Top 5 Tips for Circus Beginners

Getting started with an aerial or ground acrobatics practice is really exciting. Focusing on these 5 tips will help you make the most of your first classes.

1. Be patient with your progress. Aerial and ground acrobatics are an art and a form of entertainment. Part of the performance is making it look effortless and magical. Getting there takes patience and persistence. If it were totally easy then it wouldn’t be very entertaining and not nearly as rewarding to learn. Your instructors will break down the skills into accessible chunks, but learning to float through the air does take some time.

2. Get to know your teacher. We keep class sizes small so that we can work at an appropriate pace for each person’s learning style and speed. Take full advantage of the small class size and take the time to connect with your teacher. Chatting with your teacher before and after class is a way for you to learn about each other. The more a teacher knows about you, the more they can tailor their cues in terms that will make the most sense to you. Have years of swimming experience? Do you love knitting? You’d be surprised at the different references that will make something click.

3. Get to know your body. Circus and Aerial arts help you discover what your body can do. Your instructor may give you some anatomical cues, if you don’t understand what they mean, definitely ask for more information. Sometimes, even for experienced aerialists, there can be a gap between understanding what you want the body to do and getting the body to do it. Don’t let it frustrate you. Make mental note of anatomical cues you are given in class and see if you can work on them throughout the regular part of your day.

4. Watch your classmates.  Observing other bodies in motion can really help when it is your turn on the apparatus. Don’t judge yourself if a classmate is better and don’t judge them if they aren’t getting the skill, Just learn to observe.

5. Enjoy the process. Look around the room the next time your are in class. Remember that everyone in there once started as a beginner just like you.  Even your instructors once took their first aerial class. Celebrate the little successes. Enjoy the thrill of learning new skills and being a beginner again. Try not to focus to much on an end goal, focus on the process and you’ll get there.

Everybody comes to their first class with a different story, a different life history and there are many pathways to success. Don’t worry if you feel too weak or not flexible enough. Focus on the tips above and we can almost guarantee your progress.

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