability waiver in advance. You can do this online at skycandyaustin.com — just look for the red “Sign our waiver” button at the bottom of your screen.

All The Party People

Just to clear up any misconceptions: circus is for everyone! All body types and fitness levels are welcome. You don’t have to be super strong, exceptionally flexible, or a former dancer or gymnast in order to have a blast in an aerial class. Your instructor(s) will work with each student at their own level, providing as much support as needed to make sure everyone has fun and stays safe. You want the best for your bestie, so before she walks down the aisle, give her a chance to run away with the circus!

Flight Plan

Since we’ve opened, we have hosted thousands of students in our very popular Intro to Aerials classes and created a whole community of aerialists and circus arts students at our Austin circus school! In Intro to Aerials, students get the chance to test out some of our most popular apparatuses, including silks, sling, trapeze, and lyra. While you may have found your favorite right off the bat, many new students need help narrowing it down. Keep the following questions in mind when signing up for your next series class.

Hard Or Soft?

We generally break our offerings into two categories: hard metal apparatuses, such as the lyra and trapeze (and pole!), and softer fabric apparatuses, like silks and sling (also rope and straps!). On a hard apparatus, you move your body around the metal bar (as it’s not going to move around you), while on a soft apparatus, you manipulate the fabric in various ways to wrap it around your body. Different bodies prefer different sensations — some students find sitting on the trapeze to be excruciating, while others don’t mind that, but hate the way the silks cinch around their bones in a footlock. There are also mental preferences — it can be challenging for some to (almost literally) wrap their brain around the many steps involved in setting up a drop on fabric, but no problem to remember exactly how their body moves through space for an equally complex lyra skill. You might also take into account the minor irritations associated with each category — hard metal advocates are more likely to sport bruises (aka, badges of honor) when learning a new skill, while fabric fans are prone to burns on improperly covered skin.

Vertical Or Horizontal?

Another way we differentiate between apparatuses is dividing them by their orientation. Is it a thing you climb (silks, rope, pole) or a thing you sit or stand on (trapeze, lyra, sling)? Don’t be fooled — both will build your upper body strength like crazy, but the foundational skills will vary based on your choice. For example, there’s no real way to train your front balance on pole, but it’s a very big deal on every horizontal apparatus. Likewise, you don’t do a lot of climbing on the lyra, but your training will stall out quick if you don’t master this skill early on in rope class. Even a universal skill, such as inversions, uses slightly different muscles depending on what you’re hanging from. Are your hands close together, at slightly different heights, pulling on the vertical silks? Or are they hip-width and perfectly aligned on a horizontal bar? Again, you might find your brain and/or body leading you down one path or the other, depending on your preferences.

Choose Your Own Adventure

While we hope this guide has been helpful to you as you select a first apparatus for your aerial journey, you by no means have to limit yourself. Many students at our Austin circus school pride themselves on being “poly-aerial”. You might spend months cultivating a deep, undying love for the trapeze, only to try out a beginning silks workshop on a whim and discover a hidden passion for all things vertical! We encourage you not to tie yourself down. In the words of one of our favorite Pixar films, “Never stop exploring!”

Top Tips For New Aerialists

Have your New Year’s resolutions led you to our Austin aerial studio? Whether you’re looking to get stronger, try something new, conquer your fears, or fulfill your childhood dream of joining the circus, our faculty and staff are ready to welcome you in with open arms. We’ve put together a couple of things we wish we’d known when we were just starting out. Read on to get the inside scoop on what to expect as you start your circus training!

Safety First!

We want you around for the long haul, so we’re always looking out for your safety. Make sure you come to the studio well-hydrated. A light snack shortly beforehand is recommended to keep your blood sugar steady, but a heavy meal might make turning upside down uncomfortable. Intoxicants of any kind are strictly forbidden! If you’re ever feeling not quite right during class (dizzy, in pain, etc.), tell your instructor and take a break. Continuing to push through when you’re injured could exacerbate the problem and sideline your training for weeks. And remember, never train alone and never train without a mat. Even our instructors and professional performers use mats for most of their training and sometimes in performance as well. Don’t take unnecessary risks!

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others

Even in an intro level class, we have students from a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities. You never know if the person next to you has had decades of ballet training or is a champion rock climber. Find the joy in your own journey and celebrate every victory you make along the way. Don’t worry if you’ve just mastered a basic climb while your neighbor is already working on their first inversion. Progress is progress!

Drill Those Basics!

We understand the desire to learn trick after trick after trick. Everything is new and exciting, and you want to get as many skills under your belt as quickly as possible. As hard as you worked for that first inversion, by your twentieth, it’s bound to start feeling a little blah. But don’t stop practicing a basic skill just because you’ve learned something flashier. Climbs, inversions, beats and other foundational skills can and should continue to be part of your regular regimen. Keep perfecting them until the day you hand in your circus card.

