FOR AERIAL FABRIC ACROBATICS®

SAFETY FIRST AND ALWAYS

  • Check your rigging
  • Remove all jewelry (including rings, watches, and earrings) before working on the fabric
  • Never practice alone – have a spotter handy
  • If you are tired: Stop
  • If you feel something is painful: Stop
  • Correct shoulder positions and core conditioning essential
  • Practice all wraps low to the ground, before doing them high up
  • Talk through all parts of a trick out loud
  • Breathe out more than in
  • Make sure you have enough distance between yourself and the floor

STRENGTH AND AWARENESS KEEP YOU SAFE!

All poses can be done in ceiling heights of 13’ or higher
Linking your movements in a small routine is the goal.
All positions can be used in combination to make a routine.

Disclaimer

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone and this or any exercise program may result in injury. To reduce the risk of injury, never force or strain. Because of individual differences in physical conditioning, consult your doctor before attempting these routines or any other fitness program. If you experience any pain or discomfort during these routines or any other fitness program, you should stop and consult a physician.

Use product only as intended and demonstrated herein.

The creators, producers, participants, and distributors of this program disclaim any liability or loss in connection with the exercises demonstrated or the instruction and advice expressed herein.

CONDITIONING ON THE FLOOR

Goal is to warm up the spine, shoulders, and work on foot, ankle, and leg articulation
Do spine warm ups, and core strengthening

Continue all conditioning from previous levels and add those presented in this level.

Aerial Instruction Material Level 1
Aerial Instruction Material Level 2
Aerial Instruction Material Level 3

CONDITIONING ON THE FABRIC

Straddle-Overs Alternating Sides

Goal: To Increase core abdominal strength
Do the Straddle-over on each side without coming down between sides. It is important to do them cleanly, versus doing multiple straddle-overs in a row. Keep legs straight and toes pointed. Do one at a time at first and build up to doing multiple repetitions.

Side Crunches in the Straddle-Over Position

Goal: To increase transverse abdominal strength.
From the inverted arabesque position, hooking the knee or the foot, reach arm over head and do two thigh wraps. Keep the tail of the fabric over the shoulder to keep from sliding. With arms behind head, do side crunches. Start with five repetitions. Then switch and do the same thing on the opposite side.

Thigh Drop Series With Preparation (Also known as the Spice Drop)

Preparation on the Floor:
Zigzag Position
Sit with legs in Zigzag position and lower body down. The goal is to be flat on the ground with the back and most of the hips touching the floor. Knees are as close to the floor as possible, if this position is not possible, sit leaning on forearms. Stay in this position for a moment to stretch the quads of both legs. Remember to breathe. This is also a hip opener as well as a quad stretch. Do both sides.
Hip Opener Stretch
Laying on the back, one leg bent across the other leg that is straight, lace hands behind leg and push bent leg out with the elbow at the inner thigh to open the hips. Do both sides. Warming up the hips is important to prepare the body for the thigh drop. The force of the drop will force the legs to turn out.

Thigh Drop Series

Climb at least three or four times, in a ceiling height of 13’ or more. In a low ceiling, this drop is not recommended.
First Part:
Straddle into an inverted arabesque hooking foot, or knee. Wrap fabric tail around leg twice, keeping wraps up at the top of the thigh. Wrap once around the waist, and over the shoulder. Keep the fabric tail over the shoulder. Sit up, straighten the bent leg and roll body into the pole of the fabric by turning the hips into fabric, this is similar to Hip Key Spin position. Hold onto the fabric tail with both hands, hands over the head. Bend the bottom leg, open hips, keep top leg straight. First just lower into the drop, after lowering into position two or three times try the drop quickly. Always keep the bottom leg bent, hold onto the tail of the fabric.
Second Part, The Thigh Drop (Also known as the Star Drop):
Straighten top leg, holding the tail with one or both hands above the head. Unroll in a single star drop. Keep the body as horizontal to the floor as possible. Core Engaged.

To Come Out: Prop free leg on the back of fabric to make it easier to sit up, let fabric come off the thigh.

Coffin

Single foot lock on a single fabric. Do from either locking one foot or going from a double foot lock and dropping one foot. Moving from a double foot lock to a single foot lock is preferred for more stability.

Starting from the double foot lock:

Drop one foot from the lock, making sure the fabric is on the inside of the thigh. Cross free leg over the locked one and lower to a sitting position. The free fabric can be on either side of the body, it does not matter which side, whichever side it is on, make sure it is in front of the armpit. Hold the pole of the fabric so the free fabric is trapped against the armpit. With the opposite hand, reach down behind the body, take the tail around the back and up to meet the hand holding the fabric. The tail and the pole of the fabric will now be held in the same hand in a cradle or teardrop, the fabric should be just below the shoulder blades. Extend the leg that is locked, and either let the free leg drop down or cross over the locked foot, keep chest and hips facing the ceiling.

To Come Out: Bend the locked leg to come back to the center, drop the tail, come to a stand.

Pagoda Pop

Hang between the fabric, wrap both ankles twice. This is the same position as the Bow Pose from the Level 2 Aerial Fabric Acrobatic Instructional Material Except in this trick your legs remain straight. Bring upper body through the fabric, keeping toes together push fabric so it is below the hipbones. Bend at the waist, reach down and take the fabric from the outside, under the arches of the feet. Hold both tails tightly in the hands.
Important: Straddle as wide as possible!
Pop over and bend knees. Knees need to come to the outside of the fabric. You will get stuck if your legs go through the middle.

