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Getting Into Aerials Starter Pack
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items I'm an amateur aerialist with 5ish years' total experience and started as a 100% beginner in my 20s. There's one aerials question friends ask the most: “so, how did you get started?”
TL;DR: I found a studio in my area that welcomes total beginners of all ages and sizes, got WAY better at showing myself kindness about challenges and making mistakes, and leaned into everything that made me daydream-y and excited about challenging m... (Note: do NOT try to teach yourself or train aerials on your own as a beginner! Huge safety issue and responsible instructors won't recommend it. It's why I don't include equipment or rig recs on this list; a studio should provide those to you.)
The part about giving yourself kindness—well, that's all you! But this list—with studios, training and performance wear, learning aids, and performances to get you inspired—compiles the kind of info I can pass along. Since my training's focused almos...
TL;DR: I found a studio in my area that welcomes total beginners of all ages and sizes, got WAY better at showing myself kindness about challenges and making mistakes, and leaned into everything that made me daydream-y and excited about challenging m... (Note: do NOT try to teach yourself or train aerials on your own as a beginner! Huge safety issue and responsible instructors won't recommend it. It's why I don't include equipment or rig recs on this list; a studio should provide those to you.)
The part about giving yourself kindness—well, that's all you! But this list—with studios, training and performance wear, learning aids, and performances to get you inspired—compiles the kind of info I can pass along. Since my training's focused almos...
Sections
5
Athletic Wear for Aerial Training
Beginner-Friendly Aerial Studios
Outfits for Your First Performance
Performance Videos for Aspiration and Inspiration
Learning Aids
Athletic Wear for Aerial Training
Shops and pieces geared toward and otherwise great for training!
Booty Sculpted's yoga onesies/leotards are great for training and come in a variety of bold, ~out there~ designs, also making Booty Sculpted a good choice for no-fuss performance wear: there are metallic, leather-look, and latex-look options as well ...
Booty Sculpted Athletic Leotards/Catsuits
You might think based on my recs that I'm really into yoga onesies for aerial training, and you'd be right! Not worrying about having a t-shirt fall over my face while hanging upside down helps me focus, plus I can often opt out of wearing a sports ...
Free People Movement Yoga Onesies
Old Navy is one of the only retailers I've found that carries yoga jumpsuits in extended sizing in a variety of colors, so this is my go-to rec for anyone above a size XL for yoga onesies for aerials.
Old Navy Athletic Jumpsuits
Adore the low, criss-cross strap back on these yoga jumpsuits!
Radiant Strappy Back Long Leotard by Everyday Yoga
Made in Beyond Yoga’s buttery soft Spacedye performance fabric with adjustable spaghetti straps.
Spacedye Uplevel Midi Jumpsuit by Beyond Yoga
Moisture-wicking fabric and on sale as of posting for under $100!
Heavana™ Racerback Unitard by Prana
Beginner-Friendly Aerial Studios
For when you're ready to take the leap and get in the air!
Sky Candy, my home studio, operates in central east Austin and offers a plethora of aerials, burlesque, circus, pole, and other performance-related classes! All genders, ages, and sizes of students are welcome at Sky Candy and there are classes for e...
Sky Candy in Austin, Texas
Defy Gravity “welcomes movers of all gender identities, sizes, and adult ages” with no prior dance experience needed. Students of every size are welcome in all classes, in addition to some plus-size specific class offerings. Defy’s policies toward in...
Defy Gravity in Urbana, Illinois
Commonwealth Circus Center, or C3, welcomes students of all ages, experience levels, and sizes, with 101 classes and “taster” classes—aka, bring a friend and sample a variety of aerial apparatuses!—for absolute beginners. C3 offers a variety of youth...
Commonwealth Circus Center in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Studio Rouge says their goal “is for everyone, no matter their gender/agender, sexuality, body shape, skin color, background, and age (as long as they're 18 years +), to enjoy a safe space where they can find their sensual side and/or strongest selve...
Studio Rouge in Columbus, Ohio
Aerial Dragons Studio offers Level 1 classes for total beginners and welcomes students of all sizes, ages, and ability levels. There are youth and adult programs, offering instruction in “aerial silks, lyra, hammock, flexibility, contortion, trapeze,...
Aerial Dragons Studios in Tampa, Florida
Outfits for Your First Performance
“Performance?!” you may be thinking, “isn't this for beginners?” Yes! Beginner-friendly studios generally offer performance opportunities even for beginners, like student showcases. You don't have to be a professional to perform! Plus, envisioning pe...
Dansair offers very reasonably priced leotards and bodysuits great for both aerial performance and training, with some really fun fabrics and patterns--I love the black leotard with white stars in the 4th pic!
Dansair Design
Kikimora offers a wide variety of performance wear, from more minimal, modern leotards to wild and colorful exotic dance wear.
Kikimora Fashion
If you want to invest in some high quality disco glam performance wear, Lena Quist has bodysuits, jumpsuits, and separates with metallic shine, flames, stars, and even a Ziggy Stardust leotard.
Lena Quist Design
Performance Videos for Aspiration and Inspiration
Watching performers of all levels is one of my favorite ways to spark my own creativity and get excited about training! Some faves:
Moody, gorgeous aerial hoop performance by a fantastic aerials teacher and incredible all-around aerialist and performer Sarah Marsh.
"Wish You Were Here" Pink Floyd Lyra Performance by Sarah Marsh
This dynamic, serpentine performance by Jennifer Cohen is just so cool.
Cirque Du Soleil Lyra Performance by Jennifer Cohen
This video isn't even of a full performance, but every clip I've seen of this choreography from Aisling ní Cheallaigh and Jenny Tufts (both two of my favorite aerialists to watch in their own right) is breathtakingly emotive.
Duo Lyra by Aisling ní Chealleigh and Jenny Tufts
Fun lyra performance to a cello cover of the Game of Thrones main theme.
Game of Thrones Lyra Performance by April Ensign
A lovely silks performance to one of the best possible songs for aerial performance, imho. (If anyone knows about + has video links to anywhere that's done a Sigur Ros-themed show, btw please send that my way ASAP.)
"Hoppipolla" Sigur Ros Lyra Performance by Char Cole
Learning Aids
For supporting your in class learning out of class!
Disclaimer: Do NOT use these to teach yourself aerials! Beginners should learn under the supervision of an instructor.
These are great guides to review and reference what you've already learned in a class setting while solo training (under supervi...
Pole Power Academy Guides