‘KNEES UP!’
to wear leggings (and mercifully little else) with masculine pride.
Instructor #2 yelled from somewhere below me on the ground. One mid-swing crunch (and some
twisting, wriggling and grunting later), and I’d somehow managed to end up hanging from my knees in
an aptly named ‘knee hang’.
‘Ready! And… swing backwards, forwards, backwards, DROP!’
I tucked into a ball, bringing my knees to my chest as I simultaneously released the bar, and landed,
bottom-first, in the net below me.
After a few more turns I was ready to release the bar mid-air, fly
into the expert hands of a catcher and attempt to return to the
bar (all the while imagining which colour combination I should
go for with sequins I’d have sewn onto my costume once I had
become a world-famous trapeze artist).
There was something so exhilarating about being able to fly
that, faster than you can say ‘lycra unitard’, I’d become hooked
on all things aerial!
Once relegated to the realm of the big top, the exposure that
aerial performance has received through shows such as Cirque
du Soleil and performances by pop singer Pink has given rise to
an explosion of circus schools, classes and workshops across the
country.
One such school is Integral Aerial Silk on Sydney’s northern
beaches, owned and run by Kalile Lima. Once a selfproclaimed ‘lazy girl’, Lima discovered circus arts quite by
accident 10 years ago in her homeland of Brazil. As a university
student studying Fine Arts, Lima was spending little time on
fitness and plenty of time on her social skills, when she decided
that she wanted to do something active and fun. After starting
with acrobatics on the floor of her local circus arts school, Lima
progressed to lyra, trapeze and, her favourite of all, silks.
‘The possibility of doing things on silk is limitless. It’s more
elegant than some of the other aerial forms and, even if you’re
not flexible or strong, silks can make you look beautiful,’ Lima
explains.
It’s all well and good for the lean and lithe Lima to claim that;
the ease with which she drops into the splits and contorts her
body into all manner of shapes leads me to believe that Lima
emerged from the womb in a backbend. But that’s not the
case.
‘When I started, I felt my core was one of the things that
changed so much; specifically, the strength and the shape of
my torso. My flexibility also improved a lot, too. I couldn’t do the
splits at first and I didn’t have a dance background or anything
that could help me, so it was more about trying and trying,’ she
says earnestly.
While people of all ages and abilities can walk away from their
very first aerial arts class with a sense of accomplishment, for
those keen to hone their strength before heading to their first
class, Lima recommends incorporating the following:
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Chin ups/lat pulldowns
Cable rows
Back extensions
Hanging leg raises
Planks
Push ups
Step ups and single leg squats.
More than just a method of developing strength and flexibility,
aerial arts teach self-confidence and team work, and
encourages every participant to push the boundaries of their
comfort zone. With schools popping up all around the country,
it’s never been easier to run away and join the circus!
What aerial classes can you try?
Trapeze: A bar hanging from the roof by two ropes, either
swingi ng between a platform and a catcher above a net
(flying trapeze) or hanging stationary (static trapeze) that is
used for tricks, drops or slides.
Want to run away and join the circus in your
state? Try these for starters:
Silks/Tissue: Two long pieces of fabric that hang from a point
on the roof. Climbs, wraps and drops are performed either
solo or with a partner.
NSW: Integral Aerial Silk www.integralaerialsilk.com/, Sydney
Trapeze School www.sydneytrapezeschool.com
Lyra: A metal hoop suspended above the ground. Hang,
drop and create amazing shapes with your body.
‘Because the fabric can be used for so many things, you can
start with exercises that will build strength. It’s such a complete
exercise form- you need a little bit of strength everywhere. But,
more than strength, the most important thing is determination.’
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QLD: Trix Circus www.trixcircus.com
Professional fitness
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fitness, sports and
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Almost 18 months on, I’ve seen my upper body and core
strength develop immeasurably (largely a result of the countless
chin ups, body weight rows and
V-snaps that we do to condition
ourselves), I can backbend ‘til the
cows come home and, perhaps
best of all, I can now do the splits
without feeling that my hamstrings
are about to tear off the back of
my leg!
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ACT: Warehouse Circus Inc. www.warehousecircus.org.au
Simply effective fitness tools
As someone who loves to run and do weights training, I had
always considered myself strong. So you can imagine my
delight (and shock) to find that, for the first few months, I’d
emerge from every single class drenched with sweat and
shaking from fatigue. Watching the more advanced students
scurry up the fabric and go from hanging outstretched to
straddling overhead with complete ease made me feel as if
I had so far to go but also made me more determined than
ever to master moves such as the ‘2.5 crazy’, ‘scorpion’ and
‘backwards 360’.
Far from being a ‘girly pursuit’,
the guys that practice aerial arts
possess incredible strength along
VIC: National Institute of Circus Arts www.nica.com.au
and much more...
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For more info or to buy online, visit www.gymstick.com.au/shop
or contact Gymstick Australia on (03) 9646 6867
WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - AUTUMN 2013
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