Getting into a pose and out again is, in every sense, a white-knuckle ride
• Fitness tips: three benefits of aerial arts
When will I learn my own limits, I thought, as I attempted an inverted needle on aerial silks, at Skylab in London. It’s exactly as it doesn’t sound: two pieces of long stretchy material are suspended from the ceiling. If you grab them high, jump off the ground with pointed toes, knees to your chest, in a “tuck”, you can spin backwards, straighten your legs, and before you know it, you are hanging upside down. I know it’s possible because I have seen it successfully executed, by the instructor, Star. When I try it, nothing on earth feels less likely. It’s ridiculous hubris even being in the room: no less absurd than thinking I could scale sheet glass because I’ve seen Spider-Man.
“This is quite hard,” Star begins, “and it hurts. The silks can squeeze, the aerial hoops are rough on your palms, and it takes quite a lot to even get off the ground.” The subtext is: “Suck it up! The only way to succeed is to fail a lot of times.” I find this motivational in theory; in practice, however, my body dances to its own tune.
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