Active Dropping Technique
Your life is on the line when you get on your apparatus. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Silks can be very safe, but only if you execute proper technique. Trusted teachers and peers may be watching but the buck stops with you. People like me are only here to give you the tools you need. You are always the last line of defense for your body.
Active dropping
Let me start by saying that learning how to be mentally and physically active while falling is really difficult. Aerialists allow their bodies to plummet to the earth while engaging the correct muscles, keeping musculoskeletal alignment and executing the necessary safeties Sometimes the most active part of the technique is to look like you aren’t moving a muscle. Who knew that retaining a static position while the world is whirling by you is secretly super hard.
The first time a student attempts star or wheel down in class, more often than not, they look like a rag doll falling down a flight of stairs. If you are chuckling right now, you know what I’m talking about. Dropping on silks is not as simple as wrapping correctly at the top and free falling. Just because you know the wrap, doesn’t necessarily mean that you know the drop. I consider the wrap only 25% of the information. Every single one has different physics involved and must be trained with the correct ratio of CONTROL to LETTING GO as you travel down the silks. In star, the body needs to be neutral and completely still with a solid hand grip on the tail. You must keep your body from becoming limp while rolling down to the cinch. It will help to do a quick mental checklist when you are ready to go after the wrap. Technique equals structure and structure leads to having more control even when you’re free falling.
Chose wisely
Not all drops are equal. If you suffer from fear and anxiety when dangling at the top, making specific choices in your practice is the key. Determine which ones scare the crap out of you and try to figure out why. Some are super forgiving and others painful and jarring. If you can, learn drops in a progressive manner. Small drops should be learned first, especially ones that rotate around a fulcrum and don’t descend your center of gravity. Choose forward saltos over slack drops and learn closed before open versions. With the ones that stress you out, take a step back by deconstructing the wrap, then practice the set up close to the mat.
As a teacher, I find that anxiety and fear like to pick favorites. It’s uncommon that I come across a student that begins with a fear of all drops and continues to fear all types equally. Anxiety tends to gather around a family of drops. One student has no issues starting inverted but the moment she preps for a forward Salto, panic sets in. Another feels comfortable in a wheel down where they can control the descent but avoid star drops like the plague. The list goes on and on. If some elements are beyond you for one reason or another, be kind to yourself. We are adults and there is nothing wrong with leaving elements out of your practice if it’s not worth it to you.
Create a non-threatening environment
We all need a safe space – one where you feel at home with trusted instructors around you and the equipment you need. Maybe it’s the fabric you prefer plus a nice fluffy crash mat. Perhaps there’s a song that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Your own personal safe space will be the most forgiving environment to learn elements that are intimidating.
Just do it
Simply, you’ve got to drop a lot to get comfortable with dropping. There’s no way out but through on this one.
Active dropping
Let me start by saying that learning how to be mentally and physically active while falling is really difficult. Aerialists allow their bodies to plummet to the earth while engaging the correct muscles, keeping musculoskeletal alignment and executing the necessary safeties Sometimes the most active part of the technique is to look like you aren’t moving a muscle. Who knew that retaining a static position while the world is whirling by you is secretly super hard.
The first time a student attempts star or wheel down in class, more often than not, they look like a rag doll falling down a flight of stairs. If you are chuckling right now, you know what I’m talking about. Dropping on silks is not as simple as wrapping correctly at the top and free falling. Just because you know the wrap, doesn’t necessarily mean that you know the drop. I consider the wrap only 25% of the information. Every single one has different physics involved and must be trained with the correct ratio of CONTROL to LETTING GO as you travel down the silks. In star, the body needs to be neutral and completely still with a solid hand grip on the tail. You must keep your body from becoming limp while rolling down to the cinch. It will help to do a quick mental checklist when you are ready to go after the wrap. Technique equals structure and structure leads to having more control even when you’re free falling.
Chose wisely
Not all drops are equal. If you suffer from fear and anxiety when dangling at the top, making specific choices in your practice is the key. Determine which ones scare the crap out of you and try to figure out why. Some are super forgiving and others painful and jarring. If you can, learn drops in a progressive manner. Small drops should be learned first, especially ones that rotate around a fulcrum and don’t descend your center of gravity. Choose forward saltos over slack drops and learn closed before open versions. With the ones that stress you out, take a step back by deconstructing the wrap, then practice the set up close to the mat.
As a teacher, I find that anxiety and fear like to pick favorites. It’s uncommon that I come across a student that begins with a fear of all drops and continues to fear all types equally. Anxiety tends to gather around a family of drops. One student has no issues starting inverted but the moment she preps for a forward Salto, panic sets in. Another feels comfortable in a wheel down where they can control the descent but avoid star drops like the plague. The list goes on and on. If some elements are beyond you for one reason or another, be kind to yourself. We are adults and there is nothing wrong with leaving elements out of your practice if it’s not worth it to you.
Create a non-threatening environment
We all need a safe space – one where you feel at home with trusted instructors around you and the equipment you need. Maybe it’s the fabric you prefer plus a nice fluffy crash mat. Perhaps there’s a song that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Your own personal safe space will be the most forgiving environment to learn elements that are intimidating.
Just do it
Simply, you’ve got to drop a lot to get comfortable with dropping. There’s no way out but through on this one.
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