Cross-Training Counts And Rest Days Are Real

As tempting as it is to spend every day in the studio, you need variety! Other physical activities complement your circus training perfectly. Get in some cardio to boost your stamina for longer aerial sequences. Take a dance class to improve your fluidity (and learn to point your toes!). Try a handstands class to work on your pushing strength (as opposed to all that pulling) or drop in on a flexibility class to lengthen those muscles and put more advanced skills within your reach. And make sure you are taking at least one rest day a week (more if you need them!). Overtraining is one of the leading causes of injury.

Have Fun!

You may have come to our Austin aerial studio for a wide variety of reasons, but we bet one of them was finding a workout you enjoy. We’re not gonna sugarcoat it: circus is hard. It can be painful, especially in the beginning. It’s normal to feel frustrated and want to give up. When things get tough, remember, you’re doing this because, even though it’s hard, it’s also a blast. For most of us, this is the most fun we’ve ever had, and we love sharing it with you. Those bruises are going to fade, you’re going to nail that impossible trick, and the reward is going to be better than you could have imagined. We believe in you.

Keeping Your Balls In The Air

Do you have balls? Do they wobble to and fro? Do some aerial apparatuses and techniques make you fear for your apparatus at the expense of your technique? If you’re worried about your external genitalia staying safe while practicing and performing aerials, this post is for you.

Underwear In The Air

The right underwear are your first line of defense. There is endless debate amongst male aerialists as to what’s best. Folks who have experience in the dance world tend to prefer dance belts as their base layer solution. Others prefer to wear briefs that are on the snug side to keep everything in place. There are also specialized options such as the Andrew Christian Show-It line, which are made to be like a push-up bra for your dangly bits. The intent might be for looks, but these undies really do keep your balls in place, and tucked away from things that want to crush them. If you’re in Austin, we strongly recommend checking out Package Menswear for your specialized underwear needs.

Embrace The Leggings

Some folks begin their aerial journey with us and have concerns about wearing leggings or unitards, but a close fitting layer between your undergarments and the apparatus will help tokeep everything in its right place. Not only will looser fitting layers potentially cause uncomfortable slippage, but they may also get tangled in the apparatus, leading to discomfort in more ways than one! Your inner thighs are far too close to your inner peace to leave them bare, and if you have body hair you wish to keep, consider leggings the most effective anti-depilatory.

Proceed With Caution: Strategies For Success

Now that you’ve donned your best underoos and pantaloons, and you know exactly where your berries belong, it’s time for tactical engagement. Your instructor asks you to “roll around, holding the lyra between your legs” or “pass the pole of the silks from your left side to right side” and your spidey-sense says, “there’s something crucial in the way!” Hold on to your britches. If you find yourself in a situation where you are being asked to do a skill that involves crossing the groin area, think about slowly lowering into that position, or pivoting your crotch around the pole. Whether you’re having trouble *ahem* adjusting to the skill, or are afraid to think about where to start, consider talking with your instructor about it. They may have balls, they may not, but they will probably have advice as to how to best deal with your genitalia in certain maneuvers.

Your Body, Your Rules

Some things are just more uncomfortable on some bodies than others, and you always get to choose if you do a particular skill or not. Remember that whenever an instructor asks you to do a skill, you can always say “no” or “not today.”

Have more questions or concerns about these issues? Feel free to ask any of our instructors or our friendly front desk staff, and they will connect you with an experienced aerialist with external genitalia who can provide tips and tricks. Happy flying, folks!

Aerial Yoga vs. Sling

“Do you guys teach aerial yoga?” It’s a question we often get from new Sky Candy students, so we wanted to take a moment to talk about the difference between our aerial sling classes and aerial yoga. (Note: aerial sling is also known as hammock or aerial hammock at other studios. Generally the distinction is that hammocks are held at two points, while slings are held at one point, but the terms are also often used interchangeably.)

Class-ification

Our Austin circus school approaches sling the same way we teach any other apparatus. We start with basic vocabulary, helping students link beginner skills together into short sequences. As students advance, they learn more complicated skills and longer sequences. Those who are interested are encouraged to create and perform their own choreography. Aerial yoga, on the other hand, focuses on using the sling to enhance the experience and benefits of a regular yoga class — opening up the body, quieting the mind, lengthening the muscles. Both will help students gain strength and flexibility, but the class experience will be very different. When teaching a new circus skill, the instructor will generally demonstrate the skill first, then lead students through it one or two at a time, which allows for individual feedback and hands-on spotting when needed. In aerial yoga, you’re more likely to see teacher and students move through a flow together, with the instructor relying mostly on verbal cues to help students transition from one static pose to the next. And while aerial yoga sequences are often graceful and fluid, they’re not typically designed to be performed for an audience. Those crazy rolls and drops are definitely circus, not yoga, skills!

