My first aerial ballet class

OMG, the class was so much fun!! 

I started to get really nervous and read everything I could find on the class when I got home from work.  I saw something I had never noticed before, it said not to wear slick clothing that it was better to wear cotton.  Well, as most runners will tell you 'cotton is rotten' it doesn't wick moisture and can cause chaffing so I just don't buy it.  So I was supposed to wear something tight fitting that wasn't slick.  Well that wasn't going to happen.  I ended up wearing one of my running skirts that has a thicker kind of textured capris under it and a tighter t-shirt.

Since I hadn't been there before I left my house kind of early and got to the studio 30 minutes early.  I tried to not think about it so I wouldn't freak out and leave.  When my sister got there we went inside and did the nervous waiting thing since we don't know the other students.  Turns out they are all super nice but you know how that awkward who are you kind of thing works.

We started the class with some stretching.  Turns out this is done on a very hard wooden dance floor and my knee was not going to let me do that.  I did the best I could and asked if I could bring a yoga mat the next time.  She said to bring a pillow if I needed to.

After the stretching she went over some conditioning exercises; superman, plank, head stands against the wall, bicycles, push ups...There were 5 people in the class and only two silks so we had to take turns.  The first thing we did was just a regular foot wrap.  You wrap one leg around the silk and kind of step on that foot with your free foot.  I got up but I couldn't "climb" because that would mean having to unwrap the foot and climbing with my arms.  I couldn't get that down at all.  We practiced it for a few minutes then switched.  There are two girls in the class that are amazing!!  They take the class 3 time a week and made us 3 beginners both want to kill them and be just like them.  Of course they are also 15 years old, which doesn't hurt.  It was really hard to concentrate on conditioning and not just watch them with your jaw on the floor. 

On our next turn she taught us another position that she called the foot taco.  On this one you step down on the silk with one foot and wrap the silk around with the other foot.  This is by far my favorite!!  I actually took three "steps" and made it almost to the top of the silk!!  I couldn't wait to get down and try it again.  But of course I had to share so we went back to the floor. 

On our next turn we did something called a foot lock.  I can't even explain how to do this.  You are supposed to wrap the silk with one foot and then use your other foot to kind of tie a knot around your foot.  She had to put me in this one because I couldn't get my monkey toes to work right.  Once she got me in the foot lock though I could have hung there all day.  The tricky part is undoing the knot and redoing it.  That, of course didn't happen.  She helped me get in a foot lock with both of my feet and do some kind of contortionist move, kind of like a Russian split.  Once I was in the position she asked me if I felt comfortable letting go and hanging upside down.  I asked her if she had been using crack long, maybe next time.

Before we left she asked me and my sister if we wanted to try anything else.  My sister was done, she was exhausted but I wanted to try one more thing before I left, I was having a blast.  She got me in a double foot lock and had me do the splits!!!  I was up there long enough for my sister to get her phone and take pictures.  I got a standing ovation and I was so freaking happy about actually being able to do some kind of trick!!

The best part is, I feel so good.  I am not sore like I thought I would be and my legs fell so loose.  My back has been hurting for 3 weeks but today is much better.  This is the best cross training ever.

Something to remember for next week....clip and file toenails so they don't snag the silk.  A pedicure would definitely be a good thing.

Here is the picture my sister took of me in the splits.

This is what it is supposed to look like

This is what the teacher was trying to have me let go and do. 

I can't wait until next week!!