Aerial silks is a brilliant sport for both men and women in the circus and also no for the general public to learn at home.
Here Is How You Can Hang Your Aerial Silks:
You are able to hang aerial silks indoors (in a large space) or outside on a tree. It is really important to have plenty of room for your own safety. You may want to employ a professional to hang your aerial silks, or install several suspension devices to hang them from.
In this article we are going to talk about different places you can hang aerial silks, how exactly to hang it (step by step) and discuss the appropriate height needed. Thanks for reading!
Where To Hang Aerial Silks?
Aerial silks (also known as aerial ribbons and aerial tissues) are the columns of fabric used by aerialists to help them create those gravity-defying movements in mid-air.
Practising with aerial silks is absolutely essential in learning this difficult performing art, but a lot of people struggle with finding the right place to hang them.
They need to be hung up somewhere completely safe and secure because you could become injured if one of the silks came loose and you fell to the ground.
If you’re planning on hanging aerial silks indoors, you’ll need to install several suspension devices to hang them from.
These should be installed in the ceiling, with the aerial silks looped through them and hanging down. If you aren’t sure of your abilities to do this installation work, employ a professional because they need to be 100% secure in the interest of your safety.
The room that you choose to practise in should be completely cleared of all other objects to prevent the risk of collisions.
You don’t have to permanently dedicate this space to your aerial silks if you can’t, but if it is a room that you don’t use in the house then it is a good idea to transform it into a permanent practise area.
But if you don’t have an appropriate enough space indoors to hang your aerial silks, they can be hung up outside instead.
The only difference is that you won’t be able to nail aerial hooks outdoors like you can in the ceiling of a house, so you need to be even surer of your abilities to hang the silks safely.
If you cannot hang the silks yourself in a way that will be entirely safe, you should consider practising your art somewhere professional, such as at a performance studio.
Can You Hang Aerial Silks In Your House?
A lot of aerialists practise at home for greater convenience and to keep up their routine and flexibility. So, you can absolutely hang aerial silks up in your home, though you’ll need to ensure that you have a suitable space available.
Aerial dance includes lots of difficult movements and you don’t want to accidentally swing into any objects or walls while you train.
If you are planning on hanging the aerial silks up inside the house, you’ll need to buy an aerial hook for each silk. The easiest way to install them is if you have an exposed ceiling beam that can withstand the weight of a grown adult.
Having a licensed rigger inspect the beam or ceiling for you is the best way to know if you’ll be able to safely hang your aerial silks from it.
Once you’ve been given the go-ahead, you can start to rig your silks from the ceiling.
Start by laying out the aerial silks and finding the middle, then pull it through a Rescue 8 descent device and loop it back down underneath and through the Rescue 8 again.
To ensure that your silks have been securely attached to the device, loop the fabric over the top of the Rescue 8 and then pull the hanging silks nice and tight.
You’ll need some steel carabiners to attach to a swivel device, which is what allows the silks to turn from where they are suspended.
One carabiner attaches directly onto the Rescue 8, then the swivel is attached to the top of that. Finish off with a second carabiner clipped onto the top of the swivel, giving you a chain of devices all attached to each other with the silks hanging down at the bottom.
Unless you yourself are a professional rigger, it is highly recommended that you involve one either to attach this chain of devices to the ceiling for you, or to oversee the rigging.
Hanging these silks from the ceiling alone could be very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing and could lead to it being improperly installed or causing damage to your house.
Once a professional is satisfied that the silks have been properly rigged, you are free to begin practising with them inside your home.
When you do start practising, you’re advised to have someone with you to act as a spotter and look out for any potential risks.
You also need to have a crash mat or something very soft beneath you every time you practise aerial movements in case you slip from the silks.
Your safety should be the main priority every time and if you have any suspicions about the security of the silks, don’t use them until they can be examined and repaired.
Can You Hang Aerial Silks From A Tree?
If you don’t have enough space indoors to safely hang your aerial silks, it might seem like a good idea to hang them from a tree outdoors instead where space is unlimited.
However, you should try to avoid doing this because tree branches are often not as sturdy as they might look, which can lead to the silks snapping.
A fall outdoors is likely to hurt more because you’ll have fewer soft spaces to land in an emergency.
Aerial silks are also easily damaged by too much rough handling, so hanging them from uneven tree bark when you’ll be putting weight on them by using them isn’t advised.
You don’t want to risk swinging into the tree by accident as well while you practise because that is another way that you could injure yourself.
If you get hurt, or if the aerial silks are damaged, you won’t be able to practise for a little while, so it is in your best interests to avoid hanging aerial silks from a tree if you can.
Luckily, there is an easy alternative to this problem! You can purchase aerial rigs, which look quite a lot like the frames of swing sets, and set them up outdoors to hang up your aerial silks.
The frames are strong and can be pushed into the ground to remain secure, so you’ll be able to practise without worrying about the aerial silks breaking or swinging into a pole, as the frames are spread wide.
These frames are perfect for large grassy spaces, so as long as your garden is a decent enough size, you’ll be able to rig one up.
Some of these outdoor aerial rigs are portable, which means that they can be collapsed and transported around with you if you want to practise in bigger spaces, such as public parks.
Aerial silks are easy to bring out and about with you too, so you’ll be able to practise every single day if you like, no matter where you go.
What Is The Minimum Ceiling Height For Aerial Silks?
Experienced aerialists can adapt to several different heights quite easily, but a solid minimum ceiling height for suspending aerial silks is 12 feet.
This is because the silks are quite long and you need plenty of height to be able to practise all of the intricate movements. If you can’t hang your silks from a 12′ ceiling then you’ll still be able to practise with them hung from a lower height, but you might find that it somewhat restricts what moves you can practise.
How High Should Aerial Silks Be Hung?
Aerial silks should be hung high enough for you to be able to comfortably practise without potentially hitting the floor or anything else in the room.
You can go by your height and how many drops you want to do, but 5 meters (approximately 16 feet) is a perfect height for doing basic drops. The more height you have, the more drops you can execute, and the more moves you can practise in general.
Silks tend to be quite lengthy, so you need them to be high enough for you to use properly. If the silks are hung too low then they’ll pool on the floor and you won’t be able to use any of that excess silk.
Try to choose the highest ceiling in your house for suspending the silks, so long as it is secure enough to support your full body weight.
How Do You Hang Aerial Silks Outside?
For hanging aerial silks outside, an aerial rig is the best way to go because it will be able to support your weight easily and gives you plenty of space and security to practise.
You hang your silks from this rig by firmly looping and tightening them to the rig, just as you would with carabiners, a Rescue 8, and a swivel device when installing the silks inside your home.
The rig can either be a permanent fixture in your garden, or you can buy a smaller portable rig and take it out with you to wider spaces when you need to practise. Here is a good article on can aerial silks get wet.
You should ideally detach your aerial silks and bring them inside with you whenever you’re done practising outside because windy or rainy weather will easily damage them.
When you reattach them to the rig, pull on them first to ensure they are properly secured and then proceed with your training as usual.
If you notice anything odd about your rig, stop using it immediately and then check out the problem or have a professional do it if necessary.