I have been dancing for years since my schooling days, and have always been interest in the art of movement. I was drawn to aerial arts when I watched a performance by a local studio at the Esplanade. The fluidity and strength of the performers left me in awe. Their ability to move seamlessly through the air, supported only by fabric, seemed almost magical. In aerial hammock, I saw the blending of the elegance of dance with the strength of acrobatics, all suspended in mid-air. This unique combination of movement and stillness has always fascinated me, offering a graceful escape from the ordinary. This inspired me to explore aerial hammock as a way to challenge myself physically and creatively.
My journey with aerial hammock began me enrolling in foundational classes at an aerial studio. Gradually, I advanced to more complex maneuvers, learning to trust the fabric and my body. I eventually moved on to taking other classes with various instructors in Singapore at either other studios or freelance. I’ve eventually started exploring other forms of aerial arts such as aerial hoop.
One of the main challenges I initially faced was building the necessary upper body and core strength. Aerial hammock does demand a high level of physical fitness, which was initially daunting. Additionally, overcoming the fear of heights and ensuring safety during practice required significant mental fortitude.
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The negotiation of strength and flexibility is a tenuous balance! As you build strength, you lose flexibility. I therefore found the need for consistent cross-training. On top of training on the aerial apparatus in studio, I would either head to gym to build upper body strengths and attending flexibility classes at yoga studios to maintain my flexibility.