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15 Aerial Performance Tips and Tricks to Captivate Your Audience
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Aerial Circus is both challenging and rewarding, and when you start to perform you add in a whole new layer of complication. From dealing with nerves to being unsure what skills will land the best, there is always something to improve on.
Whether you are about to go on stage for the first time, or a veteran who's been flying for years, these tips will help you to improve your performance and captivate your audience. These will help you to better understand specific things you can adjust in your performances to get the most out of your aerial skills. Fly with confidence as you show off your talents to the audience.
15 Aerial Performance Tips and Tricks
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1. Master the Engagement of Feet and Hands
Even if you have amazing splits, can touch your feet to your head from a pagoda pop, or chain multiple drops together, your performance will suffer if you don’t maintain engagement through your whole body, including your feet and your hands. Be intentional with pointing your toes or flexing your feet. Extend through your fingers to create polished lines that direct the eye.
Avoid “dead hands” or “sloppy feet” by maintaining tension from your core all the way to your extremities. It doesn’t need to be constant static engagement, use movements to add flair and character to your performance. From smooth languid gestures to instill calm, to rapid angry movements, there is a huge array of emotions and characterizations that can be added with just your hands and feet.
Experiment with what works best for your piece and character, and be intentional.
2. Create Dynamic Variations in Movement
People love novelty, and it is no different in a performance. Many moves can look similar to others, and an audience who has never trained in aerial will often be unable to tell the difference. Once several sequences look the same, audiences may start to lose interest.
Instead, build progressions using dramatically different techniques, placements, and characterizations throughout your piece. Alternate between slow, controlled movements and quick, impactful transitions to draw focus to the dramatic. Use different heights for different movements of the music to reset how they perceive the piece. Experiment with spins, drops, and static poses for variety.
If you have similar motions to set up for different tricks, try to space them out within your routine, or try to find new transitions.
3. Connect with Your Audience Through Expression
A performance requires both the aerialist and the audience. Most likely, you perform because you like to entertain people, so don’t be afraid to use that connection to hype them up!
Techniques for Audience Engagement
Make eye contact with the audience, find specific people to look at, or a single point to focus on. If your eyes wander across the whole audience, it can be easy to see you as unfocused. But if you hone in on a single area, then no matter where someone is seated, they can tell you are giving attention out.
Use your facial expressions to bring out characterizations they can see, exagerate as you bring them to life so even those seated in the back rows who you are portraying.
React to the energy the crowd brings, join in the excitement as you make an amazing pose, the anticipation as you set up a high drop, and stay engaged with them until you give your final bow.
4. Highlight Your Flexibility and Unique Skills
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Not everybody has their splits or incredible back bending skills, but you can find motion that is unique to yourself. Though, if you do have your splits, don’t be afraid to flaunt them.
Design sequences that emphasize your personal strengths, that can be difficult techniques, show off your muscles and physical strength, your flexibility, drops, or even just emphatic characterization and acting. No two people have the same set of skills, and while it can be useful to learn by emulating others, you will truly shine if you take those lessons and bring in your own strengths alongside them.
5. Choose Music That Complements Your Flow
Picking your music is an incredibly difficult decision, and one that you should be willing to spend time on. The music can do just as much work as you do in captivating your audience.
Tips for Selecting the Right Music
Find a track with a tempo that aligns with your planned routine. If your routine has a slow, sultry feel to it, a high energy fast electronic song will just clash with it, but a slower moving swing song will help you at every beat. Music should evoke the mood you want to present. As you search for the perfect song, think about the emotions you want the audience to feel. Do you feel those emotions as you listen to potential songs? If you don’t feel them, your audience probably won’t either.
You also have freedom to cut and edit songs to fit the routines you use. Whether the intro or outro takes too long, or doesn’t last long enough. You can use audio editing tools to create custom mixes that highlight key moments.
6. Embrace Deliberate and Controlled Movements
Not everything has to be go, go, go. Take advantage of slow moments to build anticipation, so that when you do send it, the audience knows what they are cheering for.
