17 Mar How to Level Up Aerial Hammock Skills Like a PRO
In the video above, Eunice shares 5 tips to level up your aerial hammock skills. In this post, we will add more to the tips.
1. Practice Body Rolls
To be able to move elegantly from pose to pose, you need to have mobility. Mobility or range of motion is similar to flexibility. The main difference between them is your level of activity.
Being flexible means that you are able to get into a position and hold it in a passive stretch.
Being mobile means that you are able to move your body into a certain position using only your muscles. Mobility requires active stretching. When you are practicing body rolls, you are working on the mobility of your spine.
There is often a focus on flexibility in dance. Keep in mind: being as flexible as a pretzel doesn’t matter. You need to be able to hold your legs or spine in those positions.
2. Keep Your Muscles Engaged
Sitting in the hammock is one of the first things you learn as an aerialist. It is easy. But the key to sitting and moving from one seated movement to another is keeping your core engaged.
Climbing is another common movement in aerial dance. It’s a movement that many people struggle with. To master climbing, you need to use your whole body.
If you are climbing using only your hands, you will overwork your muscles. If your arm muscles are weak, climbing could cause some shoulder pain.
Another source of discomfort is hammock cutting into your legs. To avoid this, keep your leg muscles strong and engaged.
3. Work on Your Hip Lock
The hip lock is one of the best moves to practice at home. It’s relatively safe and offers transferable skills for other movements.
The easiest way to improve your hip lock (and any other movement) is to do them slowly. Make sure that your legs and core are strong. Keep your movements controlled.
Moving in a controlled and measured way is the best way to instantly level up your aerial hammock skills.
4. Point Your Toes
No matter what movement you are doing, extend your legs. Always point your toes. It extends the line of your leg.
Imagine straight lines coming from your hip joint. They move through your legs and out into space. You want to keep the lines long and smooth. So when your legs are straight, don’t bend your knees and don’t flex your feet.
5. Extend Your Arms
This ties into the last point. When you are dancing, keep in mind your lines. Your fingers, your toes, and the top of your head are points where the lines of your body end.
The more you extend your body, the straighter the lines, the more beautiful the movement.
Always try to elongate. When you move your arms, move them with purpose. Push the air away. Move deliberately.
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