A Matter of Mats

If you’ve seen video of an aerial yoga class, you might be concerned that students practice over regular yoga mats rather than the crash mats you’re used to seeing in our studio. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, because aerial yoga often focuses on standing poses where students keep one or both feet on the ground, having a stable surface to balance on is actually safer. Yoga students are also usually much closer to the ground and are performing fewer inversions and no dynamic movement.

Safety First!

As always, if you have concerns about a studio’s rigging or safety policies, we encourage you to talk to the instructor or studio manager. If they can’t answer your questions, keep searching for a studio where you feel safe. Beware of online retailers offering “complete aerial yoga setups” or similar packages to use at home. And remember that professional circus arts instruction is the only safe way to learn — trying to learn aerial skills from videos or on your own is not a good idea and could result in serious injury.

Because Sky Candy focuses on circus arts instruction, we don’t currently offer aerial yoga classes. But we’re a great place to learn aerial sling! Our Austin circus school offers group classes and private instruction for students of all levels, from absolute beginners to aspiring professionals. Check our drop-in schedule for class times and registration. We hope to see you in the air soon!

Rest Isn’t A Four-Letter Word

Have you been in the studio every day this week? Are you booking all your free time with drop-in classes and open studios? Do you laugh when your instructor recommends taking a day off? My friend, this post is for you. Take a seat and listen up. (No, seriously, get off the trapeze. Now. We’re not joking.) We’re here to talk about rest days, and why you might be sabotaging both your training and your overall health by not taking them.

All Work And No Play

First, let’s talk about muscle growth. Presumably, you’re training all the time because you’re serious about getting stronger. You know that you need to put in the hard work to get there, so you’re showing up every day, ready to push yourself to the limit. And that’s great — to a point.

It’s true you’re never going to make progress towards your goals without some serious time and effort, but if you don’t take at least one day a week to let your body recover, you’re actually working against yourself. The intense physical training we do tears our muscle fibers. When we rest, those fibers repair themselves, upgrading themselves to bigger and better versions, more equipped to stand up to all those pullups and inversions. Without rest, you don’t get the benefits — all that hard work for nothing.

An Ounce Of Prevention

Overtraining can also lead to injury, which will definitely derail your plans. We all know circus is hard on your body. We put a lot of stress and strain on various body parts every time we’re in the air. Without adequate time off, the micro-injuries we inflict on ourselves develop into true injuries — a tweaked wrist, a wrenched back, a torn labrum. Any of these are enough to keep you out of the studio for weeks, so make sure you’re giving your body time to recover and repair itself.

Everything In Moderation

Aside from resting your body, it’s also important to rest your brain. Right now, you might be happy to eat, sleep, and breathe circus, and we don’t want to mar that enthusiasm in any way. In fact, we want to kindle it. So if you’re truly in this for the long haul, start working now to make circus a (big, important) part of your life without making it your whole life. Believe us, you will not be able to keep up this pace forever, and we want to help you avoid the inevitable burnout. So, go meet a friend for dinner. Have a date night with your partner. Visit your family for the weekend (without looking up the closest aerial studio). Incorporate your circus life into your daily routine, finding balance between this passion and all the other things and people you care about. Trust us, this will keep your love for circus fresh and fun, rather than turning it into a burden.

Rest Is Best!

So, what do you do on a rest day? Well, there’s no need to be completely inactive (though that’s certainly encouraged every once in a while!). Go for a walk outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunlight. Do a little gentle stretching (emphasis on gentle). Take a dance class with a friend and focus on having fun rather than pushing yourself. Cook yourself a delicious meal. Do your laundry. Break out the foam roller. If you absolutely can’t stay away from the studio, check out our Self Care and Repair class and make your rest day into a social outing.

We love seeing you in the studio and want to keep you coming back for a long time to come. That’s why we’re encouraging you to spend some time away from us. Just a day or two a week will help keep your brain and body healthy and rested, so you can continue to tackle your training with gusto!

Dress For Success

Henry David Thoreau famously warns us to beware any enterprise requiring new clothes. Mark Twain and Shakespeare, on the other hand, tell us that clothes make the man. Who’s right when it comes to aerial class? We think there are some good points on both sides.