To Come Out: Sit up, reach behind and underneath knees and grab fabric as high as possible behind the calves, pike and do a backwards roll to return to the upright position.

Corset Series

First Part:
Climb with fabric split and with a good amount of height, if in a low ceiling climb all the way to the top. Hang between the fabrics, straddle up and crochet one foot around both fabric strands. The free leg can be in any position, but preferably with ankles crossed over each other. Take the tails of the fabric and make a cross across the mid back at the waist, then cross fabric in front over the rib cage, then cross fabric once more on the back. This is similar to the Angel Swing learned in Level 1 Aerial Fabric Acrobatic Instructional Material. Bend both legs, find the edges of the fabric, straddle, pike and do an Angel Flip to the upright position, the tails of the fabric are spread like wings. Drop both tails. The position constricts the middle and is uncomfortable.
Second Part:
Do another straddle over but do not let go of the poles of the fabric. Crochet one leg on one fabric, take the tail at the waist, whichever is on the outside, farther away from the body. Hold it to the outside away from the body so as not to slide. Bend the top leg, sit up, grab above the knee, come upright and hang being held in the armpit and the knee. The pose is similar to the Half-in-half-out Slip Knot Pose in Level 1 Aerial Fabric Acrobatic Instructional Material. Swim the arm through so the fabric moves from the armpit to the neck. Take the bottom leg and cross it over the top leg to balance in the Basket Pose, Learned in the Slip Knot poses from Level 1 Aerial Fabric Acrobatic Instructional Material. Take the fabric off from behind the neck so it is in the armpit. Swim the arm around the fabric in a Flamenco grip, crocheted at the elbow. Straighten both legs, open hips into the Angel Pose, as learned in the Slip Knot series.
To Come Out: Bend top leg, bring it out, unwrap arm, hips open to ceiling, hold both tails tightly so as not to slide, uncross the tails and do an Angel Flip.

Iron Cross

In climbing position, bring shoulders through the fabric. Feet are held tightly together, thighs engaged. Lean body backwards away from the fabric, thread each hand through the middle of the fabric, grab and hold firmly with straight arms. Hold arms out straight into an iron cross-position.
Alternate Starting position: From a single foot lock,
Thread arms through, grab fabric, un-lock foot, and spread arms into the Iron Cross Pose.

Inverted Splits

Climb with the fabrics separate, ceiling height does not matter. Hang between the fabrics. Pull body upside down in an egg position, invert, then open into a splits, arch back and drop head back fully.

Variations: A stag split, then a full split, or a zigzag split.

To Come Out: Return to the Egg position and roll to upright.

Thread the Needle

Climb with fabric split, height does not matter. Hang between fabrics. Go into the Inverted Splits. Back leg drops towards the ground as the body rolls up onto the front leg, simultaneously bring the elbow of the back leg in towards the rib cage so that the roll can be accomplished.
A tipping and pulling action is required if the elbow is not tucked in the roll cannot be done.

Fish Hook

Climb with fabric split, height does not matter. Hang between the fabrics first in the Egg position, invert, then straight body like the Jackknife position. Prop one foot on fabric, arch back, shift weight so your body looks like the letter “J”, or a Fish Hook. Always do this trick slowly and deliberately!
To Come Out: Think about pulling shoulder blades apart, sinking the rib cage back to bring body to a neutral position, tuck and roll down.
Variation: Hook both feet in a Bird Cage position.
To Come Out: Return to the Egg position and then upright.

Hip Key Straddle

Climb with fabric split, height does not matter. From Hip Key wrap bottom leg once. Separate the poles of the fabric. Swim the arms and body through between the separated fabric. Do not lose the lock that is around the leg. Flip over to the back and open legs in a straddle position.
To Come Out: Sit up holding fabric over head and allow fabric to fall from body.

Hip Key Scorpion Pose and Drop

Start in the Hip Key, take tail of the fabric and toss it over the top leg twice not more than two times. Pull a little bit of slack at the top next to the thigh. Take top hand and hold on next to hip. Open hips and hook bottom leg on fabric. Make sure that the bottom leg is in front of the tail or the drop cannot be accomplished. Lower into position first. When VERY confident that the knee will hook the fabric, do the drop quickly.

Scorpion Pose: Pull foot to head if the back is flexible.

To Come Out: reach behind leg and unwrap.

Single Pencil Drop:

This drop needs at least a 13’ ceiling or more. Do an Inverted Arabesque; wrap the bottom leg with two thigh wraps, and one stomach wrap. With fabric over the shoulder, sit up just enough to reach behind the knee. Straighten legs; turn body into the pole of the fabric, bringing legs into a slight pike. This position is uncomfortable; your stomach will be very compressed. Hold tail with both hands over the head, keep legs together, open hips out and roll straight like a pencil. Access the core muscles to stay parallel to the floor during the drop. Hands need to stay over the Head and You MUST Hold the tail of the Fabric.

To Come Out: Prop free leg on the backside of the fabric, sit up, and let fabric slide off the thigh.

Goals for Level 4:

Build a routine with good transitions between all tricks.
Use poses from all levels of the curriculum.
Focus on the quality of the movements.
Create different routines for different pieces of music.
Continue to explore new transitions, and practice with a partner!

Routines should have graceful transitions, rest poses, and all movements should seem effortless and fun!

By repeating your basic routine each time you practice, your grace, style, and stamina will increase!

Remember, progress builds from practice, experimentation, and working together!