On Working with Injury

I realize that I often mention working around injuries and the need to listen and be mindful of our bodies and their needs. I thought that it would be helpful to see what that actually looks like, so this month's blog post is more about the visual, less about the words.

Below, you will find the link to a Trapeze sequence I worked on this week. One clip is of the sequence uses my right arm, which has no injuries of note.   The other clip features the same sequence, but using my left arm, which is over one year out of surgery for bicep tendon repair.

Honestly, my left arm feels pretty darn good, despite tightness in my chest and arm. To keep myself (and my recovering injury) safe, I made some modifications to my practice. For the parts of the sequence that felt like too much pressure, I stacked a mat so that I could use my legs for support and walk myself through it. This allows me to work on equalizing my two sides, without fear of overdoing it. Often, we tend to avoid our injured side, but I feel it's important to keep moving and listening to the allow the injury to slowly heal. For me, it's finding my way through gently, asking my body to do the work, but still taking care.

To watch my aerial adaptation video, please click here.

Costume Design and the Creative Process

During super long winter nights and short days, I find it to be a fantastic time to dive into the creative process. I spent this past December working on two custom costumes for a New Year’s Eve event. The client requested tree-inspired costumes and that one should be a quadruped; giving me the liberty to not be literal and let my vision guide the process.This project touched on so many things that I love about the creative process; giving new life to found and leftover materials, creative problem solving, experimentation and learning.

As the project unfolded, I was able to use a bunch of materials that I’ve had kicking around forever. I repurposed some leather pieces from the Collinsville axe factory that had been previously used as ax and Hammer handles.  An old bra that fit horribly was adorned with the leather pieces, painted gold and affixed to the outside of the costume.

One challenge was how to attach the headpiece to the quadruped costume. I had made a large headpiece with ferns and antlers. Since the performer would be on all fours and looking down slightly, it had to be very secure to the head without tilting forward. I was also concerned it would be too heavy to wear for 9 hours, which includes performance time, but also set-up, makeup and breaks between sets. It took some thinking on how to attach this headpiece to the hood underneath without sacrificing look or performer comfort.

I wanted the base unitard of the costumes to be mottled and not super uniform, more like the natural world. I was concerned that dyeing them would produce a tie-dye look, which I didn’t want for these pieces. Dyeing the unitards and stilt covers also required some problem solving, testing and experimentation.  I came up with the idea of putting the unitards in a paint straining bag so they’d be squished in there. It did work out quite well.

I find creative problem-solving to be a favorite part of my artistic process, whether it is in costume design or even my aerial work. Finding new ways to get into positions, different transitions and ways of connecting skills is exciting and there is a satisfaction in discovering a different way to think on your feet. Costuming supports my Circus work and is one of my favorite parts, largely because the creative process in aerial work feels similar to the process of making costumes: strategic thinking, exploration and play.

 

What is a Warm-up?

How the right warm-up impacts you core connection, stability, articulation and neuromuscular connection

On Working With What You Have... and Knowing When to Invest

Learn when to invest and when to do it yourself!

Why Do We Foster Creative Work?

The importance of foster creativity and our inner artist

Performances that make me want to watch more!

The qualities in a performance that keep us engaged!

Injury, curiosity and How to Move Forward

My healing journey post bicep tear and surgery

Batizado 101: Connection and Capoeira!

The traditions and experience of the Capoeira Batizado

The Story of a Pen

About 10 years ago ,I was teaching my second or third Capoeira class in an urban middle school and 3 new Muslim students came to the class. Some of the other kids were talking about & bullying the girl with racial/religious comments. So I approached the kids and I took them to the office. A little bit after the principal brought the kids back and the kids denied what happened but I and the whole class knew what happended. Afterword, the older brother came to me and gave me this pen, it is a beautiful flower made with duct tape. I saw that he had to look tough but he was an artist and a kind and gentle kid. Incredibly enough, this pen has been with me for like 10 or 11 years and it still works.He was the one protecting his family and his younger siblings. This pen was his thanks to me for protecting his family.

Unironically, we were in a Capoeira class. I have been practicing martial arts for most of my life and it has always been about protecting myself and others. The first time I stood up to injustice and got beaten up for it, I was about six. I was defending my younger cousin at school against an abusive teacher. Her son carried out the punishment and beat me up. I saw people around me looking and not helping. I understood later that sometimes people want to help but they cannot because they are afraid of the consequences. I promised myself not to be like those people that only watch and don’t do anything. I became a martial artist because I wanted to protect myself and my family and those who need protection. This can be tricky though because we can end up living violently, which I did for my teens and into my 20s. Now, I keep strong and healthy through circus and Capoeira  and love to work with those who want the same and live peacefully, quietly in resistance to systems and personalities of oppression.

How do you know if an aerial studio is safe and respectable?

Thrive blog

How do you know the aerial studio you are interested in training in is legit?

Ask questions!

Rigging this is an important question!

Who does the rigging? How often is it inspected? Where are the rigging components (hardware like carabiners, swivels etc + aerial equipment like lyras) from?

Was an engineer involved? What are your working load limits?

If the studio you’re considering does not know or have answers to any of these questions, it is reason for concern. Every studio should have an aerial rigger involved in their process somewhere. An “aerial rigger” or “rigger with aerial rigging knowledge,” as there is no certification for aerial/acrobatic/stunt rigging, is someone who is certified in theater/electric/arena rigging AND has interned or studied with a circus rigger. An arena rigger who puts together trusses all day might be a certified rigger, but won’t have knowledge about suspending a human.

Most small studios won’t have an in-house rigger, but should still have a relationship with one and have consulted them at some point. At my studio Thrive, we bring a rigger in at least once a year to do a detailed inspection. I continue with periodic inspections throughout the year and keep rigging logs to ensure equipment meets safety standards. The general consensus is that rigging components should be US made and/or be equipment with a good track record and lots of info/stats about their gear. 

 

Places like amazon should NOT be a supplier because they cannot guarantee the source of the item. There are many US based suppliers of equipment- many provide rigging for rock climbing and industrial rigging. Beware of the red flags - no engineer, “my cousin is a contractor and installed it all. He says it’s fine” “Fine” isn’t enough when safety is involved!

But wait - rigging is just the beginning!

When it comes to coaching, you must understand that there is NO aerial teaching certification. If your potential studio states they’re teachers are certified, this could be a red flag. They may be mis-using the word “certification” and you might need to do some further research. Having completed teacher trainings can show a commitment to learning the craft of coaching. As there is no overseeing body regulating aerial teacher training, it can get very tricky in discerning how knowledgeable your coach is. Have they been training for 5 years or more? Did they take class in-person or only self study? Look for aerial coaches who have been in circus for an extended period of time. They are often connected to the long lineage of circus performers, teachers and thinkers. Ask about your studio’s curriculum.  Does it include injury prevention? Skill progressions, bio-mechanics? Coaches have varying philosophies and approaches to spotting- some believing that they should not have to spot very much and will work on progressions until the student can accomplish the skill alone; while others will spot more heavily until the skill is achieved. Regardless, the coach should understand how to keep you (head and neck being the priority) and themselves safe.

Does your studio use mats? A yoga mat is not sufficient unless you are doing yoga. Some professionals perform without a mat, but students should not. Sometimes things don’t go as expected and a hard floor isn’t a great surprise. Crash mats, or mats at least 6’ thick should be used under all equipment.

I am not a rigger, nor do I carry any certifications in aerial safety. These are suggestions about how to frame your own thoughts so that you can ask the right questions and make your own decisions and keep yourself safe.

Thanks so much to Becca DeAngelis for providing input!