For Beginners

If it’s your first class, follow Thoreau. You don’t need the latest workout wear to have a fine time in an intro class — in fact, you’ve probably already got everything you need! We do have a few recommendations to help you feel comfortable and get the most out of your class:

• Circus involves a certain amount of friction as your body interacts with your apparatus. When you’re starting out, your skin can be extra sensitive to this friction.  We recommend covering the skin most likely to be in contact with the equipment. This includes the backs of knees, armpits, and waist. If you’ve got pants that come past your knees and a shirt with sleeves that covers your waist, you’ll have an easier time with some skills.

• At certain points in an intro class, you may turn upside down. Super loose tops that fall over your face and impede your vision might make this experience less than stellar (being upside down is confusing enough on its own!). Also, we don’t care a bit if your shirt lifts up and we see your belly, but if you do, consider wearing a leotard or tucking your shirt into your pants.

• Form-fitting clothing is preferred, as it is less likely to tangle in the apparatus (frustrating and possibly dangerous) and allows your instructor to keep a close eye on your form.

• You’ll be moving around a lot, so wear clothing that won’t impede your range of motion.

What Not To Wear

The suggestions above are for your safety and comfort. If you don’t have exactly what we recommend, don’t sweat it! We can probably work around it or offer you something from our Box of Opportunity (aerial-friendly loaner clothing). There are a few restrictions that are important either for your own safety or for the safety of our equipment. Expect us to be strict about the following:

• Any clothing with metal pieces can severely damage our fabrics, rendering them unsafe and unusable. We cannot allow metal zippers, grommets, buttons, or anything else that might get caught on the fabric and cause it to tear. This includes jeans!

• Jewelry can also be an issue. Dangling necklaces or earrings are a definite safety issue for you. Rings can lead to fingers getting pinched (ouch!) or can be bent by trapeze and lyra bars. Protect yourself and your jewelry by removing it prior to class.

Sock It To Me!

One of our most frequently asked questions is, “Can/Should I wear socks?” On most apparatuses, it’s your choice — do whatever feels best to you. On fabric and other climbable apparatuses, you will probably want to go barefoot. Socks might be too slippery to allow for mastery of some skills.

Pole Primer

If you’re starting out on pole, you can pretty much ignore everything above (except the bit about jewelry). Pole requires exposed skin to stick to the apparatus, so you’ll need shorts instead of pants and a tank top instead of a sleeved shirt. Close-fitting clothing is still recommended.

So, are we totally siding with Thoreau here? Not necessarily. While you don’t need to purchase something new for your first class, as you advance, you might find that certain types of clothing keep you more comfortable, are easier to take care of, or make your training easier. 

When In Doubt, Use Layers

As you get more comfortable in the air, you might decide that you actually prefer sleeveless tanks or leotards when you train — until the day you try your first fabric drop and your poor armpits beg for mercy. Likewise, shorts might keep you cooler during hot summer months, but they might also lead to some painful moments on the trapeze ropes. Wearing (or bringing) layers to class allows for maximum comfort — wear what you want most of the time but cover up (or strip down) when you need to. Especially in the winter, we strongly recommend starting your training session in heavier layers, which you can shed as your body gets warm.

Fabulous Fabrics

We’re talking about the ones that go on your body here, not the ones you climb. What your workout clothes are made of can make or break the ease with which you master certain skills. Slick fabrics can hinder your progress by making you slip and slide too much; more cotton-y fabrics are preferred for better stability. You might also want to check your bottoms to make sure they’re truly opaque. In strong light, bend over in front of a mirror (or a trusted friend) and find out if London and France are visible. If you’re showing more than you bargained for, throw a pair of booty shorts on over the leggings.

The Long And The Short Of It

Beware low-rise bottoms. They might look great in the store, but they can end up exposing too much skin when you’re in the air, leading to burns and abrasions on your waist and back. Choose high-waisted pants, wear a leotard, or make sure your shirt will stay tucked in as you bend, reach, twist, and invert. Similarly, check the length of bottoms. For most students, the ideal length leaves some exposed skin down by the ankle but fully covers the backs of knees.

Solitary Confinement

If you’ve got bits that dangle, you will probably be more comfortable if you keep them contained. Workout gear doesn’t have to be super spendy, but it’s worth shelling out for a few high quality sports bras that keep everything in place without making you feel like you’re being strangled by your own underwear. Aerialists with external genitalia might also want to invest in a dance belt (more on this subject here).

Don’t Be Afraid To Shine

We place a strong priority on safety and comfort, but we also want you to feel your best (which helps you do your best) while you’re training. If feeling your best means leggings featuring neon rainbow unicorns, a sleek black snakeskin pattern, or your favorite cartoon characters, go for it! There’s a wide variety of workout gear out there to help you put the fun in functional. Find something you love that allows you to spend class time focusing on your form, not your fashion emergencies.