Silks Archives - Laura Witwer, SassyPants Aerial Arts

When The Moon Is In Aquarius (And Other Signs It’s Time To Buy Your Own Apparatus)

By LewitwerJanuary 26, 2012Safety, Silks, Supplies, Uncategorized

This past Sunday, several NYC aerial teachers (myself included) met to catch up and get hammered have a little dinner. It was the usual stuff – eating tortilla chips, moaning about insurance premiums, and arguing about whether that move is a Jesus Front Handspring or a Dive Between (it’s totally a Jesus Front Handspring – thank you, Bobby H!). BUT – one thing that we all agreed on? There’s a little issue that needs to be addressed across the board: students wanting a Ferrari one day out of drivers ed.

Patience, My Love, Patience

Here’s the thing. I know you’re hooked on aerials. I KNOW you’ve just found the thing-you-love-more-than-Damon-on-The-Vampire-Diaries. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting your own silks/trapeze/lyra/German wheel, but you’ve got to be smart about it. I’m talking to beginners here – advanced students & professionals have been around the block a few times and are seasoned enough to do their own thing. Fledgling aerialists, here are some things to consider:

Many teachers and studios will happily rent space and equipment to you, and many even offer open workouts. This is awesome, folks! You get to “play the field” as it were, and practice in a safe environment. WIN!
Do you really know what you want yet? If you’re going to invest $400+ in equipment, you may want to test drive a few models first! You will also need to learn how to rig it safely in your rehearsal space. Get an idea of what feels fabulous for you and go from there!

It Takes A While To Get Your Learner’s Permit

After the soreness has worn off from your first few classes, you may find yourself itching to practice what you learned. GOOD! Ask your teacher to let you know when he or she thinks you’re ready to train outside of class, and keep the following in mind:

For basic beginners, you need to be able to execute a few moves before you train aerial skills outside of class, even in an open workout: proper mounting and dismounting of your apparatus (if you have to get a running start to get on a trapeze, this is not you), and basic inversions with no spot needed.
You also have to know what you don’t know. When we first begin any new endeavor, it takes a while before we have a good understanding of what we know, and what we do NOT know – in the early days, students seem to universally believe they know more then they do. Why? Who knows.
Work moves you understand completely when you’re training out of class – this is not a time to try that twirly thing you did once two weeks ago, or go mining Instagram for new material. Don’t make your poor teacher wear Depends.
Never – and I mean NEVER – practice alone. Ever. Professionals don’t even do this. This is one of the (many) reasons I strongly discourage folks from installing rigging in their own homes. If a catastrophic accident were to occur, no one would be there to help you. Do. Not. Do. It. (Lawzy, it’s a post all its own!)

There’s no rush! Take some classes, learn some tricks, move on to open workout, and one day, friend, it will be time to buy your own apparatus! And because you waited until you were able to make an informed choice, it will be so much more awesome. Now, speaking of awesome, go watch some Vampire Diaries (Team Damon 4 ever). Love and pull-ups, Laura

As always, if you like this post, share it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and wherever else you crazy kids are sharing things these days!

Low, Medium, or Super-Stretch Aerial Fabric – What’s the Difference?

By LewitwerDecember 13, 20114 commentsSilks, Supplies, Uncategorized

Hey friends! Thought I’d share this – it’s a great demonstration of the variety of stretch available in aerial fabrics. Most of us work on low or medium stretch (super stretch feels kind of like a bungee cord, which is great if that’s what you’re after). If you’re a drop-a-holic, consider working on medium stretch; it absorbs some of the shock from the drops that would otherwise be absorbed by your body, making some drops (ankle dives or “dead man’s drop” for instance) more comfortable and a little safer. At the end of the day, it comes down to needs and preferences, so there’s no “right stretch” for everyone, just the right stretch for the job. Happy climbing, twirling, foofing, and droppin’, ya’ll! Love and pull-ups, Laura

How to Choose a Silk Color (That Won’t Make Your Audience’s Eyes Bleed)

By LewitwerAugust 17, 20113 commentsSilks, Supplies, Uncategorizedfabric colors, fabrics, silk colors, silk performance, Silks

A stunning custom dyed silk from Swing State Aerial!

So many of you are about to embark on the adventure of Buying Your Very Own Fabric – congratulations! It’s very exciting! Your first choice is the color, and it’s an important one. Why, you ask? Isn’t it just a matter of picking your favorite color from a pretty swatch book and sending in the moolah? Well…. no.

The first thing to consider is where you expect to use it. If it’s just for your rehearsals, then go nuts and pick whatever color you want. BUT, if you’re planning on using this for performance, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind:

White and red are the most commonly requested colors for events. When it comes to white fabrics, it’s best to have another color for rehearsal, and to trot out the virginal yardage for performance only (unless you want to spend hours doing laundry). Keep in mind that bleaching is NOT recommended as it weakens the fibers in the fabric.
OY, black fabric! Consider that quite a few theaters have black backdrops or curtains – you’ll be the Mysterious Floating Head from Brooklyn! In over a decade of performance, we have rarely been asked to perform on a black fabric. Get one if you really want it, but order a colored one as well to give yourself some options.
Many of your performances will involve bright theatrical lighting. That light blue fabric you paid $50 to have custom dyed? It just turned white when the spotlight hit it. Go for a richly saturated hue to reflect the light and make you POP on stage – muted colors often wash out to nothing. Consider the effect you’re trying to create!
Want something totally unique and absolutely gorgeous? Several studios sell tie-dyed fabrics and they’re everything you want them to be! Mackenzie at Swing State Aerial is doing some unbelievably stunning ones (I’m going to order one soon!). Interested? Order here , and have a look at her Instagram for gorgeous pics!
Great bets for performance silks: white, red, royal blue, purple, teal, yellow, green, orange, saturated pink, you get the idea.

And that’s it, folks! It surely ain’t rocket science, but you don’t want to waste your money. Choose wisely and be fabulous! Stay tuned for future posts about where to buy your fabrics, how to care for them, and whether there’s any way of avoiding that awesome “wet dog” smell during the summer. Rock on, my loves! Love and pull-ups, Laura