How to Sequence an Aerial Performance

Aerial arts are a great challenge whether you’re working at the beginning level or if you’re a seasoned professional. If you want to perform, you’ll be thrilled at the first opportunity. 

Even though many venues remain closed due to COVID, there are other options available to strut your stuff, from recording videos for YouTube to putting on a show for your BFF and your cat.

With some important considerations, you can create an aerial routine showcasing your unique talents and charisma. Here are some tips:

Music

Music sets the tone for a piece and informs your movement. The genre might be classical, hip hop, or heavy metal, but your song will always help to establish your character, story, and mood. 

Choose a song that sings to you and carries personal meaning. You’ll be listening to the song over and over (and over!) during rehearsals, so make sure it’s something you really love to hear.

Choreography

There’s no formula for an aerial number, but there are some general guidelines that can help with structure. 

In the intro, you’ll approach and mount the apparatus. Or you might begin already posed on your equipment. Use this time to hear your music, fully inhabit your body that’s about to do these amazing things, and give your audience a chance to see you in your costume. 

Girl performing in an Aerial Yoga Hammock

Let the movement flow in a way that makes sense to you. Tricks are a crowd-pleaser but don’t neglect transitions. Those delicious in-between spaces can be some of the most magical and offer the greatest opportunity for personalization. 

Even if your routine is fast-paced, carve in places to slow down and give the audience a chance to appreciate your movement. Moments of stillness to contrast can be very powerful.

Your finale can be the moment to perform a big drop, spin, or trick. This is the climax of the act, so stay in character to describe your story. Timing is everything. Be sure to pace yourself to reserve energy for the entire act. Each moment you’re onstage counts!

The Client and/or Venue 

Do you have specific parameters for costuming, music, and apparatus? Are you performing in a club or in a theatre? If so, then a lot of these questions will be answered for you. Always bring your own style into the mix.

Editing Your Work

When first learning to master a skill, it can be tempting to include every trick, move, and drop you’ve ever learned. Resist the temptation. You’ll showcase more work in the future. Less is more!

Practice

Perhaps the single most important factor in determining the success of an aerial performance comes down to practice. While practice may not make perfect (which is only an illusion), it  will  advance your skills and increase your confidence.

Girl in our Deep Purple Aerial Hammock

Always run your routine a few times in costume before you perform in it. Work diligently in the studio to get the movement into your body. Once it’s in your muscle memory, you’ll have one less thing to worry about as you navigate nerves before you go on. Using visualization techniques is another fabulous way to prepare. 

When you teach your body and mind what to do, you are home free.