Aerial Classes at Sky Candy

Jan 23, 2012 by Cynthia    4 Comments    Posted under: Class Act

I’ve always been mesmerized by a circus. As a surprise for my sixth birthday, my dad waited until I was within earshot of the phone to order tickets to see the Ringling Brothers Circus. I was ecstatic for the rest of the day, even in the throes of a cotton candy overdose later. To this day, I still love the circus arts with the abandon of a kid.

When Cirque Du Soleil came to the Cedar Park Center I had to catch the show and I’m eagerly awaiting their return with Quidam this year, which will run February 29 – March 4. Since my youthful dreams of running away to join the circus have since been cruelly dashed, over the past weekend I took the slightly more adult excursion.

Austin’s Sky Candy offers aerial classes that allow you to test your skills on everything from trapeze to lyra to silks, hammock and rope (or corde lisse, as they say). Their drop-in introductory aerial class is the best way to get started with an experienced instructor and runs $20. Beginners can also choose to try a six-week series that specializes on the apparatus of their choice. Since the summer of 2010, the Sky Candy collective has been run by a group of performers who can usually be found also teaching classes. Their new studio space is located at the east end of 6th Street, where they share a building with the (delicious) Hops & Grains Brewery and Tasting Room.

So what was it like?

There were three other women in my class. It takes an incredible amount of upper body and core strength to do anything, namely to even get up on any of the equipment. My muscles were trembly by the end and I am definitely sore now. I was most thrilled with the trapeze but quite disappointed in the silks. Climbing them was nearly impossible. Not to mention, it looks soft and luxurious but when you’re twisting or hanging in the hammock version from your hips, it’s highly uncomfortable.

Did you know that both the trapeze bar and lyra are made of steel? Yep. There is certainly an art to making those movements look so effortless and beautiful. I think I have a bruise or two to prove it. Still it was worth it to have the chance to take to the sky. Maybe the greatest of ease part will come with more practice.

Here’s a trapeze routine by one of the resident performers.

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