Aerial Silk Acrobatics

The topic of aerial silk acrobatics brings to mind the image of singer-celebrity Pink twirling in mid-air while suspended by a long fabric during her aerial acrobatic performances at the 2010 Grammy Awards and her prior concerts. Aerial acrobatics has not only been glamorized by Pink, a trained acrobat, it has also been publicized on the Talk Show Live with Regis and Kelly where the co-host Kelly attempted the challenging aerial silk stunts as part of the show's Fitness Friday episode on January 22, 2010. The televised performances of this interesting art leave audiences to ponder: "Where did aerial silk acrobatics originate?" and "How does one master this art?" These and other common questions are explored below.

What is Aerial Silk Acrobatics? How is It Performed? and Who Performs It?

Aerial silk acrobatics is defined as an art where an acrobat wraps, hangs, swings, flips, and twirls in mid-air while suspended by a 20 to 35-foot long by 60 to 108-inch wide tricot chiffon fabric that is strong with a bit of stretch. The fabric, also called silk, tissue (tissu), and ribbon, is rigged on a ceiling or mount with a hook or pulley. It is doubled over to create two adjacent ribbons. Aerial acrobatics is performed most commonly by circus artists and concert entertainers; it is also practiced by campers and dancers.

Who Founded Aerial Silk Acrobatics? Where? and When?

Aerial silk acrobatics was founded by Andre Simard, a Canadian Native Acrobatic Research and Development Specialist in 1995. Over the past fifteen years, Simard has designed acrobatic performances and trained artists of the Cirque du Soleil, a circus arts and street entertainment organization founded in Canada in 1984. Aerial acrobatics has now spread worldwide.

What are the Common Aerial Silk Acrobatic Stunts?

Acrobats perform aerial silk stunts in both upright and upside down positions with either their arms or legs are wrapped around the silk. Specific aerial silk stunts are described as follows:

- Basic Stand: in standing position acrobat clutches the fabric with hands and feet

- Basic Climb: acrobat uses both hands to climb fabric that lies between bent legs (similar to pole climbing)

- Hand Lock: acrobat wraps each hand around fabric

- Arm Flag Hang: acrobat wraps arms around fabric and extends them horizontally while feet are lifted off the ground

- Double Footlock Split: acrobat holds onto two lengths of fabrics, wraps both feet around fabric and performs a split in mid-air

- Same Side Double Thigh Wrap Hang: acrobat securely wraps fabric around one thigh and loosely loops it around the other thigh while hanging upside down, hands-free and arms extended

Above all, aerial silk acrobatics is entertaining yet extreme. Not only must the apparatus be fully inspected prior to a performance, but professional acrobats must have years of training and possess great athleticism that includes flexibility, upper body strength, coordination, balance, and gracefulness. Especially valuable, performers who have mastered this incredible art leave audiences spellbound.

Sources

"Aerial Silk Visual Glossary."Antepenultimate.

"Aerial Silks (Tissues) - Circus Skills - Circus Blog - Cirque du Soleil - Circus Links - Circus Forum - Cir." Circus Guide.

"Meet a Circus Mentor/Cirque du Soleil/Casting."Cirque du Soleil.

"Meet the Creator of KOOZA/KOOZA/Cirque du Soleil?"Cirque du Soleil.