Think about some of your favorite shows or books, even the most action-y action movie has scenes of dialogue and building tension. Those pauses strategically draw attention to the action afterwards.
On the day of the show, don’t forget to take some deep breaths before you get on stage. The adrenaline of performing can push us to go faster but resist that urge. Avoid rushing through your routine, you’ve built confidence over all of those rehearsals, so be intentional with your every move.
7. Incorporate Creative Ascending and Descending Techniques
The show doesn’t just happen in the air, it happens as we go up or down the apparatus. Aerial is motion, and we should use that motion to our advantage. Don’t just use a basic climb to get up high to set up a drop, experiment with unique climbs like spirals, wraps, or strength-based ascents. Mix in poses along the way.
Drops can be a great way to descend, audiences love that burst of excitement and adrenaline as you fall through that brief window of controlled descent. While they are wondering if everything is going to be okay, you are thinking about how to take this to the next technique and pose.
Make sure that you take time to practice transitions between moves during ascents and descents to add fluidity.
8. Infuse Emotional Depth Into Your Performance
Art does not exist in a void, and the same goes for aerial performances. Draw on the emotions in the narrative, theme, or music to inspire your performance. Use motions, facial expressions and gestures to bring that out. Listen to the emotional beats in your music, and match that feeling in your own body. This is more than just the techniques used, but how you as a performer breathe life into the piece.
Rehearse in front of a mirror, or record yourself to experiment with different expressions and motions to see what fits.
9. Choreograph for the Space and Venue
Different venues affect your performance. Be aware of what constraints that puts on you. You wouldn’t want to do a chain of stacked drops on a stage that is shorter than where you practice. Ask how high the apparatuses can be rigged? What space do you have to the sides to play with for your entrance and exit? What lighting will be used? When will they start your song? Do you need to be aware of rigging constraints? How close is the audience to you? For group acts, how far apart will apparatuses be rigged?
The event planner and venue staff, as experts of the spaces they manage, should be able to give you guidance around the staging.
10. Maintain a Strong Stage Presence Throughout
Begin and end your performance with intentional poses and gestures to draw the audience. Don’t leave them guessing if it is over or not, make it dramatic and conclusive. If you can, make sure your music emphasizes this.
Use your outfits to enhance the experience, think about the theme of your piece or character and ensure your costume reflects that. Are they serious? Comedic? Sexy? Represent some concept? A mismatched costume can erase all of the other progress in the piece, take the time to ensure it adds to your presence on stage.
Tips for Consistent Confidence
Rehearse enough that you feel confident in your piece. Know it inside and out, so that if your nerves get the better of you and you make a mistake on stage that you can recover gracefully and keep going. Never forget the audience is rooting for you, so be confident in yourself.
11. Focus on Musicality for Seamless Transitions
You’ve chosen music that fits your theme and character, now make sure you lean into that musicality. Sync key movements with beats or crescendos in your music. Use the rhythm to dictate the pace of your transitions and poses. If the music has clearly delineated sections, make sure that you have unique poses and transitions to fit those areas.
Avoid overloading your routine with tricks, let the music guide you. Stay in a pose a little longer to ensure you transition with the beat. Spread the extra seconds across each section, and pace yourself so that you are ready for those big tricks when the music changes.
12. Practice and Perfect Your Routine
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Practice makes perfect. We’ve all heard this a million times, but it is essential advice. No matter how many times you have done an individual trick, the feeling of it changes when incorporated into a routine. The more you practice, you gain more confidence, you find more ways to improve, and you learn how you can gracefully recover.
Break your routine into sections and perfect each part individually. Do the same sequence over and over again, tweaking small things until you are happy with it. Film yourself to find the places to change, and spend time reviewing it to catch areas for improvement. If you can, it is always best if you can practice under conditions similar to the performance setting (e.g., lighting, height, costume).
Rehearse it so much that you start to feel a little bored with it, that you could do it in your sleep.
13. Incorporate Signature Tricks for Memorability
Everybody has something they really like, something that calls to them as an aerialist and performer. Lean into that, and bring that bit of yourself into the performance. It’s not just okay, but encouraged to have that one trick you bring in for yourself, that trick that defines your personal style.
If you can ensure these tricks are clean and polished for every performance, you will always have something the audience can remember you by.
14. Adapt to Your Equipment (Hoop, Hammock, Silks)
While some things can be done across different apparatuses, there are many tricks that are unique. Know your equipment, and what you can do on it, if you aren’t as familiar with what you will be performing on, take the time to dive into it. Familiarize yourself with each apparatus, know what its strengths and challenges are, and what you can take from another to it.
As always, ensure that your apparatus is properly rigged and secure so that you can push yourself to your limits, not the apparatus past its own.
15. Seek Feedback to Continuously Improve
Perform for friends, coaches, or colleagues and ask for constructive criticism. Separate yourself from your art so you can take what they have to say and apply it to your piece. Thank them for helping you to improve. They may not always have the correct solution, but feedback is always worth listening to. Reflect on it, and fine-tune your routine and stage presence.
Stay open to learning new techniques and adapting your style. Take classes from multiple teachers, watch performers and think about what they do so well, watch videos of your performances with friends. Just as you read this blog to find ways to improve, you can find growth everywhere. Seek it out.
FAQs on Aerial Performance Tips and Tricks
What are the best aerial apparatuses for beginners?
Beginner’s typically find aerial sling - also known as aerial hammock - the most approachable aerial apparatus as it offers more support and is less intimidating while building strength and confidence. However, with good coaching and correct progressions, any aerial apparatus is appropriate for a beginner! Aerial silks are a popular apparatus and one that beginners often want to start with. Trapeze and lyra are also beginner friendly, though new folks will often find their hands get worn out quickly on the bar.
How can I safely practice aerial at home?
To safely practice aerial at home, ensure you have proper rigging installed by a professional and use certified equipment designed for aerial arts. Work in a space with enough height and clearance, and always use crash mats. Focus on techniques you’ve already mastered in class, and avoid attempting new or high-risk moves without a coach’s guidance. Most importantly, never practice alone! The risk of entanglement can have severe consequences.
How do I prevent performance anxiety before an aerial show?
The best way to manage performance anxiety is to feel confident in your preparation. Ensure you have allotted yourself enough time to perfect your routine, and that the tricks in your act are not your hardest skills. You can also use breathing exercises to calm nerves and visualize your performance going well. Performing for friends or peers beforehand can also help build comfort. Remember that the audience is there to support and cheer for you, so focus on enjoying the experience and finding gratitude.
How do I choose music for an aerial routine?
When choosing music for an aerial routine, select a track with a tempo that complements your movements and evokes the emotions you want to convey. The music should align with the mood of your performance—slow and sultry routines pair well with softer, flowing melodies, while high-energy performances thrive on upbeat tracks. If the song doesn’t evoke the feelings you aim to share, it likely won’t resonate with your audience either. Consider editing the track to match the flow of your routine, using audio tools to adjust the length or highlight key moments for maximum impact.
What should I wear for an aerial performance?
When selecting attire for an aerial performance, you want to prioritize safety and theatrical impact. In terms of safety, remember that if you have drops, slides, or other dynamic moves you’ll want to consider a costume that covers areas of your skin that otherwise might be exposed to a friction burn. Especially if you are on a fabric apparatus, avoid anything with zippers, buttons, or embellishments that could snag and make a hole. From a theatrical perspective, choose a costume that aligns with the theme, character, or mood of your routine. Think about how colors, textures, and patterns will look under stage lighting or in motion—bold designs or flowing fabrics can amplify your presence. Ensure the costume doesn’t restrict your movement or compromise safety. Finally, rehearse thoroughly in your costume to identify and address any potential issues before the show!